Forced displacement and gendered violence in conflict zones in the southern Philippines: the experiences of internally displaced people from Zamboanga and Marawi.

Migration is not always by choice, but rather, influenced by circumstance. Displacement due to human-made disasters, such as armed conflict, constitutes forced migration, also known as involuntary migration. This paper examines the experience of forced displacement due to armed conflict and the risk of gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict zones in the southern Philippines, focusing on the survivors of the 2013 Zamboanga Siege and the 2017 Marawi Siege. The researcher examines the dynamics of violence during armed conflict from a gendered perspective and illuminates the extent to which gender-based violence exists on a continuum from personal, to community based and/or state-sponsored violence. Drawing upon interviews and focus group discussions with internally displaced people (IDPs) in traditional evacuation centers, home-based evacuation arrangements, and/or transitory sites, and with duty-bearers from Zamboanga City and the Islamic City of Marawi, this paper discusses the pathways to evacuation of IDPs from both locations and how these shaped the experiences of GBV among survivors. The researcher identifies common themes and nuances in experiences of personal, community, and state-sponsored gendered violence among women and girls and men and boys, who experienced involuntary migration through forced displacement. Migration is not always by choice, but rather, influenced by circumstance. Displacement due to human-made disasters, such as armed conflict, constitutes forced migration, also known as involuntary migration. This paper examines the experience of forced displacement due to armed conflict and the risk of gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict zones in the southern Philippines, focusing on the survivors of the 2013 Zamboanga Siege and the 2017 Marawi Siege. The researcher examines the dynamics of violence during armed conflict from a gendered perspective and illuminates the extent to which gender-based violence exists on a continuum from personal, to community based and/or state-sponsored violence. Drawing upon interviews and focus group discussions with internally displaced people (IDPs) in traditional evacuation centers, home-based evacuation arrangements, and/or transitory sites, and with duty-bearers from Zamboanga City and the Islamic City of Marawi, this paper discusses the pathways to evacuation of IDPs from both locations and how these shaped the experiences of GBV among survivors. The researcher identifies common themes and nuances in experiences of personal, community, and state-sponsored gendered violence among women and girls and men and boys, who experienced involuntary migration through forced displacement. This paper compares and contrasts the extent of armed conflict and the trends in GBV among forced migrants in both cities. The researcher exposes the incidences of gendered violence experienced by IDPs in Zamboanga, the vulnerability of women and children to domestic violence and trafficking, and the covert attempts to recruit men into extremist groups. Moreover, this paper looks into trends in extremist violence, militarism, and other forms of gendered violence among IDPs from Marawi and the risk of clan feud upon returning to their communities. The researcher highlights the links between gender, racial, ethnic, religious, and social class inequality in the Philippines and the vulnerability of people displaced by armed conflict. This paper delves into the continuity of violence at various levels and assesses the intersections between private and public violence confronting IDPs from Zamboanga and Marawi.