Abstract

NKABALA, Helen Nambalirwa. Gender perspectives in the Lord's Resistance Army in relation to the Old Testament. Old testam. essays [online]. 2014, vol.27, n.3, pp.930-944. ISSN 2312-3621.

The essay is a comparative analysis of gender perspectives within the Lord's Resistance Army and the OT. Based on the claim by the LRA that all their actions are supported by the Bible, in this essay I seek to establish if there is a relationship between the roles of girls and women within the LRA and in the OT. From a comparative analysis, I established that there seems to be a linkage between what the OT texts present as roles of girls and women and the Lord's Resistance Army. An evaluation of such a connection between the beliefs and practices of two entities - LRA and the OT - shows that such a relationship may be a result of patriarchal influence. Consequently, I call for a gendered approach when dealing with the texts or any cultural beliefs which open up for Kony's or any similar understanding with regard to the roles of girls and women to avoid untold suffering and discrimination such as the one the former female LRA fighters were exposed to.¹

Keywords : gender criticism; Lord's Resistance Army; war; law; Jael; Deborah; Hagar; Tamar.

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