Gender in the United Nations’ agenda on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

Abstract

The United Nations (UN) policy agenda on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) promotes a "holistic" approach to counterterrorism, which includes elements traditionally found in security and development programs. Advocates of the agenda increasingly emphasize the importance of gender mainstreaming for counterterrorism goals. In this article, I scrutinize the merging of the goals of gender equality, security, and development into a global agenda for counterterrorism. A critical feminist discourse-analytical reading of gender representations in P/CVE shows how problematic imageries of women as victims, economic entrepreneurs, and peacemakers from both the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the Women, Peace and Security agenda are reproduced in core UN documents advocating for a "holistic" P/CVE approach. By highlighting the tensions that are produced by efforts to merge the different gender discourses across the UN's security and development institutions, the article underlines the relevance of considering the particular position of P/CVE at the security-development nexus for further gender-sensitive analysis and policies of counterterrorism.

Análisis del discurso de resistencia feminista frente la violencia patriarcal: el estallido social en Chile

“…Las representaciones del género femenino han sido asociadas en discursos públicos y en distintas agendas a la paz y al empoderamiento, además de a un rol más bien informal como agente comunitario, mientras los estudios siguen señalando su vulnerabilidad (Rothermel, 2020). La reproducción de los discursos en que se posiciona a la mujer como vulnerable y pacífica la ubica en un rol de víctima, que requiere a otro para ser salvada.…”

Gender at the crossroads: the role of gender in the UN’s global counterterrorism reform at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus

“…At the same time, civil society representatives warn of "contradictory polices, securitizing the gender equality agenda and instrumentalizing women's rights" (UN Women 2021, 7). These concerns are shared by scholars who have argued that current counterterrorism discourses and policies remain based on stereotypical and often contradictory gender representations (Rothermel 2020), and that their extension into other areas has "become a vehicle [. .…”

A comprehensive look at the gendered dimensions of counterterrorism.

“…However, some progress was made due to critiques from civil society organizations and feminists. The inclusion of gender resulted from various publications on the importance of including women as part of United Nations (UN) efforts to address the root causes of terrorism and prevent radicalization (Rothermel, 2020). For example, Satterthwaite's (2013) study of the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) P/CVE agenda highlighted the absence of gender-sensitive indicators and evaluations.…”

“…Many have celebrated the newfound attention to women in P/CVE as an essential pillar of any well-rounded approach (Haynie & de Jonge, 2017; Ní Aoláin & Huckerby, 2018). They linked P/CVE previously developed UN gender agendas related to peace and security, such as UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) and following resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS; Rothermel, 2020). Despite this progress, gender in P/CVE initiatives is narrowly applied.…”

“…In addition, the participation of western women in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) brought them to the center of international conversations on P/CVE (Rothermel, 2020). Numerous publications by international governmental organizations (IGOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), among others, began to underline the significance of women in P/CVE work (Rothermel, 2020).…”