The Difference that Gender Makes to International Peace and Security

This book showcases the relevance of a gender perspective for explaining contemporary issues of peace and security. It challenges prevailing representations of political order and stability by drawing from the insecurities experienced by women and girls in post-conflict transitions. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue in the International Feminist Journal of Politics.

Fifteen years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which establishes the Women, Peace and Security agenda, there is now a need to assess the impacts of gender equality efforts, and to understand why and how gender equality reforms have advanced to the extent that they have. This book examines how international peace and security is re-envisioned from a gender perspective by mostly focusing on the nuances presented by the Asia Pacific region. It argues that despite the diversity of political, socio-cultural and economic systems in the Asia Pacific, women and girls in the region continue to experience similar forms of insecurities. Several countries in the Asia Pacific have demonstrated relative peace and stability. In addition, women’s leadership and participation in peacebuilding are and continue to be increasingly recognized in the region too. However, as the chapters in this book demonstrate, applying a critical gender analysis allows for the interrogation of ‘veneers’ of political order which can then mask or normalise everyday gendered insecurities. The analysis of country cases such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Fiji underscores a rethinking of the political order in the Asia Pacific which leaves existing gender inequalities intact.

The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue in the International Feminist Journal of Politics.