Gender and SecurityGender and Security

By Gunhild By Gunhild HoogensenHoogensen, , PhPh.D..D.

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

University of University of TromsøTromsø, , TromsøTromsø, Norway, Norway

Research Associate, GECHSResearch Associate, GECHS

16 March 200616 March 2006

WhatWhat is is ’’Human Human SecuritySecurity’’??

!! Expanded notion of securityExpanded notion of security

!! Popularized Popularized in 1994 in in 1994 in the the UNDP HumanUNDP Human

Development ReportDevelopment Report

!! ’’FreedomFreedom from from FearFear, , Freedom Freedom from from WantWant’’

!! Identified Identified 7 7 broad categories of securitybroad categories of security: : economiceconomic,,

foodfood, , healthhealth, , environmentalenvironmental, personal, , personal, communitycommunity,,

and and politicalpolitical

!! IndividualIndividual, not , not statestate, is , is focus focus ((ieie: : civil societycivil society!)!)

Traditional Traditional versus Human versus Human SecuritySecurity

!! HS HS too broad too broad –– makes makes the the termterm

””securitysecurity”” meaninglessmeaningless

!! Cannot identify Cannot identify all all securitysecurity

needs of needs of all all individualsindividuals –– need need toto

restrictrestrict

!! ’’SecuritySecurity’’ is is different different fromfrom

everyday security everyday security –– HighHigh

politicspolitics, , statestate--orientedoriented, , urgenturgent

action action of extraordinary meansof extraordinary means

((usually militaryusually military))

Human Human Security Security –– sugar sugar andand

spice spice and all and all things nicethings nice??

! Concept “human security” itself has been gendered

! it has become merely “motherhood and applepie” or

“sentimental, feminine, utopian, and therefore incapable

of transfer to the international arena for rigorous

analysis” (Anon, 2002; McSweeney, 1999).

! This “feminization” of human security or a widened

security concept is not meant to be complimentary.

! It means that human security does not measure up, and

traditional security sets the standard.

Gender Gender is is central central to to securitysecurity

debatedebate! Traditional security recognized for its gender

dynamics by gender researchers. The dominance

of traditional, state-based security thinking is a

manifestation of masculinist, patriarchal

structures, demanding that security only be

defined from this position of privilege.

! Gender security research is only now starting to

permeate the mainstream security discussions, but

it is still the exception

Women Women or or gendergender??! difference between “women” and “gender”.

! Gender understood as “women” generally means thatone tries to include women in processes, get women’s’input’, meet particularly women’s needs, and protectwomen.

! This is the usual way “gender” is introduced –particularly in policy (ie: UNSC resolution 1325, 2000);South Asia Partnership Canada (SAP Canada) report andactivities on women and security (SAP Canada, 2005);UN in East Timor under UNTAET (United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor), particularlythe Gender Affairs Unit.

Gender Gender and and powerpower

! Understood in its broader form however, the

concept of gender recognizes the use and practice

of gender in everything we do and understand in

society, open it up, dismantle it, use it in different

ways, and illustrate its construction and de-

construction. The concept of gender speaks to

relationships of power, exposing relationships of

dominance and non-dominance where is normally

not recognized.

TheThe personal is personal is politicalpolitical

! Gender security studies takes as its referent theindividual

! Gender studies has struggled with an initial desire touniversalize security – in the case based on women’sin/security (western, middle class woman)

! Since then, given its referent, it is widely recognizedthat a universal notion of both gender and security isnot possible – the definitions depend upon the context

! Gender additionally exposes ”positive” security –enabling/capacity building component to security thatoften goes unaddressed

Gender meets Gender meets HumanHuman

SecuritySecurity

! Gender security perspectives have a great deal in

common with human security – they speak to a

broader notion of security, from the position of

the individual or group, voicing the need for a

wider security agenda

! Gender also speaks to ”societal security” (both

included in human security as well as a security

perspective in its own right)

Societal securitySocietal security

!! societal security is about societal security is about ““identity, the self-conception ofidentity, the self-conception of

communities, and those individuals who identify themselves ascommunities, and those individuals who identify themselves as

members of a particular community.members of a particular community.”” (Ole (Ole WæverWæver, 1995, 1998), 1995, 1998)

!! complicates security, not only adding another complicates security, not only adding another ‘‘legitimatelegitimate’’ voice voice

to the security dynamic, but one which is determined on theto the security dynamic, but one which is determined on the

basis of diverse identities and can therefore reflect diversebasis of diverse identities and can therefore reflect diverse

security needs.security needs.

!! Like human security, societal security is a non-state basedLike human security, societal security is a non-state based

approach to security approach to security –– however both perspectives suffer from however both perspectives suffer from

one (of many) problem one (of many) problem –– who decides what is secure or not? who decides what is secure or not?

A A gender responsegender response

! Gender security studies has evolved significantly overthe past decade – from a dominant western, middle classview about women, to a multi-standpoint approach(multiple identities), recognizing that security for one, isnot necessarily security for another

! Context and the recognition of power relations(dominance/non-dominance) make visible thein/securities that usually go unheard in a state-securitybased context

! Context and power relations inform human security,allowing previously unheard voices to be heard

A A gendergender--informed approachinformed approach

to human to human securitysecurity! human security is achieved when individuals and

communities have the freedom to identify risks andthreats to their well-being and the capacity todetermine ways to end, mitigate or adapt to thoserisks and threats.

! Allows for identification of human in/security in avariety of contexts – from situations of domesticviolence, to impacts of climate change, to large-scale violence

! If the individual/community is in focus, there mustbe a recognition of their capacities to cope, resistand create security