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6 - Femininities in UN Mediation

from Part III - Subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2024

Catriona Standfield
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, Boston
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Summary

Chapter 6 analyses narrative representations of local women, who feature throughout UN mediation texts as ‘the women’. This subject position is multifaceted and articulated differently according to different logics of UN mediation. Especially within the logic of UN mediation as a science, ‘the women’ are expected to play a legitimating, information-providing role to support the UN. This is an extractive, rather than an empowering, relationship. UN narratives position ‘the women’s’ labour as central to mediation effectiveness, but they also question their abilities and authenticity as representatives of their communities. Capacity-building training is one method that the UN, and particularly gender advisors, use to discipline women into appropriate forms of participation. The logic of UN mediation as an art has less use for 'the women' in its narratives and instead questions whether they are 'political enough' to be appropriate representatives in negotiations. In turn, local women resist and navigate the subject position of ‘the women’ through strategic essentialism, critique, or opting out.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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  • Femininities in UN Mediation
  • Catriona Standfield, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: The Politics of Women, Peace, and Security in UN Mediation
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009512251.009
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  • Femininities in UN Mediation
  • Catriona Standfield, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: The Politics of Women, Peace, and Security in UN Mediation
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009512251.009
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Femininities in UN Mediation
  • Catriona Standfield, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: The Politics of Women, Peace, and Security in UN Mediation
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009512251.009
Available formats
×