"Women, Children and Other Vulnerable Groups": Gender, Strategic Frames and the Protection of Civilians as a Transnational Issue

Abstract

This article offers an explanation for the use of gender essentialisms in transnational efforts to advocate for the protection of war‐affected civilians. I question why human rights advocates would rely upon such essentialisms, since they arguably undermine the moral logic of the civilian immunity norm on which their normative claims are based. This can be understood, I argue, as part of a strategic framing process in which pre‐existing cultural ideas, filtered through an environment characterized by various political constraints, impact the rhetorical strategies available to advocates. In‐depth interviews with civilian protection advocates reveal that many believe that warring parties, the global media, transnational constituencies and partners in the international women's network will all be more receptive to their message if it is couched in terms of protecting “women and children” specifically. Network actors believe that while this may undermine the protection of adult male civilians and while it may reproduce harmful gender stereotypes, these problems are outweighed by the gains in access to needy populations and the benefits of getting “civilians” on the international agenda. I conclude by considering the extent to which this cost/benefit analysis is being contested and reconsidered by some actors within the civilian protection network.

Decision-making processes and asylum claims in Europe: an empirical analysis of refugee characteristics and asylum application outcomes

“…This overemphasis on women and children as the victims of conflict has two problematic consequences. First, the focus of this narrative on women and children has disempowered these groups and diminished their potential to be seen as autonomous political actors; this is especially true for adult women (Alison 2007;Carpenter 2005). This viewpoint supports the arguments outlined above in that it can make applications from women based on political persecution in civil conflict less compelling.…”

“…However, there are other issues to consider. First, there is a strong victimization narrative in the civil war literature that has traditionally viewed women and children as the primary victims in times of conflict (Alison 2007;Bhabha 2004a;Carpenter 2005). This overemphasis on women and children as the victims of conflict has two problematic consequences.…”

“…This viewpoint supports the arguments outlined above in that it can make applications from women based on political persecution in civil conflict less compelling. Second, this narrative creates an environment in which adult male victims often do not get the protection they need; it is assumed that men can either take care of themselves if they are truly victims or that they are, in fact, active and willing participants of the conflict (Alison 2007;Carpenter 2005;Sivakumaran 2007;Zawati 2007). This would indicate, contrary to the feminist viewpoint, that adult women would be more likely to receive asylum than adult men because women are viewed as victims and men as potential perpetrators of violence.…”

Witnessing the protection racket: Rethinking justice in/of wars through gender lenses

“…An experiencebased, testimony-centered approach to seeing how people live war and security might be a way forward to separate thinking about and making war from its (current) inherent sexisms and cissexisms. Carpenter (2005) found that civilian aid organizations identify those who are civilians by female sex and motherhood. Sjoberg and Gentry (2007) noted that, often, potential terrorists are identified by their male sex.…”

Southern Africa's response(s) to international HIV/AIDS norms: the politics of assimilation

“…and with how they promote normative change (Acharya, 2004;Carpenter, 2005).17 However, norm formation and diffusion in international politics also involves other types o f norms. These authors usually ignore the essential quality and special appeal o f some o f these international norms that are identified as responding to existential threats to peace and security.18 15 The idea o f IOs working as "teachers o f norms" is from Finnemore (1993).…”