Women, Peace and Security in the SWANA region: Exploring the potential link between conflict and gender equality
Since the Arab Spring, the SWANA region has experienced several uprisings and disturbances that have impacted the stability of several countries. First, in Tunisia, people took to the streets to demand their rights and hold their political leaders accountable. Countries like Syria, Yemen and Libya followed. These caused major insecurity and shook national political institutions in the region. As more and more foreign parties intervened and countries fell into ruin, many families were displaced and sought to cross the seas to find better living conditions. Millions of people left their homes and went to neighboring countries, namely Turkey and Lebanon. Syrian refugees remain the most affected by the repercussions of the Arab Spring. Women and children make up the demographic majority, 75%. Highly vulnerable, they have fallen prey to fundamentalist and extremist organizations that use violence, including sexual abuse, to take control of the region by generating fear and instability. For example, in the region, ISIS has been the main cause of the displacement of several families and a key factor in human rights violations that have heavily affected women. The group's thirst for power has allowed it to oppress minority groups, including women. As a result, the systematic violence against women in the region has been reinforced.
With the increase in risk, women are on the front line of dealing with the inevitable consequences of conflict and are the main victims of human trafficking and sexual violence. Arguably, these are also consequences of the huge gender gap in SWANA countries, which provides a breeding ground for gender-based violence during conflict. In other words, the less equal women are to men and the fewer laws there are to protect them from this violence, the more women will not participate in conflict resolution and the more likely they are to be the first victims of violence. Such differences contribute to instability in the region. Therefore, it should be said that ensuring gender equality can promote international peace and security.
At the global level, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has paid particular attention to the correlation between gender equality and conflict. In this sense, the UNSC has adopted 10 resolutions, starting with the UNSC-1325 resolution in 2002, to promote gender equality and strengthen the participation, protection and rights of women throughout the conflict cycle, from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction. Such resolutions call for the establishment of clear guidelines for member states to incorporate these elements in the peace-building process.
However, improvements are needed in this area. UN Security Council Resolution 1325 does not address how the concepts of gender, violence and security are understood by member states. It leaves no room for challenge. It perpetuates a system of warfare based on the oppression of minorities. Using this analogy for the SWANA region, it can be argued that.
challenging these concepts would allow for more effective implementation. In a region where social and cultural norms are predominant, sexual violence remains taboo. Therefore, this hinders efforts to combat it, as the two concepts of violence and gender in SWANA are linked.
Therefore, understanding the link between gender-based violence and conflict in the SWANA region is deeply rooted in how these concepts are understood. As long as sexual violence against women is used as a terror tactic and a weapon of war, gender equality will play a central role in mitigating the risk of conflict. Ensuring gender equality will promote the inclusion of women in the peacebuilding process. As such, gender-based violence in conflict can be reduced and will be addressed through well-enforced laws and regulations by governments and institutions.
About the author :
Hiba Mezzyane is a curious graduate student studying International Security at Sciences Po Paris. Her primary focus is especially on conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. She previously volunteered for various human rights organizations and interned at think tanks which helped her cultivate significant experience in international affairs and communications.
