The term “child soldiers” is very evocative. One might think of young children being drugged or forced into fighting, traumatized and exploited. In popular culture, films like Blood Diamond and Beasts of No Nation paint vivid images of child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Ghana. But minors in conflict can be found around the world, and their experiences are not always as clear-cut.
Wenche Iren Hauge currently leads the project Minors in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Processes – The Gender Dimension and has just released a paper detailing the experiences of minors in Nepal and Colombia. Their experiences don't match the narratives most are familiar with. Today she discusses her findings and how the international community can adjust DDR processes based on these minors experiences.
Related material
- “Nobody Listens to Us”: Minors in DDR Processes – The Gender Dimension (PRIO Paper)
- A Neglected Agency: Female and Male Minors in DDR Processes (PRIO Policy Brief)
