Gender and Security in the Mediterranean
Abstract This contribution explores security issues in the Mediterranean from a feminist perspective. Feminists have developed a broad and dynamic understanding of security and insecurity. This approach takes ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ issues as interconnected on the personal, national and international level. This allows for a comprehensive perspective on the basic human need for security. It is argued that EU policies that stress ‘soft’ security issues offer more sustainable and at the same time ‘realistic’ ways of establishing an ‘area of peace and stability in the Mediterranean’ [Barcelona Declaration, 1995] than those that stress ‘hard’ security issues. After discussing feminist and developmental perspectives on comprehensive security concepts, the contribution presents some important indicators of ‘Gendered Human Security’ in EMP countries. It argues that it is important to address the huge gaps in gendered human security in order to strengthen the civil and security dimension of the EMP. The contribution finally explores the possible positive effects of womens’ participation in the armed forces. Will these processes change militarized security cultures and help create a more comprehensive security approach?
Women’s movements within Euro-Mediterranean Politics: Necessity of going beyond ‘the Arab woman’
This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Routledge Handbook on Mediterranean Politics on 2017-08-14, available online: http://www.routledge.com/1138903981
Women and Human Rights
This top-quality title is the latest in the highly successful WOMEN AND WORLD DEVELOPMENT series, sales of which have already passed the 20,000 mark. It looks at how the conventional view of women's rights as different and separate from human rights has impeded action to uphold their fundamental freedoms as human beings. Most violations of women's rights in practice remain unchallenged. The book describes the lack of attention to women's human rights and civil liberties at all levels, outlines what has been done so far to articulate and defend them, and proposes a plan of action.