Moral spaces, and sexual transgression: understanding rape in war and post conflict

When it comes to rape in war, evocative language describing rape as a ‘weapon of war’ has become commonplace. Although politically important, overemphasis on strategic aspects of wartime sexual violence can be misleading. Alternative explanations tend to understand rape either as exceptional — a departure from ‘normal’ sexual relationships — or as part of a continuum of gendered violence. This article shows how, even in war, norms are not suspended; nor do they simply continue. War changes the moral landscape. Drawing on ethnographic research over 10 years in northern Uganda, this article argues for a re-sexualization of understandings of rape. It posits that sexual mores are central to explaining sexual violence, and that sexual norms — and hence transgressions — vary depending on the moral spaces in which they occur. In Acholi, moral spaces have temporal dimensions (‘olden times’, the ‘time of fighting’ and ‘these days’) and associated spatial dimensions (home, camp, bush, village, town). The dynamics of each help to explain the occurrence of some forms of sexual violence and the rarity of others. By reflecting on sexual norms and transgressions in these moral spaces, the article sheds light on the relationship between ‘event’ and ‘ordinary’, rape and war

Assessment of Water Quality Index and the Probable Human Health Implications of Consuming Packaged Groundwater from Abeokuta and Sagamu, Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Contamination of groundwater could result in serious and irreparable health problems for consumers. This study assessed the water quality and human health implications of metals in packaged groundwater from Abeokuta and Sagamu, southwestern Nigeria. Methods: One hundred and forty bags of the packaged groundwater were purchased and analyzed for physical and chemical parameters using standard procedures, while metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry. Risk assessment of metals was estimated using hazard index (HI), hazard quotient (HQ), and cancer risk (CR). Water quality index (WQI) was also evaluated. Results: The observed physical and chemical parameters, except Mn and Fe, in the packaged groundwater samples were observed to be within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. The WQI data indicated suitability for drinking purposes. The health risk data indicated high HQs > 1.0 for Ca (for adults and children at all the monitoring sites), Mn (children at all the sites, and adults at six sites), Mo (children at four sites, and adults at three sites), and Cu (children at three sites and adults at one site). Conclusion: The CRs of the packaged groundwater for Co and Ni at many sites revealed values > the acceptable limit of 1 × 10−4, indicating possible development of cancer by the consumers

Assessment of levels and health risk of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in selected sachet water packaged from groundwater resources in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: Sachet water is a source of affordable drinking water for low-income socioeconomic class. However, contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) could pose severe adverse health risk to consumers. Objective: The present study aimed at assessing the levels and health risk of PTEs in selected sachet water samples packaged from groundwater resources in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 140 bags of selected sachet water brands were purchased and analysed for eleven PTEs (some of which are rarely reported in Nigeria) using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrophotometer. Recovery experiment was conducted to validate the performance of the used analytical instrument. Blank samples were also run to cancel the matrix effect of the analysing reagents, and to calculate the limit of detection. PTE data were evaluated for simple descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS for Windows. Health risk assessment was conducted for hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and cancer risk (CR). Results: Chromium (Cr) was the highest observed PTE in sachet water from Asero (707±1102 µg L−1), Isolu (363±374 µg L−1) and Makun-Shagamu (359±204 µg L−1) sites. The concentrations of Cr were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization in 63% of the sachet water samples. Furthermore, the average contents of lead (Pb) and thallium (Tl) were observed at higher concentrations than the acceptable limits. The HQs exceeding the permissible threshold of 1.0 were observed for silver (Ag), aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), Cr and Tl in 29% of the sachet water consumed by adults and children; indicating adverse health effects. The CRs of Cd and Cr at all the sampling locations, and As at few sites were higher than the acceptable limit of 1 × 10−4; suggesting possible development of cancer by the consumers. Conclusion: The high levels and health risk estimates of PTEs in the sachet water samples suggested unsafe for consumption. Periodic monitoring of PTEs in sachet water from the study area is recommended