Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The paper highlights the role of women in different wars as victims, perpetrators, and problem solvers. In this light, at one side, international relations (IR) feminist scholars argue that gender is central, not peripheral, to the constitution of the state and to change ‘in’ and ‘of’ the interstate system (True 2018). While on the other side, the UN recognizes in Security Council Resolution 1325 ‘Women, Peace and Security’ that when it comes to violence and conflict women are not only victims but are also part of the problem and solution (Powel 2016). Hence, the role of women in IR and international security and security studies cannot be denied. This paper analyses women’s roles as victims and perpetrators in peace and security operations, which is considered more important than identifying women’s roles as part of the solution. It uses the securitisation and feminist lens to examine the roles of women and the security of a state. It uses a qualitative case-study analyses of Pakistan and Indonesia to answer the core research question: what are the roles of women in violent extremism and counter violent extremism? It considers a growing body of literature by Cynthia Enloe (1989), J. Ann Tickner (1991), and Jacqui True (2018) that recognises the role of women in IR, International Politics, and Security. This paper concludes that women play an essential role in the overall security of a state.