Paradise Lies at the Feet of the Mother: Where Were the Women in the 2008-09 Gaza Conflict?

Abstract

The 2008-09 Gaza conflict provides a unique prism to ask the simple question ‘where are the women’, and examine the role that women play in international dispute resolution and the manner in which concepts of gender affect the definition of the goals and scope of peace processes.

The Gaza conflict is notable for three main reasons in this study. First, it shows that despite the sophistication of modern conflict resolution discourse, very little outside influence had any effect on the resolution of the conflict or the deportment of the protagonists on the battle field. Despite the efforts of Egypt and France in particular, it was unilateral ceasefires that eventually ended the conflict, albeit under external pressure. International organisations and the laws of armed conflict also seemed to have marginal relevance to ending the conflict.

Second, the crisis was markedly asymmetric in terms of causalities and damage to property. The demographics of the Gaza strip and the state of the inhabitants before the crisis meant that Palestinian civilians had particularly high levels of humanitarian need as a result of the hostilities, as discussed below. Yet this circumstance seemed to have little bearing on the international conflict resolution process or the deliberations of the Security Council. The role of the UN and humanitarian organisations seemed both feminised and marginalised during the hostilities.

Finally, the role of women in this conflict was complex. The humanitarian needs of the majority of women and girls affected by the conflict were extensively covered by the media but largely ignored in formal processes, except to inflame nationalism in the conflicting countries. As protagonists, there were many female actors on both sides, but none of these female voices raised concerns about the plight of women, or civilians more broadly, or contributed in any demonstrable manner to peace-making efforts.

Keywords: Women’s rights, Gaza conflict 2008-2009, international dispute resolution, United Nations