Backlash Against and Resistance To Feminist Peacebuilding

New PRIF Report analyzes how peacebuilders experience backlash against gender-sensitive human-rights

Wandgemälde mit einer Frau, einer Hand, die einen Bleistift hochhält, sich umarmenden Männern, einem Mikrofon, einer Frau und einem Kind sowie Friedenstauben.

Street Art in Kabul, Graffitis zu den Themen Korruptionsbekämpfung, Frauenrechte, Bildung und Terrorismusbekämpfung in Afghanistan. Foto: © picture alliance / abaca | Yaghobzadeh Alfred/ABACA

The relevance of gender-sensitive human rights for effective and long-lasting peace­building has been demon­strated by nume­rous feminist studies. While there is ample research on the role and relev­ance of gender-sensitive peace­building, the issues of back­lash against and resistance to those rights and gen­der equality more broadly in this context has received little syste­matic attention. In the new PRIF Report 6/2023 “Backlash Against and Resistance to Feminist Peacebuilding”, the authors focus precisely on these issues. Based on 33 interviews with key stake­holders, they explore how and to what extent the reali­zation of gender-sensitive human rights policies in peaceb­uilding efforts experience such backlash or resistance. The report also sheds light on the counter-measures and strategies used by peace­builders. Finally, the authors discuss the impact of feminist foreign policy on gender-sensitive human rights in peace­building.

Irem Demirci is a researcher at PRIF’s “International Security” research department. Clara Perras is a researcher at PRIF’s “Glocal Junctions” research department. Victoria Scheyer is an associate fellow at PRIF’s “International Security” research department and a PhD candidate at Monash University in Melbourne. Simone Wisotzki is a senior researcher at PRIF’s “International Security” research department. The authors work on different aspects of feminist peace and conflict research.

Download (pdf): Demirci, Irem / Perras, Clara / Scheyer, Victoria / Wisotzki, Simone (2023): Backlash Against and Resistance To Feminist Peacebuilding, PRIF Report 6/2023, Frankfurt/M, DOI: 10.48809/prifrep2306.