Why does gender issue have an important place in the international security landscape?
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Introduction
International security is a matter of great concern for all the countries and it has been seen that many pieces of research are made being on this topic as well. There is no doubt that diversity is the main element that is needed for innovation as both male and female come up with different ideas, but this case of gender difference is quite different when it comes to the international security. Issues that are raised because of the gender are like fuel to the fire when it comes to manage security at international level. This fact cannot be denied that there exist a close relationship between international security and issues created by gender differences. In this paper, we are going to discuss how and why gender issues got an important place in international security landscape. Gender issues are the issues faced by one gender because of the exploitation of their right by others.
Research question
Is there any relationship between gender equality and international security?
Purpose of the research
In this research, how international security is going to be compromised if the gender issues are not going to be taken into considerations.
Literature review
Many researches have been done for knowing why it is important to see importance of knowing how gender issues are going to influence the international security landscape. Various scholars and experts have given a different perspective on this conception. Many pieces of research have been done for knowing is it important to keep issues of gender in consideration while making the peacemaking policies? According to some researchers, gender issues are there mainly because of women who are being made deprived of their rights, so this inequality of rights create problems. Authorities must focus on issues that arise because of gender issues. Maruska claims that gender issues are the key elements for making foreign policies in the realm of security. There is another class of scholars who believe that there are two sides, narrowing and widening of rights that each gender deserve otherwise issue would be raised that would become a problem for international security. For most of the researchers, gender intersects or collides with the security and conflict exist there between males and females (Willett,et,al,2010). Despite being an important issue this still remains as a marginalized issue.
There are other scholars as well who believe that international landscape went through many changes in terms of its patterns as far as the security is concerned. One of the main arguments is presented by another class of scholar, who claims that this topic of gender issue is of great importance in international security but there are some people who took this issue in feminist point of viewed and some people took this topic in non-feminist point of view. There are various aspects of these two dimensions but there is no doubt that each aspect casts a great impact on the landscape of international security.
Approaches
International security is a matter of great concern for every individual and there are individuals for whom security policies netted must be benefited. Security of people is the main concern of all the agencies that are linked with taking care of the world's peace. By taking a look at the history, it could be seen that at international level security has traditionally been preoccupied with both states and the military forces (Ackerly,et,al,2018). There could be witnessed a challenge that has been introduced on an international level and that is the challenge of human security approach that places more emphasis on the rights of the humans. There is clear evidence that approaches of the security do not go far enough though it’s wide and broad scope as gender dimensions and gender issues are often overlooked in most of the security matters.
To overlook the gender dimensions in the case of security is just like having a partial understanding of the issue that people faces because of the gender issues, especially when it is about the conflicts that a society face (Carreiras,et,al,2016). Many researches have been done and a common result that has been extracted is, human security remains more masculine based. Scholars have found this as one of the common views that there is a need to extend the gendered approach that would take into account female's need when it would about international security. There are many facts that must be taken into consideration, when it is related to the whole population that includes both genders (Davis,et,al,2017). Most of the time, differences and issues of gender are ignored in international security policies which show that authorities are underestimating the needs of women that are necessary for their security.
There has been used many approaches that answer the question of how is it necessary to take into consideration all gender issues so that the best security policy could be made at the international level. According to Hudson, at international level, human security in the context of gendered perspective simply involves females, who face many issues in this world and are being oppressed, in international security’s policies. He argues that there are clear depictions that women are not given specific space in the policies of international security (Funke,et,al,2019). The topic of gender issues not got much importance in the international security matters but one of the approaches that are being promoted by the feminists, appeals and question the agencies that make policies of international security. One of the approaches that have been used by the females that promote this vision those women should be given proper place and importance and should not be neglected. There are two types of approaches that have been used i.e. need-based approach and rights-based approach.
Both these approaches are helping in answering and explaining the question that there an effect on international security if gender issue is not going to be addressed. From the surveys and researches, it could be seen that there exist a close relationship between gender equality and international security? When both the main genders of the world are going to look upon the flawless international security policies (King,et,al,2019). Approaches that explain the existence of a relationship between the promotion of gender equality and international security are both need and right based approaches. Both these approaches are dealing with the rights that not only females must get but also there is a need for equality of gender for both males and females. Gender equality promotes a sense of togetherness. Many researchers claim that there is a need to understand this fact that women right is human rights. International security is a matter that must be given more weight than any other issues.
Gender equality is also known as the sexual equality that means giving people a chance to feel being together as a country is not only made by one gender. There are pieces of evidence that inequality of the rights cast direct negative impacts on the international security landscape.
Discussion
There are many pieces of research that support this vision that gender issues have a lot to do with the international security landscape. It would be surprising for most of the people to know that the imperative for the full participation of women in peacemaking and international security affairs won recognition around 15 years back as the U.N Security Council's adoption called members for making some plans that would be accomplishing this objective. After a long struggle, now it could be seen that new U.N Strategies Development Goals declared that giving equality and eradicating all the gender issues are necessary for resolving most of the issues that are related to the international security landscape. From reports, it could be seen that a discussion was arranged between U.S Institute of Peace and other five Nordic Embassies that planned to pave the way for making and explaining the clear connection between gender issues and international security landscape.
Keeping an eye on various studies, it could be said that issues of any types, if they are universal, would create problems for all the organizations that are making policies of international security. Considering gender as one of the major analytical section, the landscape of real war and international security has revealed that women though are not contributing to war and battles. Positions of women in the matter of international conflict are really important. In order to know the importance of relationships that exists between gender issues and international security landscape, Women, Peace and Security Act could be looked upon act that was passed in October 2017. This act is like a milestone in history as it tells how and why resolving of oppression and gender-related issues must be resolved for making and implementing effective domestic international security policies. One of the major things that could be observed is, gender issues are main things that are inculcating feelings of inferiority in people. Gender issues not only relate females but gender issues are also faced by men.
Methodology
This document includes several methodologies that show that gender-related issues and international security landscape. There has been an agency known as Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) registered many gender-based violence etc. security policies that were proposed by various agencies along with the guidance, websites and procedure were consulted for carrying out this research.
Online surveys and questionnaires
In this methodology, three questionnaires across the globe were distributed and were made available for getting more and more response online. Getting the participation of development workers and humanitarian was the purpose for which this survey was made online. This survey was conducted in both the languages English and French that were used for conducting this survey and target of this survey was field staff of all agencies (Dustin,et,al,2019). Next questionnaire was adapted for security officers and country office management and then came the third questionnaire that was distributed for various agency personnel headquarter (including members of EISF).
Participants:
Field staff (including specialists of gender analysis):
There were a total of 95 members in this group that included 42 men, 51 women and 2 respondents from unknown gender.
Country office management and security staff:
In this group, there were 31 respondents that included 10 women and 20 men and one respondent from an unknown gender.
Agency headquarters
In this group, there were members of 16 different organization and members were 28 in total number. Half of the respondents were men and half were women.
Interviews:
In the interview section, there are 26 individual from whom interviews were conducted over Skype, phone, and face to face. The participants who were involved in this interview represented security agencies, research, emergency, psychosocial, human rights, humanitarian, development assistance, and gender specialists. Interviews are one of the things that are conducted for knowing perspective of individuals.
Focus group discussions – Pakistan and Afghanistan:
The four groups that participated in this discussion were facilitated for gathering the information and conducting a fair survey in Pakistan and Afghanistan on the basis of a detailed script of facilitation. All the groups were segregated by sex and all other measures which were marked important for this survey.
Data limitations:
Data that has been collected in the survey through interviews and questionnaires mainly from anecdotal evidence. It has been seen that no hard conclusion was drawn from this survey by taking in account time; variables, diversity, time (geographic, gender and job position, etc.) were the main reason that adequately supported main findings, conclusions and overall issues of gender in the case security risk management.
Conclusion
Gender security approaches are not just a matter of what they do and what they don’t rather they are more concerned with the conditioning of high level of self-team as well as environmental awareness when survey about humanitarian and development was conducted. By taking a look at various studies and present situation it could be said that the relationships that exist between international security landscape and gender issues could not be denied. Most of the policymakers and authorities that deals with the international security forces are blind of the way that emphasize on women's inclusion in security-related issues such as counter-terrorism and policies that would be helpful for life savings.
Authorities look at the gender equality issues something separate from the talks over the topic of the international security landscape. There is a need to understand and accept this fact that there is a strong relationship that exists between gender issues and international landscape, as if all the genders are going to be given a protection that there are safe from all sorts of violence and would be given complete freedom only then they would be able to look at the greater level affairs and would act actively.
References
Ackerly, B., & True, J. (2018). With or without feminism? Researching gender and politics in the 21st century. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 1(1-2), 259-278.
Carreiras, H., Castro, C., & Frederic, S. (Eds.). (2016). Researching the Military. Routledge.
Davis, M. C., Dietrich, W., & Scholdan, B. (2017). International Intervention in the Post-Cold War World: Moral Responsibility and Power Politics: Moral Responsibility and Power Politics. Routledge.
Dustin, M. (2019). Gender and Queer Perspectives on Brexit. Springer.
Funke, N., Nortje, K., Meissner, R., Steyn, M., & Ntombela, C. (2019). An Analysis of International and South African Discourses and Perspectives on Water Security. In Understanding Water Security at Local Government Level in South Africa (pp. 45-71). Palgrave Pivot, Cham.
King, A., Almack, K., & Jones, R. (Eds.). (2019). Intersections of aging, gender, sexualities: Multidisciplinary international perspectives. Policy Press.
Willett, S. (2010). Introduction: Security Council Resolution 1325: assessing the impact on women, peace, and security. International Peacekeeping, 17(2), 142-158.
