The Reintegration of Formerly Recruited Girls: A Resilience Approach

Abstract

Worldwide, armed forces and armed groups have systematically exploited girls, who often play multiple key roles such as laborers, porters, spies, and combatants. Significant numbers of girls are recruited into armed forces and armed groups in various regions (Denov, 2010; McKay and Mazurana, 2004; Wessells, 2006a, 2010). Formerly recruited girls have suffered enormously and face distinctive risks associated with rape and sexual violence, reproductive health, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Often the combination of stigmatization, community rejection, and poverty leads girls who have entered civilian life into sex work and other forms of dangerous labor. Despite the scale of their abuse and exploitation in armed groups, formerly recruited girls remain relatively invisible (Keairns, 2002; Kostelny, 2004; Mckay and Mazurana, 2004; Wessells, 2006a, 2010).