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Human Security, Armed Conflict and Religion: The Role of Gender Professor Barbara Einhorn Gender Institute LSE 31 October 2012 Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Lecture Sections Human Security and Gender Gender in National Identity Gender and Armed Conflict The Role of Religion Conclusions Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Human Security New theories of ‘human security’ – economic and social ‘wellbeing’ – safe and secure living environments Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Human Security ‘The ultimate weapon is no weapon’ (Beebe and Kaldor, 2010) – violence prevention – focus on civilians and human rights – political and development processes Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Human Security and Gender Need for gender lens – ‘people’ don’t always have common interests – violence as gendered Barbara Einhorn 2012
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The Role of Gender Gender as a key variable – analytical and empirical category necessary for understanding conflict Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Gender and Feminism Gender without feminist lens insufficient – Gender not about men and women, or even just masculinity and femininity – Issue of politics and power – Structurally unequal power relations Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Is a Gender Lens Helpful? Gender as part of problem – Essentialist dichotomous role definitions Gender as part of solution – Understanding how gender integral to politics – First step to overcoming social divisions which lead to exclusions and ultimately conflict Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Gender in National Identity Gender and Militarism as twin stabilising factors in national identity – Traditional gendered stereotypes of (heterosexual) masculinity and femininity – Militarism in national identity Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Royal Wedding 2011 Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Luxembourg Crown Prince Weds Belgian Countess Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Changing Nature of Armed Conflict Inter-state to intra-state conflict with non- state actors Distinction frontline/civilian space blurred Differentation between combatant/civilian as gendered male/female respectively confused Humanitarian, ‘secure’ space lost Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Gender and Conflict Conflict derives from a process of Othering – Gendered/raced and classed national/religious identities essential to conflict – Liberal multiculturalism sees its Other as ‘essentialist and thereby false’ (Zizek, 2008/9: 125) Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Afghan Women in Burkas Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Rationalising/Legitimating Conflict Men as participants and perpetrators Women as victims, not political agents Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Kosovan Refugees Barbara Einhorn 2012
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2003 RAWA Demonstration in Islamabad Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Gender and Armed Conflict The gendered ‘Other’ – Hyper-masculinised, brutal ‘terrorists’ – Helpless, oppressed female victims of violence ‘Our’ men and women – ‘Our (brave) boys’ as defenders of the nation – ‘Our’ women as supporting wives Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Taliban Fighters Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Heroic Firefighters at Ground Zero Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Militarised Gender Militarised women as anti-essentialist fig leaf Non-conformist men Conformist vs transgressive femininity – Jessica Lynch vs. Lynndie England ‘Failed’masculinity – Serbian prisoners; male victims of torture in Abu Ghraib, prison run by woman general Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Private Jessica Lynch Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Lynndie England in Abu Ghraib Prison Barbara Einhorn 2012
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The Role of Religion Force for peace or cause of conflict? Are religions inherently patriarchal? Fundamentalism/essentialism? Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Religion and Conflict Religion: cause of conflict? – Geo-political or economic causes – Colonial heritage Religion instrumentalised – Religion projected onto actual causes – Forces of (secular, Western) modernity ‘saving’ primitive backward (religious, read: Islamic) cultures Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Religion in Crisis The crisis of organised religions – Not theology – Gender and sexuality The headscarf debate – Gender as political accelerator – What is the debate really about? Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Turkish Students in Istanbul 2007 Barbara Einhorn 2012
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Conclusions Transcending narrow nationalisms – Communication with/compassion towards the ‘Other’ – ‘Other’ within diverse societies ‘Human’ security paradox – Needs to be gender-disaggregated – Essentialist gender binaries need to be overcome Gender equitable societies – Prerequisite for peaceful and socially just world Barbara Einhorn 2012
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