The Heart of the Matter: The Security of Women and the Security of States

Abstract

Does the security of women influence the security and behavior of states? Existing evidence linking the situation of women to state-level variables such as economic prosperity and growth, health, and corruption is fairly conclusive. Questions remain, however, concerning the degree to which state security and state security-related behavior is linked to the security of women. The “women and peace” thesis draws upon evolutionary biology/psychology for ultimate causes of this linkage, and sociological theories of social diffusion and psychological theories of social learning for more proximate causal mechanisms. Together, a new data resource—the WomanStats Database—and conventional methodology find a robust, positive relationship between the physical security of women and three measures of state security and peacefulness. In addition, a comparison of this proposition to alternative explanations involving level of democracy, level of economic development, and civilizational identity shows that the physical security of women is a better predictor of state security and peacefulness. Although these results are preliminary, it is still possible to conclude that the security of women must not be overlooked in the study of state security, especially given that the research questions to be raised and the policy initiatives to be considered in the promotion of security will differ markedly if the security of women is seriously considered as a significant influence on state security.

Honor and political violence

“…Previous research has established that the level of gender equality within a country correlates to the peacefulness of the state (Caprioli 2005, Melander 2005, Hudson et al 2009, Gleditsch et al 2011, Reiter 2014. This study provides unique micro-level evidence that links misogynist attitudes with self-reported participation in political violence among political activists.…”

“…Hudson and co-authors (Hudson and den Boer 2012, Hudson et al 2009, Hudson et al 2012) review the study of othering related to patriarchal values, and link such othering to proneness to violence. Psychological studies show that human beings notice three basic differences almost from infancy: age, gender, and race.…”

“…Hudson et al hold that "the first 'other' is always woman, and if one can make peace with the first other without resorting to coercion, one will have a template in place to know how to do so with other 'others'" (Hudson and den Boer 2012, 317). In other words, when patriarchal dominance by men over women is reduced, the type of othering that breeds intolerance and violence is weakened, and more companionate marriages instead serve as templates for respectful and equal interaction with others (Hudson and den Boer 2012, Hudson et al 2009, Hudson et al 2012). …”

Cascades of Violence: War, Crime and Peacebuilding Across South Asia

“…Cooper 2015). Societies in which gender-based violence is normal in families are more likely to engage in militarism and war than societies with lower levels of genderbased violence (Cockburn 2001;Erchak 1994;Erchak and Rosenfeld 1994;Levinson 1989;see also Caprioli 2005;Hudson et al 2009Hudson et al , 2012. One interpretation of this is that boys and young men who learn in families that they can get their way through violence experience reinforcement of violence that generalises to how they conduct themselves as men in the community and in international affairs (Patterson 2008).…”

“…One interpretation of this is that boys and young men who learn in families that they can get their way through violence experience reinforcement of violence that generalises to how they conduct themselves as men in the community and in international affairs (Patterson 2008). Societies where gender inequality is higher are more likely to deploy military power in conflicts (Caprioli 2000(Caprioli , 2003Caprioli and Boyer 2001;Caprioli and Trumbore 2006;Hudson et al 2009Hudson et al , 2012Melander 2005;Sobek et al 2006). In a variety of ways, Hudson et al (2009;2012: Ch.…”