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Gender, Violence and Security: Discourse as Practice
How do understandings of the relationships between gender, violence, security and the international inform policy and practice in which these notions are central? What are the practical implications of basing policy on problematic discourses?
In this highly original poststructural feminist critique, the author maps the discursive terrains of institutions, both NGOs and the UN, which formulate and implement resolutions and guides of practice that affect gender issues in the context of international policy practices.
The author investigates UN Security Council Resolution 1325, passed in 2000 to address gender issues in conflict areas, in order to examine the discursive construction of security policy that takes gender seriously. In doing so, she argues that language is not merely descriptive of social/political reality but rather constitutive of it. Moving from concept to discourse, and in turn to practice, the author analyses the ways in which the resolution's discursive construction had an enormous influence over the practicalities of its implementation, and how the resulting tensions and inconsistencies in its construction contributed to its failures. The book argues for a re-conceptualisation of gendered violence in conjunction with security, in order to avoid partial and highly problematic understandings of their practical relationship.
Drawing together theoretical work on discourses of gender violence and international security, sexualised violence in war, gender and peace processes, and the domestic-international dichotomy with her own rigorous empirical investigation, the author develops a compelling discourse-theoretical analysis that promises to have far-reaching impact in both academic and policy environments.
In this highly original poststructural feminist critique, the author maps the discursive terrains of institutions, both NGOs and the UN, which formulate and implement resolutions and guides of practice that affect gender issues in the context of international policy practices.
The author investigates UN Security Council Resolution 1325, passed in 2000 to address gender issues in conflict areas, in order to examine the discursive construction of security policy that takes gender seriously. In doing so, she argues that language is not merely descriptive of social/political reality but rather constitutive of it. Moving from concept to discourse, and in turn to practice, the author analyses the ways in which the resolution's discursive construction had an enormous influence over the practicalities of its implementation, and how the resulting tensions and inconsistencies in its construction contributed to its failures. The book argues for a re-conceptualisation of gendered violence in conjunction with security, in order to avoid partial and highly problematic understandings of their practical relationship.
Drawing together theoretical work on discourses of gender violence and international security, sexualised violence in war, gender and peace processes, and the domestic-international dichotomy with her own rigorous empirical investigation, the author develops a compelling discourse-theoretical analysis that promises to have far-reaching impact in both academic and policy environments.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2008
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February 16, 2020
In October of 2000, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), which provides various mandates as to the recognition, participation, and treatment of women in conflict settings. This landmark document called for a new perspective in considerations of violence, security, and peace – a gendered perspective. "UNSCR 1325 has been lauded as 'unique’ and has provided governments and non-governmental actors alike with a comprehensive set of tools with which to approach the issue of conflict resolution through a gendered lens" (7); however, it is largely in the implementation of this much hailed document where importance where failure has arisen. In Gender, Violence & Security, Laura Shepherd aims to problematize the conceptualizations of (gender) violence and (international) security by illustrating that the composition of the UNSCR 1325 is both product and producer of precarious discourses of security and violence. The author offers a reconceptualization of these terms. Shepherd does this through a discourse theoretical analysis, which allows the author to investigate how definitions, concepts, and issues become legitimate or, quite simply, ‘real’.
The book is organized into seven chapters which seek to achieve four objectives: (a) illustrate the ways discourses of (international) security and (gender) violence are present in UNSCR 1325, (b) demonstrate that the collective act of language with regard to security and violence led UNSCR 1325 to fail, (c) establish the particular means of representation and conceptualization of (gender) violence and (international) security as constructed in UNSCR 1325, and (d) to highlight how these discourses could have been constructed differently (9,10). These are accomplished through a poststructuralist feminist framework which reflects on textual representation, mainstream engagement with knowledge, and (re)production of ‘reality’.
Chapters one and two introduce the study and provide detailed information regarding framework, methodology, scholarly influence, and a peek at what is to follow. In chapter three, Shepherd provides a literature review focused on gender violence and international security. Here, the author is not attempting to produce fixed definitions but instead to investigate how the key concepts of the study function (i.e. security and gender). Shepherd perceives security as performative and places it in conversation with gender. I especially appreciate her critiques of the current state of literature on violence against women and gender violence and the problematizing of the constructed meaning of rape as an example. The following chapter analyzes Secretary-General Reports, as a practice of power, that were mandated by UNSCR 1325 aimed at showing that "gender in conflict situations cannot be sufficiently theorized through an evaluation of 'the impact of armed conflict on women and girls'" (77). Although I think this chapter should have appeared after the content of UNSCR 1325 was discussed (in chapter 5), it is an important aspect in trying to understand how the concepts under scrutiny by Shepherd continue to influence how policies are structured. Shepherd's critique of both UN's separation of the international and domestic and the suggestion that the seemingly unproblematic practice of viewing the UN as "a repository of knowledge" (97) with which everyone has equal access to are refreshing. This is especially relevant when considering the traditional dichotomies - and assumption that gender equality is a blanket issue - with which the author challenges throughout the book.
The chapter dedicated specifically to UNSCR 1325, a document where “discourses of gender violence and international security come into contact” (107), offers insight into the heritage, formation, production, and interpretation of the document. After summarizing the mandates and articles, Shepherd discusses the ways in which ‘women,’ ‘gender,’ ‘violence,’ ‘conflict,’ the ‘international,’ and ‘security’ are represented. The author, I think rightly, finds that the discourse “(re)produces identity” (128). The book illustrates UNSCR 1325’s problematic merging of gender with woman and dismissal of Aunt Lydia situations where women are perpetrators of oppression against other women – and the men who are systematically ignored. Subsequently, in chapter six, Shepherd explores how the narratives about the history of UNSCR 1325 differ between the United Nations Security Council and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. I was pleasantly surprised to see the interaction with the notions of development and sovereignty presented in relation to the reproduction of particular discourses used by the institutions that claim authority over the UNSCR 1325. In the concluding chapter, the author summarizes the ways in which she understands the violent reproduction of the international and of gender as well as offers a reflection on implications this study could have on future policy. Shepherd conclusively asserts that “future policy could look very different if it weren’t for the inscription of ultimately arbitrary disciplinary borderlines that function to constrain rather than facilitate understanding” (174).
I recommend this book to anyone with whom that statement resonates, especially those who are interested in the role language plays in constructing gendered practices. This work is situated in a larger discussion of conceptualizing violence and security at all levels of analysis and provides important consideration of the danger of concretely fixing definitions. The texts with which this book is concerned are all products and producers of meaning (25). I appreciate the epistemological, ontological, and methodological discussions provided by the author, although the percentage of the book that takes up the topic of methodology is a bit more than I think necessary and may deter readers who would benefit from its findings, especially those not in academia. Overall, Gender, Violence & Security is a read important for those theorizing about and practicing in the area of gender and governance.
Brianna Hernandez, Doctoral Student
International Relations, Florida International University
Bhern149@fiu.edu
The book is organized into seven chapters which seek to achieve four objectives: (a) illustrate the ways discourses of (international) security and (gender) violence are present in UNSCR 1325, (b) demonstrate that the collective act of language with regard to security and violence led UNSCR 1325 to fail, (c) establish the particular means of representation and conceptualization of (gender) violence and (international) security as constructed in UNSCR 1325, and (d) to highlight how these discourses could have been constructed differently (9,10). These are accomplished through a poststructuralist feminist framework which reflects on textual representation, mainstream engagement with knowledge, and (re)production of ‘reality’.
Chapters one and two introduce the study and provide detailed information regarding framework, methodology, scholarly influence, and a peek at what is to follow. In chapter three, Shepherd provides a literature review focused on gender violence and international security. Here, the author is not attempting to produce fixed definitions but instead to investigate how the key concepts of the study function (i.e. security and gender). Shepherd perceives security as performative and places it in conversation with gender. I especially appreciate her critiques of the current state of literature on violence against women and gender violence and the problematizing of the constructed meaning of rape as an example. The following chapter analyzes Secretary-General Reports, as a practice of power, that were mandated by UNSCR 1325 aimed at showing that "gender in conflict situations cannot be sufficiently theorized through an evaluation of 'the impact of armed conflict on women and girls'" (77). Although I think this chapter should have appeared after the content of UNSCR 1325 was discussed (in chapter 5), it is an important aspect in trying to understand how the concepts under scrutiny by Shepherd continue to influence how policies are structured. Shepherd's critique of both UN's separation of the international and domestic and the suggestion that the seemingly unproblematic practice of viewing the UN as "a repository of knowledge" (97) with which everyone has equal access to are refreshing. This is especially relevant when considering the traditional dichotomies - and assumption that gender equality is a blanket issue - with which the author challenges throughout the book.
The chapter dedicated specifically to UNSCR 1325, a document where “discourses of gender violence and international security come into contact” (107), offers insight into the heritage, formation, production, and interpretation of the document. After summarizing the mandates and articles, Shepherd discusses the ways in which ‘women,’ ‘gender,’ ‘violence,’ ‘conflict,’ the ‘international,’ and ‘security’ are represented. The author, I think rightly, finds that the discourse “(re)produces identity” (128). The book illustrates UNSCR 1325’s problematic merging of gender with woman and dismissal of Aunt Lydia situations where women are perpetrators of oppression against other women – and the men who are systematically ignored. Subsequently, in chapter six, Shepherd explores how the narratives about the history of UNSCR 1325 differ between the United Nations Security Council and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. I was pleasantly surprised to see the interaction with the notions of development and sovereignty presented in relation to the reproduction of particular discourses used by the institutions that claim authority over the UNSCR 1325. In the concluding chapter, the author summarizes the ways in which she understands the violent reproduction of the international and of gender as well as offers a reflection on implications this study could have on future policy. Shepherd conclusively asserts that “future policy could look very different if it weren’t for the inscription of ultimately arbitrary disciplinary borderlines that function to constrain rather than facilitate understanding” (174).
I recommend this book to anyone with whom that statement resonates, especially those who are interested in the role language plays in constructing gendered practices. This work is situated in a larger discussion of conceptualizing violence and security at all levels of analysis and provides important consideration of the danger of concretely fixing definitions. The texts with which this book is concerned are all products and producers of meaning (25). I appreciate the epistemological, ontological, and methodological discussions provided by the author, although the percentage of the book that takes up the topic of methodology is a bit more than I think necessary and may deter readers who would benefit from its findings, especially those not in academia. Overall, Gender, Violence & Security is a read important for those theorizing about and practicing in the area of gender and governance.
Brianna Hernandez, Doctoral Student
International Relations, Florida International University
Bhern149@fiu.edu
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