Force, Feminism and the Security Council

Abstract

This paper argues that the use of the Security Council to develop feminist and women's activism on women, peace and security splits between resolutions (1325 and 1889) that seek to build women's agency and resolutions (1820 and 1888) that focus on combating sexual violence against women in conflict and post-conflict environments. The consequence is a limiting of agency, for some women, to situations where women have been sexually violated. Furthermore, a split between first world feminist actors, who gain agency as gender experts, and third world women, who are present as harmed or requiring protection within the resolutions, reflects larger tensions in Western and global feminisms. The paper further argues that the use of military force to challenge widespread or systematic sexual violence requires feminist debate rather than unquestioned inclusion in Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security.