![]() Likewise, during the civil war in Sierra Leone, captive young girls were viewed as commodities, while Uganda’s rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) gave girls to commanders as “wives”, and forced the girls to aid in abductions. Indeed, according to a report on girl soldiers by Dyan Mazurana and Susan McKay, during the civil war in Mozambique, girls had been treated as sexual property, and distributed as “rewards” for other soldiers. These girl soldiers are often especially subject to systematic sexual violence, and rape. After recruitment, they often continue to face the gender inequality, discrimination, and gender-based violence they experienced before violent conflict. Girl child soldiers face distinct challenge. Yet, these young girls in particular are also often recruited for forced marriage or other sexual purposes, adding to the immense violence and trauma that child soldiers more generally face and experience. Females, like their male counterparts, are put into a variety of roles they serve as cooks, porters, and even combatants with front-line duties. Those children most vulnerable - those who face poverty, displacement, or other security, economic, or social pressures - are often targeted by recruiters. Many armed groups, including many fighting in civil conflicts and both government and insurgent forces, fill their ranks with children, recruiting and even kidnapping and trafficking them. While much focus has been placed on male child soldiers, though female soldiers often play important roles in armed groups and conflict, they are often neglected. According to UNICEF, thousands of boys and girls are recruited as soldiers across the world. ![]()
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