Engendering (In)security in Peace Support Operations

Citation:

Higate, Paul, and Marsha Henry. 2004. “Engendering (In)security in Peace Support Operations.” Security Dialogue 35 (4): 481–98.

Authors: Paul Higate , Marsha Henry

Abstract:

This article contributes towards ongoing debates on gender, security, and post-conflict studies. Its focus is on the activities of male peacekeepers and their gendered relations with women and girls. Against the backdrop of the peacekeeping economies in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, we focus on the consequences of male peacekeepers' construction and enactment of masculinity (and masculinities) on the security of local women. We conclude by suggesting that a deeper understanding of gender relations and security in peacekeeping contacts is necessary for any policy intervention in post-conflict settings. 

Keywords: security, insecurity, Gender, peacekeeping, masculinity, femininity, militarization, sexuality

Topics: Economies, Gender, Women, Girls, Masculinity/ies, Gendered Power Relations, Conflict, Peacekeeping, Post-Conflict, Security, Male Perpetrators Regions: Africa, Central Africa, West Africa Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone

Year: 2004