Women’s Role in Violence and UN Women, Peace, and Security Agenda

Year 2024, Volume: 16 Issue: 1, 1 - 30, 23.02.2024

Çağlayan Başer

https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2024.01

Abstract

The UN’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda emphasizes women’s victimhood and peacemaking roles. However, women participate in two-thirds of armed movements and affect conflict outcomes in unique gendered ways. This article argues that excluding female perpetrators from the WPS agenda generates new insecurities for them and broader societies. By highlighting women’s contribution to perpetuating conflict, I propose a framework to incite policymakers to view women’s empowerment as a mainstream security concern and implement policies aligned with the goals of the UN WPS Agenda. First, I explore reasons to avoid reinforcing gender norms that portray women as victims and peacemakers. These reasons encompass assessing: 1) women’s contributions to armed organizations, 2) their exclusion from post-conflict rehabilitation programs, 3) the limited visibility of human rights violations by women and the underrepresentation of male civilians as victims, and 4) “saving vulnerable women” rhetoric as a justification for Western power involvement. Then, I examine gender inequality as a fundamental cause enabling these factors, underscoring the need to regard gender inequality and traditional gender norms as central security concerns.

Keywords

The Women Peace and Security Agenda, United Nations, Female Militants, Women in Political Violence, Gender Inequality

Kadınların Şiddetteki Rolü ve Birleşmiş Milletler’in Kadın, Barış ve Güvenlik Gündemi

Abstract

Birleşmiş Milletler'in (BM) Kadın, Barış ve Güvenlik (KBG) gündemi kadınların mağduriyetini ve barışı sağlama rollerini vurgulamaktadır. Ancak, kadınlar, dünyadaki silahlı hareketlerin üçte ikisinde aktif olarak yer almakta ve çatışma sonuçlarını erkeklerden farklı şekillerde etkilemektedir. Bu makale, şiddet eylemlerine katılan kadınları KBG gündeminden dışlamanın, kadınlar için ve içinde bulundukları toplumlar için yeni güvenlik sorunlarına yol açtığını anlatmaktadır. Özellikle, silahlı çatışmaları devam ettirmede kadınların rollerini vurgulayarak, cinsiyet eşitsizliğini temel bir güvenlik sorunu olarak ele alan bir kavramsal çerçeve öne sürmektedir. Bu çerçevenin, liderler ve yasa yapıcıları, cinsiyet eşitliği için daha çok çaba sarfetmelerine ve BM KBG hedefleriyle uyumlu politikalar uygulamalarına teşvik etmesi beklenmektedir. Makale, öncelikle, kadınları yalnızca mağdur veya barışçıl olarak tasvir eden cinsiyet normlarını güçlendirmenin neden sakıncalı olduğunu dört ana başlıkta incelemektedir: 1) Kadınların silahlı örgütlere sağladıkları faydalar, 2) Kadınların çatışma sonrası rehabilite programlarından dışlanmaları, 3) Kadınların işledikleri insan hakları suçlarının daha az görünür olması ve erkek sivillerin mağduriyetinin kabul görmemesi, 4) “Mağdur kadınları kurtarma” söyleminin Batılı ülkeler tarafından işgallere zemin olarak kullanılması. Ardından, bu faktörlere ortaya çıkmasının arkasındaki ana neden olarak cinsiyet eşitsizliğini vurgulayıp, cinsiyet eşitsizliğini ve geleneksel cinsiyet normlarını temel ve anaakım güvenlik meselesi olarak ele almamız gerektiğini anlatmaktadır.

Keywords

Kadın, Barış ve Güvenlik Gündemi, Birleşmiş Milletler, Kadın Militanlar, Kadınların Siyasi Şiddet Eylemleri, Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği

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