How do we queer the Women, Peace and Security agenda?

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5 Key Recommendations

 

 

Welcome! Feminist peacebuilders may find this this blog 'Frequently Asked Q's about feminist peacebuilding & Queering Women, Peace & Security in Practice' a good place to start.

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My research area is queering security studies. To ground this research in day-to-day practices, I consider how the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can better include LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer) voices in gender, peace and security initiatives. My work bridges academic, activist and policy approaches to include a gender perspective in peace and security responses in conflict-relation environments.  My forthcoming book Queering, Women, Peace and Security (2023) reflects on how WPS practitioners understand supporting lesbian, bisexual and transgender women as a part of WPS work, and also looks to LGBTQ activists/organizations in Colombia and Northern Ireland to help define next steps for how to best collaborate across often siloed networks.

 

This year (April 2022-April 2023) I will be lead researcher on the British Academy Innovation Fellowship project 'Queering Women, Peace and Security (WPS): Improving Engagement with Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LBTQ) women in WPS Programming' .  The proposed project includes a range of activities across academia, policy and practice developed in partnership with Christian Aid (CA), working with CA UK as well as CA Colombia. The application of this research will provide insights on the ongoing challenges of how best to include, learn from and prioritize the experiences of LBTQ women to queer WPS in practice. This project will also engage with and support ongoing work to queer WPS through the implementation of UN SCR 1325 by the leading Colombian LGBTIQ+ organization Colombia Diversa.

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A central component of my research methodology is centering feminist and queer civil society actors already doing this work though it is not necessarily viewed as part of 'peace and security' work. In 2022 I have had the opportunity to consult with both Outright Action International and the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy (CFFP) on separate projects aiming to to do just that. 

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Over the past eight years I have had the opportunity to present this work at numerous academic conferences including the International Studies Association, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, and the British International Studies Association.  In recent years I have also been invited to consult and offer feedback on policy initiatives for UNDP, the UK National Action Plan, the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

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Related work:

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Policy brief: Minimizing protection gaps for LGBTQ people living on conflict

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Policy brief in response to calls for inputs by IE SOGI for 2021 Gender Theory report. Read policy brief.

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Article: 'Queering Women, Peace & Security in Colombia', Critical Studies on Security, 2017

 

​This piece considers the importance of the inclusion of LGBT organizations in the Colombia peace accords and what this means for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in future WPS initiatives. It was published as a part of the Interventions section about queer/ing in/securities. Read article 'Queering Women, Peace and Security in Colombia'. 

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Article, 'Queering Women, Peace & Security'

International Affairs, 2016

 

Feminist security studies and emerging queer theory in international relations provide a framework to incorporate a gender perspective in WPS work that moves beyond a narrow, binary understanding of gender to begin to capture violence targeted at the LGBTQ population, particularly in efforts to address SGBV in conflict-related environments. The article explores how a queer security analysis reveals the part heteronormativity and cisprivilege play in sustaining the current gap in analysis of gendered violence. Read article 'Queering Women, Peace and Security. 

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For more podcasts, webinars and lectures visit my media page.

Include LGBTQ people in developing, implementing, and monitoring WPS projects

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Expand indicators to include sexual orientation and gender identity

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Define women and gender as two distinct terms

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Collect data about LGBTQ individuals in conflict

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Engage with the UN Independent Expert  on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and annual thematic reports.

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Related work by others:​

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Networks of people doing this work:

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Read the full LSE WPS Policy Brief: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as a part of the WPS Project