Rethinking Human Security Through Feminist Lenses

Year 2024, , 361 - 380, 19.10.2024

Pınar Sayan Şirin Duygulu

https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2024.13

Abstract

At the beginning of the 2000s, the increased salience of the concept of human security was a welcome development both in academic and policy circles. Problematizing the state's central role as the principal object of security allowed human beings' security needs and concerns to be put in front and center, at least in theory, if not necessarily in practice. The increasing traction the concept got also allowed several non-traditional security threats, such as environment, health and migration, to be approached through security lenses and put on security agendas. Despite the burgeoning literature and the notable frequency at which the concept of human security got incorporated into policy discussions, it has lost, at least partially, its analytical traction and policy saliency. The lack of a clear definition as well as vague and tactical use of the concept by policymakers have raised concerns about the human security concept turning into an empty signifier. While the human security concept was welcome by some feminist approaches, it is also criticized by others. This article aims to discuss the human security concept through different feminist perspectives and understand its adaptability in the field based on a comparative interpretive analysis of feminist foreign policy initiatives by Sweden, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, Chile and Luxembourg. To realize this aim, we analyze the conceptualization and implementation of feminist foreign policies and how they put the human security approach into practice. We seek to problematize how feminist foreign policies tackle the ambiguities and limitations within the human security framework, and to what degree these policies confront or maintain current power dynamics and state-centered security models. We argue that feminist foreign policies do highlight the problems related to gender equality and contribute to their solutions, but do not challenge patriarchy and the power relations behind it. As such, while they contribute to better implementation of human security as a guiding principle for foreign policy, conventional foreign policy concerns limit the change they can create on the ground.

Keywords

Human Security, Security, Feminism, Feminist Foreign Policy, Gender Equality

İnsani Güvenliği Feminist Bakış Açılarıyla Tekrar Düşünmek

Abstract

2000'li yılların başında insani güvenlik kavramının giderek daha fazla ön plana çıkması hem akademik hem de politika çevrelerinde memnuniyetle karşılanan bir gelişme olmuştur. Güvenliğin temel nesnesi olarak devletin merkezi rolünü sorunsallaştırmak, pratikte olmasa da en azından teoride insanların güvenlik ihtiyaçlarının ve endişelerinin ön plana ve merkeze alınmasına olanak sağlamıştır. Kavrama gösterilen artan ilgi aynı zamanda çevre, sağlık ve göç gibi geleneksel olmayan birçok meseleye güvenlik merceği aracılığıyla yaklaşılmasına ve güvenlik gündemlerinin oluşturulmasına da olanak tanımıştır. İnsani güvenlik kavramı üzerine gelişmekte olan literatüre ve politika tartışmalarına rağmen, kavram analitik çekiciliğini ve politik açıdan belirginliğini en azından kısmen kaybetmiştir. Kavramın net bir tanımının olmayışı ve politika yapıcılar tarafından muğlak ve taktiksel bir biçimde kullanılması, insani güvenlik kavramının içi boş bir göstergeye dönüşmesi endişesini doğurmuştur. İnsani güvenlik kavramı bazı feminist yaklaşımlar tarafından olumlu karşılanırken bazıları tarafından da eleştirilmektedir. Bu makale, insani güvenlik kavramını farklı feminist perspektifler aracılığıyla tartışmayı ve İsveç, Kanada, Meksika, Fransa, Almanya, İspanya, Şili ve Lüksemburg'un feminist dış politika girişimlerinin karşılaştırmalı yorumlayıcı analizi temelinde bu kavramın alana uyarlanabilirliğini anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu amacı gerçekleştirmek için feminist dış politikaların kavramsallaştırılması, uygulanması ve insani güvenlik yaklaşımının nasıl hayata geçirildiğini analiz etmekteyiz. Feminist dış politika yaklaşımlarının insani güvenlik çerçevesindeki belirsizlikleri ve sınırlamaları nasıl ele aldığını ve bu politikaların mevcut güç dinamiklerini ve devlet merkezli güvenlik modellerini ne derece sorguladığını veya koruduğunu sorgulamayı amaçlıyoruz. Feminist dış politikaların toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğiyle ilgili sorunları öne çıkardığını ve çözümlerine katkıda bulunduğunu ancak ataerkilliğe ve onun arkasındaki güç ilişkilerine meydan okumadığını savunmaktayız. Bu sebeple, insani güvenliğin dış politikaya yol gösterici bir ilke olarak daha iyi uygulanmasına katkıda bulunurken, geleneksel dış politika kaygıları sahada yaratabilecekleri değişimi sınırladığını tartışıyoruz.

Keywords

İnsani Güvenlik, Güvenlik, Feminizm, Feminist Dış Politika, Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği

References

• Alkire, Sabina (2003), A Conceptual Framework for Human Security (Department of International Development, University of Oxford: CRISE).
• Axworthy, Lloyd (1997), “Canada and Human Security: The Need for Leadership”, International Journal, 52 (2): 183-196.
• BBC (2022), “Sweden Ditches ‘Feminist Foreign Policy’”, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63311743 (17.02.2023).
• Bevir, Mark and Oliver Daddow (2015), “Interpreting Foreign Policy: National, Comparative and Regional Studies”, International Relations, 29 (3): 273-287.
• Brown, Stephen and Liam Swiss (2018), “Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy: Game Changer or Fig Leaf?”, Graham, K. and A. Maslove (Eds.), How Ottawa Spends (Ottawa: Carleton University): 117-132.
• Chronicle.lu. (2021), “Luxembourg Presents Feminist Foreign Policy at International Meeting”, https://chronicle.lu/category/abroad/35646-luxembourg-presents-feminist-foreign-policy-at-international-meeting (15.02.2023).
• Cockburn, Cynthia (2007), From Where We Stand: War, Women’s Activism and Feminist Analysis (London and New York: Zed Books).
• Davies, Bronwyn (2024), “Feminist Inquiry”, Denzin, Norman K., Lincoln, Yvonna S., Giardiana, Michael D., Canella, Gaile S. (Ed.), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (Sage): 123-137.
• Deslandes, Ann (2020), “Checking in on Mexico’s Feminist Foreign Policy”, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/30/mexico-feminist-foreign-policy-one-year-in/ (17.02.2023).
• Edström, Bert (2011), Japan and Human Security: The Derailing of a Foreign Policy Vision (Stockholm: Institute for Security and Development Policy).
• Enloe, Cynthia (1990), Bananas, Beaches and Bases (Berkeley: University of California Press).
• French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (2018), France’s International Strategy on Gender Equality (2018-2022) (Paris).
• German Federal Foreign Office (2022), Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy: Federal Foreign Office Guidelines (Berlin).
• Global Affairs Canada (2017), Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (Ottawa).
• Government of Mexico (2020), “Mexico Adopts Feminist Foreign Policy”, https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/mexico-adopts-feminist-foreign-policy?idiom=en (15.02.2023).
• Government of Spain (2021), Política Exterior Feminista Impulsando la Igualdad en la Acción Exterior española.
• Government Offices of Sweden, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018), Handbook: Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy (Stockholm).
• Hampson, Fen Osler, Jean Daudelin, John B. Hay, Todd Martin and Holly Reid (2002), Human Security and World Disorder (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
• Haut Conseil a l’Egalite (2020), La Diplomatie Féministe: D’un Slogan Mobilisateur à Une Véritable Dynamique de Changement? (Paris).
• Henshaw, Alexis. (2023), “Feminism”, Mello, Patrick A. and Falk Ostermann (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Foreign Policy Analysis Methods (London: Routledge): 67-82.
• Hudson, Heidi (2005), “‘Doing’ Security as Though Humans Matter: A Feminist Perspective on Gender and the Politics of Human Security”, Security Dialogue, 36 (2): 155-174.
• Kaldor, Mary (Ed.) (2000), Global Insecurity: Restructuring the Global Military Sector, Volume III (London and New York: Pinter).
• Kaldor, Mary (2020), “Human Security: Practical Possibilities”, LSE Public Policy Review, 1 (2): 7.
• Liebig, Thomas and Kristian Rose Tronstad (2018), Triple Disadvantage? A First Overview of the Integration of Refugee Women (OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers).
• Lijphart, Arend (1971), “Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method”, The American Political Science Review, 65 (3): 682-693.
• MacFarlane, Neil and Yuen Foong Khong (2006), Human Security and the UN: A Critical History (Bloomington: Indiana University Press).
• MacKenzie, Megan and Nicole Wegner (2023), “Militarism and Security in Gender Matters”, Shepherd, Laura J. and Caitlin Hamilton (Ed.), Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to International Relations (London and New York: Routledge): 288-301.
• Marhia, Natasha (2013), “Some Humans are More Human than Others: Troubling the ‘Human’ in Human Security from a Critical Feminist Perspective”, Security Dialogue, 44 (1): 19-35.
• Marx Ferree, Myra (2013), “The Discursive Politics of Gendering Human Security: Beyond the Binaries”, Tripp, A. M., M. Marx Ferree and C. Ewig (Ed.), Violence, and Human Security: Critical Feminist Perspectives (New York and London: New York University Press): 285-309.
• McRae, Rob and Don Hubert (Eds.) (2001), Human Security and the New Diplomacy: Protecting People, Promoting Peace (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press).
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023), “Ministry of Foreign Affairs Presents Chile’s Feminist Foreign Policy and Reinforces Its International Commitment to Human Rights”, https://www.minrel.gob.cl/news/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-presents-chile-s-feminist-foreign-policy-and (13.02.2023).
• Molla, Tebeje (2021), “Refugee Education: Homogenized Policy Provisions and Overlooked Factors of Disadvantage”, International Studies in Sociology of Education, 32 (4): 902-923.
• Owen, Taylor (2004), “Human Security – Conflict, Critique and Consensus: Colloquium Remarks and a Proposal for a Threshold-Based Definition”, Security Dialogue, 35 (3): 373–387.
• Papagioti, Foteini (2023), Feminist Foreign Policy Index: A Qualitative Evaluation of Feminist Commitments (Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women).
• Paris, Roland (2001), “Human Security: Paradigm Shift or Hot Air?”, International Security, 26 (2): 87-102.
• Runyan, Anne Sisson (1992), “The “State” of Nature: A Garden Unfit for Women and Other Living Things’”, Peterson, V. Spike (Ed.), Gendered States: Feminist (Re)Vision of International Relations Theory (Boulder, CO and London: Lynne Rienner).
• SIPRI (2023), “Trends in International Arms Transfers 2022”, https://sipri.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/2303_at_fact_sheet_2022_v2.pdf (20.08.2023).
• Smith, Heather and Tari Ajadi (2020), “Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy and Human Security Compared”, International Journal, 75 (3): 367-382.
• Sylvester, Christine (1992), “Feminists and Realists View Autonomy and Obligation in International Relations”, Peterson, V. Spike (Ed.), Gendered States: Feminist (Re)Vision of International Relations Theory (Boulder, CO and London: Lynne Rienner).
• Tadjbakhsh, Shahrbanou (2005), Human Security: Concepts and Implications: with an Application to Post-intervention Challenges in Afghanistan (Fondation Nationale des Science Politiques).
• Thompson, Lyric and Clement, Rachel (2019), Defining Feminist Foreign Policy (International Center for Research on Women).
• Thompson, Lyric, Spogmay Ahmed and Tanya Khokhar (2021), Defining Feminist Foreign Policy: A 2021 Update (International Center for Research on Women).
• Tickner, Ann J. (2004), “Feminist Responses to International Security Studies”, Peace Review, 16 (1): 43-48.
• Tieku, Thomas Kwasi (2007), “African Union Promotion of Human Security in Africa”, African Security Review, 16 (2): 26-37.
• Tripp, Aili Mari (2013), “Toward a Gender Perspective on Human Security”, Tripp, A. M., M. Marx Ferree, C. Ewig (Ed.), Gender, Violence, and Human Security: Critical Feminist Perspectives (New York and London: New York University Press): 3-33.
• UN Arms Trade Treaty (2013), https://legal.un.org/avl/pdf/ha/att/att_e.pdf (10.02.2023).
• UNDP (1994), Human Development Report 1994: New Dimensions of Human Security (New York: Oxford University Press).
• UNHTC, Human Security Milestones and History, https://www.un.org/humansecurity/human-security-milestones-and-history/ (10.02.2023).
• UNHTC (2016), Human Security Handbook, https://www.un.org/humansecurity/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/h2.pdf (10.02.2023).
• Vucetic, Srdjan (9 April 2018), “The Uneasy Co-existence of Arms Exports and Feminist Foreign Policy”, https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/the-uneasy-co-existence-of-arms-exports-and-feminist-foreign-policy (15.02.2023).
• Wadley, Jonathan D. (2010), “Gendering the State: Performativity and Protection in International Security”, Sjoberg, Laura (Ed.), Gender and International Security: Feminist Perspectives (London and New York: Routledge): 38-59.
• Waltz, Kenneth (1986), “Reflections on Theory of International Politics: A Response to My Critics”, Keohane, Robert (Ed.), Neorealism and Its Critics, (New York: Columbia University Press): 322-345.
• Whitworth, Sandra (2004), Men, Militarism and UN Peacekeeping (Boulder: Lynne Rienner).