Taikos kūrimo vertinimas per lytiškumo prizmę po-konfliktiniame laikotarpyje 2001-2016 m.: Irako ir Afganistano atvejai ; Peacebuilding evaluation through gender lens in post-conflict period 2001-2016: iraq and afghanistan cases

Abstract

This Master Thesis aims to take a closer look at peacebuilding processes regarding women during post-conflict period in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both of these countries are Muslim, belong to the same Middle East region and have endured long years of conflict which affected the society. After the intervention of USA together with coalition countries the conflicts have been stopped and the new government structure has been established. International community was encouraging the inclusion of all social groups in post-conflict processes, however women remained a marginalized part of the society who are denied access to various resources or power structures. Therefore, sustainable peace cannot be achieved. The main question raised in this thesis – in which country during the defined period – Afghanistan or Iraq, sustainable peace was achieved more successful from the women point of view? In order to create a research model Johan Gatling's peace theory has been combined with critical feminism notions. Using the created research model the post-conflict period is analyzed through gender lens because women remain marginalized and excluded from peacebuilding processes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Main variables that are used to evaluate and determine a more successful peacebuilding case regarding women focus on structural and cultural violence. Direct violence is not analyzed because direct violence is considered to be stopped and negative peace is achieved. Structural violence is analyzed and evaluated through positioning women in private or public spheres, poverty rate, access to education, the empowerment of women organizations, the participation of women in political processes. Meanwhile, the aspects of cultural violence are evaluated through cultural and religious gender norms regarding women. These variables help to evaluate Iraq and Afghanistan post-conflict period and determine a more successful peacebuilding case. The main finding was that peacebuilding regarding women in post-conflict period of 2001-2016 has been more successful in Iraq than in Afghanistan. This conclusion has been reached because in Iraq women had better possibilities to combine responsibilities to family and work and that let to enter labor market easier, the poverty rate is also lower that way there are more jobs for women and women are allowed to participate in public affairs, accessibility and quality of education is better in Iraq compared to Afghanistan. Regarding cultural violence, the analyzed fertility rate and sharia law showed that women in Iraq are not so strongly limited to the gender roles of "mother "or "wife "compared to Afghanistan. It is important to mention that analyses discovered that political women participation is better in Afghanistan compared to Iraq and the situation of women organizations were similar. However, even with better political participation of women Afghanistan was lacking in other aspects and it was not enough in order to create a sustainable peace regarding women. It can be stated that in order to establish a sustainable or as Galtung calls it positive peace, women must be empowered in all aspects of life. The creation of sustainable peace and problems that it is facing are complex, therefore it calls for complex measures. There is still a lot of room for research regarding this field of study. The area of research is wide and different aspects of peacebuilding regarding women could be analyzed. The process of peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan is also ever-changing therefore the later periods could be researched. Also women are not the only marginalized group in the analyzed societies so the same field of study could be analyzed from different perspectives.