Browsing by Author "Punkanen, Kaisla-Kiisa"

This thesis looks at gender in ethno-national conflict resolution through the case study of the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement is the peace agreement that ended the Troubles, which was a conflict between unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland (1968-1998). The purpose of the study is to critically analyse women’s representation in a case that is considered a success story due to its unprecedented involvement of women. Despite the fact that women played key roles and had significant impact in the peace agreement, women faced discrimination and their involvement did not lead to a more gender equal post-conflict society, which is seen as one of the key benefits of women’s inclusion. This thesis analyses women’s representation in the peace process and peace agreement through two research questions: How was the Northern Ireland peace process gendered? and What were the barriers to women’s meaningful representation in the Good Friday Agreement? Feminist conflict and security analysis provides the main theoretical context for this study. Additionally, I utilise intersectionality, women’s political representation, theorising of gender in ethno-national collectives, and power-sharing as my theoretical basis. The analysis found that the peace process was gendered for instance, due to the portrayal of women throughout the conflict. Women paramilitary fighters as well as women negotiators were portrayed and treated differently than men. Women fighters were sensationalised and their actions were used to symbolise the whole of the ethno-national group. The women peace negotiators on the other hand were verbally abused and belittled. Furthermore, the clauses in the Good Friday Agreement that guaranteed women’s equal political participation and right to public life were not secured with any implementation mechanisms. Regarding the second research question, the analysis found that women’s representation was hindered with ideological factors. Women and women’s issues are seen to belong in the domestic sphere which is why issues of interest to women are not addressed in formal politics. This view of women also affected how women in the peace negotiators were received. Women were not seen to belong in this decision-making position, which lead to the eradication of the clauses driven by women and the clauses which affected women.