Feminist peace or state co-optation? The Women, Peace and Security agenda in Myanmar

Abstract

This article engages with emerging debates about feminist peace and uses this concept to assess the ability of the Women, Peace and Security agenda to achieve gender-just change. We advance a conception of feminist peace as political conditions that allow women affected by conflict to articulate their visions of change and influence the construction of post-war order. Applying this to a case study of Women, Peace and Security practice in Myanmar, we demonstrate that features of how international aid is organised, combined with the Myanmar government’s interest in excluding critical voices, limit the ability of Women, Peace and Security practices to contribute to feminist peace. This highlights the potential for illiberal post-war states to obstruct and co-opt the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and shows how the women most directly affected by armed conflict are often the least able to participate in, benefit from and inform Women, Peace and Security practices.Key messagesThe article examines to what extent Women, Peace and Security practices in Myanmar contribute to feminist peace.Feminist peace is theorised as political conditions that allow women’s experiences and priorities to inform peacebuilding.Findings show that Women, Peace and Security support is least likely to benefit the women most affected by war.This is compounded by illiberal government efforts to exclude critical voices.