NATO’S Adoption of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Making the Agenda a Reality

Citation:

Wright, Katharine AM. 2016. “NATO’S Adoption of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Making the Agenda a Reality.” International Political Science Review 37 (3): 350–361.

Author: Katharine AM Wright

Abstract:

International security institutions play a pivotal role in the realisation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda through their adoption and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This article examines NATO’s adoption of UNSCR 1325, drawing upon Cynthia Enloe’s conception of NATO as a ‘teaching machine’ disseminating lessons on gender. In doing so, it finds UNSCR 1325 has been understood to be of ‘added-value’ to the Alliance in two respects: first, to support NATO’s long-established agenda to increase the representation of women in NATO forces; second, as a tool to increase operational effectiveness. I find that NATO’s adoption of UNSCR 1325 emerged as part of a counter discourse. The fact that this counter discourse was put forward by partner states challenges dominant understandings of the direction of policy dissemination within NATO. This case provides salient lessons on the opportunities for – and hindrances to – change through the pursuit of a feminist agenda within an international security institution.

Keywords: NATO, UNSC Res. 1325, women, Gender, peace and security, femocrats, international organizations, Afghanistan

Topics: Gender, Women, International Organizations, NGOs, Peacebuilding, Security, UN Security Council Resolutions on WPS, UNSCR 1325 Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: Afghanistan

Year: 2016