As sexual violence and conjugal slavery remain neglected parts of armed conflict, there continues to be barriers for justice for survivors. Even though survivors’ experiences of abduction and captivity are different and unique, the Conjugal Slavery in War (CSiW) Partnership Project has found many similarities. These similarities are especially noticeable particularly regarding the stigma survivors face (Bitu Tshikudi, 2019). 

However, in Acan’s and Amony’s statements to the news media, their message goes far beyond advocating for justice and reparations. They argue for sustained movements for peace and the abolition of war. War demands the labour of young people and women and girls are relied upon for social reproduction in conflict.

Take a deeper dive. Watch Grace Acan as she explains what she has learned about justice since returning from life in captivity. 

In there conversations with news media, both Acan and Amony explain how they were misrecognized by the Ugandan government through its amnesty mechanism. In a CBC Day 6 (2019) piece, the article states: “The [amnesty] card is meted out to LRA fighters who are forgiven for fighting against the government of Uganda. It’s hard to see what exactly she’s being forgiven for, Amony said. ‘It [was] not our will to be in the bush,’ Amony clarified. And Acan stated that, ‘My life was destroyed. I didn’t hold a gun against the government, so why should I sign that I fought against the government?’ [...] ‘There was no government to protect me, to bring me back’” (2019). Acan’s and Amony’s experiences as girls caught between forces informs their perspective on war. These experiences of misrecognition, stigma, and the neglect of women’s and girls' experiences in war, are what WAN was founded to address (Acan, 2020).