The Exploitation by the Blue Helmets : A Qualitative Cross-Case Comparison of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic and the United Nations Mission in Burundi

Sammanfattning: UN peacekeeping operations have received a significant amount of backlash during the past decades when allegations of sexual misconduct conducted by its personnel against civilians have unravelled. The purpose of this study is to answer the research question: How does unemployment amongst internally displaced women, within the host state, affect the probability of United Nations peacekeepers perpetrating Transactional Sex against them? The suggested hypothesis yields that a high level of unemployed internally displaced women has a positive effect on peacekeeper-perpetrated transactional sex occurrence. The theory relies on the ‘sex for basic needs’ paradigm and connects the rippling effect of IDPs to this. Evidence draws upon peacekeeping operations ONUB in Burundi and MINUSCA in the Central African Republic, and these partially ratify the hypothesis, although considering certain limitations. Findings show that MINUSCA has perpetrated transactional sex against unemployed female IDPs to a slightly larger extent than ONUB. However, difficulties in determining the extent of these occurrences and inability to reject alternative explanations implies that the hypothesis cannot be confirmed. Methodologically, this structured focused comparison is executed as a qualitative cross-case comparative study using the method of difference.