Women, Peace, and Security: Feminist Perspectives on International Security, Edited by Carolina Leprince and Cassandra Steer, Montreal, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021, 256 pp., CAD 37.95 (Paperback), ISBN- 978-0-2280-0616-9
The volume “Women, Peace, and Security: Feminist Perspectives on International Security,” edited by Caroline Leprince and Cassandra Steer, was first published in 2018. It is a collection of essays written by feminist scholars, activists, and practitioners from Canada, the United States, and Europe, who explore how gender shapes the security landscape and offer insights into how to build more just and sustainable peace. The book brings together scholars and practitioners of the feminist agenda to examine the intersections of gender, peace, and security in international relations. Highlighted within the body of the book is the importance of feminist perspectives in security studies and contributions to the ongoing conversation on the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. The introduction provides a broad overview of the book’s central argument presented by the editors, Leprince and Steer: that traditional approaches to security are inherently gendered and fail to account for how women experience conflict and violence differently than men. The editors argue that feminist perspectives are crucial for a more nuanced understanding of international security and the development of effective strategies for conflict prevention and resolution.
The book brings together scholars and practitioners of the feminist agenda to examine the intersections of gender, peace, and security in international relations. Highlighted within the body of the book is the importance of feminist perspectives in security studies and contributions to the ongoing conversation on the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different theme related to feminist perspectives on international security. The first part focuses on the Feminist Approaches to Global Politics which features essays by W.R. Nadège Compaoré, Tanya Monforte, Leah Sarson, Maya Eichler, Heather Smith, and Sarah Tuckey, who offer critical reflections on feminist approaches to global politics. Compaoré’s essay, “This Is the Young Woman Who Wants to Ask Questions”: Navigating Gender-Race-Age Dynamics in Field Research,” discusses young women researcher’s challenges when conducting fieldwork in conflict-affected areas. Monforte’s essay, “Soft Power as Metaphor: The Gender of Security,” analyses the concept of “soft power” and argues that it is often used to justify the exclusion of women from decision-making processes related to security. Sarson, Eichler, Smith, and Tuckey’s essay, “Finding a Community in Feminist International Relations Methodology,” reflects on the authors’ experiences with feminist methodologies and argues that they offer a more inclusive and ethical approach to research. The second part exhibits the application of a Gendered Lens to the Canadian Military with essays by Rebecca Jensen and Leigh Spanner, who explore how gender shapes the Canadian military. Jensen’s essay, “Women and Peacekeeping: A Canadian Perspective,” discusses the contributions of women peacekeepers to international security and argues that their experiences challenge traditional notions of masculinity in the military. Spanner’s essay, “The Canadian Military and the Integration of Women: A Gendered Perspective,” offers a critical analysis of the Canadian military’s integration of women and argues that despite some progress, gender inequalities continue to persist. The penultimate section focuses on Feminist Activism and Tools for Empowering Women with essays written by Irasema Coronado, Toula Drimonis, Élisabeth Vallet, Sharon Hamilton, Francyne D. Joe, and Lianne C. Leddy. These essays focus on feminist activism and the tools that can be used to empower women in conflict-affected areas. Coronado’s essay, “Feminist Activism, Human Rights, and the Struggle for Peace in Mexico,” discusses the role of feminist activists in the struggle for peace in Mexico and argues that their efforts are essential for building a more just and sustainable future. Drimonis’s essay, “Why We Need to Rethink Security: A Feminist Perspective,” argues that security is not just a matter of military might, but also include human security and the protection of basic human rights. Vallet’s essay, “Gender and Security Sector Reform: Tools for Empowering Women,” discusses the importance of including women in security sector reform efforts and offers practical tools for achieving gender equality.
In the conclusion of this edited volume, Steer offers a comprehensive summary of the key themes and arguments presented throughout. She highlights the significant contributions of the various authors in bringing feminist perspectives to the forefront of international security studies, as well as the broader implications of this work for policy and practice.
In the conclusion of this edited volume, Steer offers a comprehensive summary of the key themes and arguments presented throughout. She highlights the significant contributions of the various authors in bringing feminist perspectives to the forefront of international security studies, as well as the broader implications of this work for policy and practice. It also offers a compelling synthesis of the various contributions made throughout the edited volume and underscores the importance of incorporating feminist perspectives into discussions of international security. The conclusion effectively summarises the main arguments and themes presented throughout the book and provides a powerful call to action for policymakers, academics, and practitioners to engage with feminist perspectives in their work.
Sandra Whitworth notes that while intersectionality has been a valuable concept in feminist scholarship, its deployment in the security studies has been more limited. She argues that intersectionality needs to be used in more sophisticated and nuanced ways to fully appreciate the complex and intersectional nature of security issues.
The book’s strength comes from the fact that it does not shy away from engaging with the challenges and limitations of feminist approaches to security. For example, in the chapter “The Inevitability of Intersectionality: Feminist Perspectives on International Security,” Sandra Whitworth notes that while intersectionality has been a valuable concept in feminist scholarship, its deployment in the security studies has been more limited. She argues that intersectionality needs to be used in more sophisticated and nuanced ways to fully appreciate the complex and intersectional nature of security issues. This critical engagement with feminist theory and its application to international security studies is an important contribution to the field.
One of the few potential criticisms of the book is that it primarily focuses on Canadian perspectives and experiences, which could limit its relevance to readers outside of Canada. However, this is not necessarily a weakness, as it provides a valuable case study of how feminist approaches to security can be applied in a specific national context. Furthermore, the book’s authors clarify that the issues and challenges discussed are not unique to Canada but are instead relevant to the broader international community.
Overall, “Women, Peace, and Security: Feminist Perspectives on International Security” is a well-written and well-researched book that significantly contributes to international security studies. It provides valuable insights into how feminist approaches can be used to better understand and address security issues and offers practical tools and strategies for policymakers, practitioners, and activists. The book’s engagement with intersectionality and its critical reflection on the limitations of feminist theory and its application to security studies make it a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners alike.
Mir Wafa Rasheeq is a Doctoral Training Program Intern at the CSPS. She is pursuing her PhD from the Department of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Her areas of interest are climate change, security, geopolitics, and gender.
