Gender and Human Security in Post-Conflict Pakistan: Policy implications of local, gendered perceptions of security and development

A major challenge in assisting women in post-conflict contexts is understanding the complex and dynamic links between security and development, and how they are gendered. In the shift from military to civilian security such as the police, and from humani tarian to development activities, particularly the gender dimensions of security and development are difficult to grasp. This project takes the case of post-conflict Swat in NWFP Pakistan, and explores how women and men perceive and experience different k inds of insecurity as they attempt to pursue their livelihoods following the government operation to expel Taliban militants. Using human security as an overarching framework, the project investigates the ways in which women and men may have different op portunities and strategies as they maneuver amongst the plethora of traditional institutions and authorities, civil society groups, NGOs, local government, the judiciary, the police and the military in order to secure their lives. Using participatory, qu alitative methods in six villages of the Swat Valley, we are investigating how local understandings of security and insecurity, threats and vulnerabilities, rights, conflicts and negotiations compare with those of state and non-state institutions, moving from local, to district, to province to national/international levels. If there are in fact differences in these understandings, then what implications would this have for policies and programs such that women's position in Swat is strengthened and gender equality achieved? The research revolves around four specific objectives: 1) To explore how women, men and communities cope with different kinds of insecurity (i.e. food, environmental, political, and personal) as they pursue their livelihoods in post-c onflict contexts; 2) To explore how women and men perceive the role of state (government officials, local police, military) and non-state institutions (village leadership, religious leaders, civil society groups, local and international NGOs) in contribut ing to, preventing or mitigating different types of conflicts i.e. access to natural resources, inheritance, divorce, denial of rights etc; 3) To explore how state and non-state institutions perceive their roles and responsibilities in securing women and men in local communities, including accountability issues; and 4) To explore the policy implications of incorporating a gendered perspective on understanding human security in post-conflict Pakistan. Our research so far has made it clear that these local experiences of insecurity are highly gendered, and very much embedded in a wider social, political and economic context, but are often rather invisible to policymakers and development actors. The reasons for this lie not only in the difficulties of inves tigating local needs in a rather insecure context, but also from the use of assessment and analysis methodologies which are inadequate in addressing the complexity of these local contexts. This has lead to policies which are based on false assumptions ra ther than evidence from the field. As researchers, we have also gained valuable knowledge and experience in conducting research in a somewhat insecure context, which will contribute to the development of improved methodological approaches as well. The pro ject includes three PhD fellows from both Pakistan and Norway, and has formed a platform for the development of a new MSc program in Pakistan in gender and conflict studies. At the end of the project period, the findings will be presented to policymakers and development actors in both Pakistan and Norway.

A major challenge in assisting women in post-conflict contexts is understanding the complex and dynamic links between security and development, and how they are gendered. In the shift from military to civilian security such as the police, and from humani tarian to development activities, particularly the gender dimensions of security and development are difficult to grasp. This project takes the case of post-conflict Swat in NWFP Pakistan, and explores how women and men perceive and experience different k inds of insecurity as they attempt to pursue their livelihoods following the government operation to expel Taliban militants. Using human security as an overarching framework, the project will investigate the ways in which women and men may have differen t opportunities and strategies as they maneuver amongst the plethora of traditional institutions and authorities, civil society groups, NGOs, local government, the judiciary, the police and the military in order to secure their lives. Using participatory , qualitative methods, we will investigate how local understandings of security and insecurity, threats and vulnerabilities, rights, conflicts and negotiations compare with those of state and non-state institutions, moving from local, to district, to prov ince to national/international levels, and what the implications of these differences mean in terms of changes in policies and programs such that women's position in Swat is strengthened and gender equality achieved. This will link micro-macro processes to understand not only local contexts, but how they are embedded in a wider social, political and economic context. The project includes PhD and MSc students from both Pakistan and Norway, and there will also be opportunities for staff from CIIT to visit Norway for capacity building, particularly in gender and conflict studies. Government and civil society organizations, as well as international NGOs working in Swat, will be an important part of the project network.