Gender and New Wars

• Published in: Stability (Norfolk, VA ) Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Chinkin, Christine, Kaldor, Mary, Yadav, Punam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Ubiquity Press Ltd 05-03-2020; Ubiquity Press; Centre for Security Governance
• Subjects: Councils; Displaced persons; Extremism; Femininity; Gender; Gender-based violence; Human smuggling; Male identity; Masculinity; Mental task performance; Narratives; Peace; Political activism; Political aspects; Postwar reconstruction; Power (Philosophy); Security; Sexuality; Social aspects; University research; War; Wars; Women; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 2165-2627; 2165-2627
• DOI: 10.5334/sta.733

This brief introduction to the special collection outlines the main features of new wars and discusses some of the conceptual thinking around gender in the context of new wars and how it relates to international frameworks, such as UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. It considers in particular different forms of women's participation and constructions of masculinities in new wars. This introduction argues that the binary narrative of gender has been damaging to both women and men and that the focus instead should be on understanding how subordinated populations are made vulnerable to the exercise and abuse of asymmetrical systems of power. To this end further academic research is urged.