Bahrain Beyond the Pearl: Political Prisoners and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Gulf's Forgotten Uprising

Abstract

In February and March 2011, thousands of Bahrainis flooded into the streets and the Pearl Roundabout to protest political, economic, and social inequality. After approximately two weeks of protest, the Bahraini government, with the assistance of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s Peninsular Shield Force, crushed the actions, killing at least a dozen people and imposing martial law. Throughout the two weeks of protest and afterwards, many Bahrainis were arrested for their role in or connection to political organizing and action in the country. Once detained, many of these individuals were tortured at the hand of the state, including, for some, sexual torture. This thesis explores two key questions—who, and which groups are tortured by the state using sexual violence, and why are these groups subjected to this form of violence more than others? The thesis then argues that women, older men, and individuals who occupy advocacy roles or are charged criminally are at greatest risk, due to a combination of factors including gender and the law, social mobility and standing, and state perceptions of power and control.