Image Source: Islamic State propaganda published in its “Ghazwa-e-Hind” magazine Judith Butler, a pioneer of third-wave feminist theories, described gender performativity as a phenomenon where “gender proves to be performance”— that is, gender identity is not an inherent or a biological phenomenon but is constructed through repeated and conscious actions (i.e., performances). In Jihadi-Salafi groups … Continue reading Unveiling Masculinity: The Complexities of Gender Identities in Jihadi-Salafi Extremism
Category: Gender & Identity
Gendered Disinformation Is Not a “Women-only” Issue, It Poses a Threat to Election Integrity
Image Source: Meedan As two billion citizens across the globe exercise their voting rights this year, the specter of disinformation looms large over election information integrity and outcomes. While public attention is predominantly fixated on combating fake news, AI-powered propaganda, hate speech, and foreign influence operations, gendered disinformation is an overlooked but substantial threat to … Continue reading Gendered Disinformation Is Not a “Women-only” Issue, It Poses a Threat to Election Integrity
How Gender is Misunderstood, Abused, and Forgotten in Security Policymaking — and What We Can Do About It
Image Source: iStock Policies and projects intended to assist communities that are fragile or affected by violence are more successful when they consider the different effects conflict has on men, women, boys, girls, and gender and sexual minorities. - United States Institute for Peace Women’s History Month is a complicated month for me. On one … Continue reading How Gender is Misunderstood, Abused, and Forgotten in Security Policymaking — and What We Can Do About It
Ethiopia: How A Gendered Lens Can Help Food Aid Distribution
Image Source: care.org On November 14, 2023, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its decision to partially resume a year-long food assistance trial period in Ethiopia after a months-long pause. U.S. food aid to Ethiopia was paused in June after a coordinated plan by the Ethiopian government came to light: government officials … Continue reading Ethiopia: How A Gendered Lens Can Help Food Aid Distribution
The Burden Women Bear: Israel-Hamas War Sheds Light on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Experienced by Israeli & Palestinian Women
Image Source: Flash90 The war outbreak between Israel and Hamas introduces a grim development in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The October 7th attack heightened existing tensions and brought pertinent conversations to the forefront – namely, the disproportionate impact security crises have on women. As of 2022, over 600 million women and girls reside in conflict … Continue reading The Burden Women Bear: Israel-Hamas War Sheds Light on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Experienced by Israeli & Palestinian Women
Ending Gender-based Violence Requires Comprehensive Engagement — A Reminder to men: Finish what you Started
Image Source: Women for Women In principle, the civil war in South Sudan ended after a peace agreement was signed in 2018. In principle, South Sudan’s constitution ensures a 35 percent representation quota for women in government. Again, in principle, initiatives, training, and bills such as the Gender-Based Violence Bill and the Women’s Empowerment Bill … Continue reading Ending Gender-based Violence Requires Comprehensive Engagement — A Reminder to men: Finish what you Started
Feeding the Hungry with Feminist Theory
Image Source: Food Navigator (Getty Images) Food security, when every person has access to enough food to meet their dietary needs for a healthy lifestyle, is more important now than ever before. It’s estimated that roughly 345 million people worldwide are struggling with food security. Effects of climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the … Continue reading Feeding the Hungry with Feminist Theory
All Eyes on Qatar: The Ethical Dilemma of Holding International Events in Countries with Poor Human Rights Records
A protester invaded the pitch during the Portugal-Uruguay game, carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a shirt that had two messages; “Save Ukraine” and “Respect for Iranian Women. Image Source: The Herald Sun Two weeks ago, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicked off — a decision that has drawn immense criticism since the Middle … Continue reading All Eyes on Qatar: The Ethical Dilemma of Holding International Events in Countries with Poor Human Rights Records
The Empress of ISIS
Image Source: The New York Post Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi are all prominent international terrorists who have plotted and executed attacks against the United States. While each espoused slightly different ideologies, they all had one common goal, and all eventually met their day of reckoning. These four … Continue reading The Empress of ISIS
Why We Should Pay More Attention to LGBTQ+ Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
Image Source: Emily Leshner, AP // on NBC News Security interests in Africa also exist outside of the strategic competition paradigm. Policymakers should be more involved in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the promotion of minority rights and democratic processes should be our primary motivation, not strategic competition. In the past two years concerns about “democratic backsliding” … Continue reading Why We Should Pay More Attention to LGBTQ+ Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa