 PeacekeepingCarol Harrington Chapter 36 in Handbook on Gender in World Politics, 2026, pp 238-243 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: This chapter examines the United Nations’ (UN) ‘Women, Peace, and Security’ (WPS) agenda within the context of contemporary peace operations. It traces the agenda's origins to sustained advocacy by feminist networks, culminating in Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions. However, the chapter provides a critical account of its implementation, highlighting the persistent underrepresentation of women in peacekeeping forces and formal peace negotiations. It further discusses how peace operations can inadvertently reproduce gender inequality. Disarmament and reintegration programs often reinforce traditional gender roles, while the influx of predominantly male, militarized personnel can create ‘peacekeeping economies’ that exploit local women. Most critically, the chapter addresses the documented patterns of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, and the institutional culture of impunity that hinders accountability. Despite significant policy advancements, a considerable gap remains between the WPS agenda's ambitions and its practical application on the ground. Keywords: Peacekeeping; Women; Peace; and Security (WPS); United Nations (UN); Gender; Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:21594_36 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.