DOCSLIB.ORG

The Role of Online and Social Media in Combating Sexual Harassment in Egypt

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Role of Online and Social Media in Combating Sexual Harassment in Egypt American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations 6-1-2018 The role of online and social media in combating sexual harassment in Egypt Mariam Saleh Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Recommended Citation APA Citation Saleh, M. (2018).The role of online and social media in combating sexual harassment in Egypt [Master’s thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/436 MLA Citation Saleh, Mariam. The role of online and social media in combating sexual harassment in Egypt. 2018. American University in Cairo, Master's thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/436 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by AUC Knowledge Fountain. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AUC Knowledge Fountain. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The American University in Cairo Global Affairs and Public Policy THE ROLE OF ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN EGYPT A Thesis Submitted to The Journalism and Mass Communication Department in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Mariam Saleh under the supervision of Dr. Hussein Amin Fall 2017 Abstract Violence against women – particularly sexual harassment is a widespread problem faced by women around the world. In Egypt, research shows that a large number of women have been harassed at least once in their lifetime. The Egyptian Government, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have been working for several years on interventions and activities to combat sexual harassment. With the widespread use of online and social media in Egypt, this new media became a better and easily accessible form of conveying combating sexual harassment messages. This study, thus, aims to identify ways through which online and social media could be used through development communication campaigns to combat sexual harassment in Egypt. The study is based on a theoretical framework built on the Social Ecological Model, and seeks to identify how online and social media could be utilized along its five levels to combat harassment through social change, social mobilization, and advocacy. The study uses the single exploratory case study of HarassMap – an Egyptian NGO working on combating sexual harassment through online and social media. Theoretical propositions were developed for each of the five levels, and based on a content analysis of HarassMap’s website and Facebook Page, the theoretical propositions were verified and modified. Findings of the study show that online and social media could be used through functional participatory communication campaigns, following a social change and social mobilization approach to: (1) encourage sexual harassment survivors to respond to harassment through changing beliefs, increasing self-efficacy, and changing behavior through social prompting; (2) encourage bystander intervention through changing beliefs, increasing bystander-efficacy, and changing behavior through social prompting; (3) change the society’s attitudes and beliefs as related to assignment of responsibility and attribution of sexual harassment and increase the society’s collective-efficacy to fight acceptability of harassment; (4) advocate for organizational change to have sexual harassment-free workplaces/educational institutions through targeting the organization and its surrounding environment; and (5) advocate for more stringent sexual harassment law/law enforcement. Keywords: Combating Sexual Harassment, Social Ecological Model, Social Change, Social Mobilization, Efficacy, Social Prompting, Advocacy, Organizational Change, Bystander Intervention II Dedication To every survivor who fearfully responds, and stands up against harassment To every human being who is still humane and chivalrous enough to intervene when they witness harassment You’re the ray of light in the darkest skies To the January 25 Revolution I owe to you who I am today, Thank you for opening my eyes, widening my horizon, and making me a better person III Acknowledgement I cannot begin this acknowledgement by anything but thanking Dr. Hussein Amin for being the most understanding and supportive advisor anyone could wish for. Thank you for advising this thesis, and giving me the chance to learn from your great knowledge. I’m also forever grateful for offering me words of consoling, listening to my personal problems and telling me your own personal stories just to show me that I’m not alone. I also would like to thank the following people whom I’ve been blessed with during working on this thesis: Dr. Rasha Allam and Dr. Tara El Kadi for accepting to be my readers on such a short notice. Thank you also for your very valuable comments and advice which helped me add more value to the thesis. The JRMC faculty and staff for making this Master’s program not only an excellent learning experience to me, but also an enjoyable one. My mother, who has always been a living example of what it means to be a strong, independent, dependable woman. Thank you for showing me that this is not just a cliché, but actions that you take every single day. Thank you for bringing me up to strive to be as resilient as you are, to always have the willingness to persevere. Working on this thesis while having a demanding fulltime job hasn’t been easy at times, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you always pushing me to be the best I could be. My father, for always showing me what it means to dare to dream, for always pushing me to pursue and do what I love, to spread my wings and fly, even if it meant switching education and careers from engineering to development and mass communication. Thank you for always believing in me, even when it felt like I’m doing something crazy. Thank you also for teaching me to always do the best job I can do, even if it means sleeping less and working more. I wouldn’t be writing this acknowledgement for a thesis submitted to the JRMC department if it weren’t for your support. My grandmother, for the endless number of times she read suret yaseen for me during my SATs in high-school, my undergraduate exams at the GUC, and my comprehensive exams at the AUC, and whom I’m sure would have been praying for me during my thesis defense had she been able to. I wish you that you live your coming days happily and in peace, with no more pain. IV My fiancé, for giving me endless support throughout the writing of this thesis. Thank you for believing in me, and for always helping me believe in myself when I was in doubt. Thank you for always helping me in every possible way, with comforting words at times, and encouraging words other times. Thank you for always making time to help me go through the endless sexual violence posts even when they were too horrible to read. Thank you for helping me with tens of Excel graphs that I would have otherwise spent days trying to do. Thank you for always making me feel that it’s okay for us to postpone tons of things that we should have been doing, just to focus on my thesis. If it weren’t for everything you’ve done, I would be far from done now. My dear friends – MentAllah Hussein and Reham Gamal, whom I’ve been blessed with during this program for always giving me all the advice, support and encouragement anyone could wish for. Working with you on the many researches we’ve done together in the past years has been very interesting and fun. I hope we’d get the chance to work together on more fun projects. Finally, I must thank the team behind HarassMap – whom I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting during the writing of this thesis – for their amazing and innovative work to fight sexual harassment – a problem all Egyptian women suffer from. As an Egyptian woman, your work gives me hope in a better future and safer Egypt for us all. V Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Context .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Scope and Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Research Questions ...................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 6 2 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 7 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Social Ecological Model .................................................................................................. 8 2.3 The SEM in the Development Communication Context .................................................. 9 2.4 Theories of Social Change and Social Mobilization ....................................................... 12 2.4.1 Efficacy ....................................................................................................................... 15 2.4.2 Social Mobilization ....................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Impact of the Media Coverage of Sexual Violence on Its Victims/Survivors
    American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations Student Research Spring 6-10-2021 The Impact of the Media Coverage of Sexual Violence on its Victims/Survivors Jaidaa Taha [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Part of the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Social Media Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation APA Citation Taha, J. (2021).The Impact of the Media Coverage of Sexual Violence on its Victims/Survivors [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1623 MLA Citation Taha, Jaidaa. The Impact of the Media Coverage of Sexual Violence on its Victims/Survivors. 2021. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1623 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at AUC Knowledge Fountain. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AUC Knowledge Fountain. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The American University in Cairo School of Global Affairs and Public Policy The Impact of the Media Coverage of Sexual Violence on Its Victims/Survivors MA Thesis Submitted by Jaidaa Taha Arafa To The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (May/2021) Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Rasha Abdulla Abstract As part of their daily routine, journalists are often assigned to cover accidents or traumatic events to keep the public updated.
    [Show full text]
  • Using the Law to End Child, Early & Forced Marriage
    PROTECTING THE GIRL CHILD LEGAL ANNEX USING THE LAW TO END CHILD, EARLY AND FORCED MARRIAGE AND RELATED HumAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS JANUARY 2014 FRONT COVER PHOTO Krishna is from a village near Baran, located in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. She was married when she was 11 years old. When she was 13 years old she had a difficult delivery when she gave birth to her son, losing a lot of blood and remaining in the hospital for several days. The legal age for marriage in India is 18, but marriages like these are common, especially in poor, rural areas where girls in particular, are married off young. Picture taken July 17, 2012. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui FOREWORD Every three seconds, a girl under the age of 18 is married somewhere in the world to a man she has never met. In many cases, she is traded off as a commodity to pay off debts, settle disputes or cement strategic alliances between families. Child marriage is one of the biggest obstacles to development. Every year, it steals the innocence of 10 million of girls worldwide, condemning them to a life of poverty, ignorance and poor health. Girl brides are five times more likely to die in child birth than women in their 20s. They are also more likely to suffer from fistula, contract HIV- AIDS from their husbands, and to experience abusive relationships with their in-laws. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child considers marriage before the age of 18 a human rights violation yet, in an evident clash between tradition and the rule of law, in countries like Niger, Chad and Mali, more than 70% of girls are married before the age of 18 (ICRW).
    [Show full text]
  • Égypte/Monde Arabe, 13 | 2015, « Nouvelles Luttes Autour Du Genre En Egypte Depuis 2011 » [En Ligne], Mis En Ligne Le 10 Novembre 2017, Consulté Le 24 Septembre 2020
    Égypte/Monde arabe 13 | 2015 Nouvelles luttes autour du genre en Egypte depuis 2011 New gender-related Struggles in Egypt since 2011 Leslie Piquemal (dir.) Édition électronique URL : http://journals.openedition.org/ema/3492 DOI : 10.4000/ema.3492 ISSN : 2090-7273 Éditeur CEDEJ - Centre d’études et de documentation économiques juridiques et sociales Édition imprimée Date de publication : 10 novembre 2015 ISBN : 9782905838865 ISSN : 1110-5097 Référence électronique Leslie Piquemal (dir.), Égypte/Monde arabe, 13 | 2015, « Nouvelles luttes autour du genre en Egypte depuis 2011 » [En ligne], mis en ligne le 10 novembre 2017, consulté le 24 septembre 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/ema/3492 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/ema.3492 Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 24 septembre 2020. © Tous droits réservés 1 Depuis le soulèvement de 2011 en Égypte, les problématiques de genre ont émergé sous différentes formes dans le cadre des mouvements protestataires – révolutionnaires, réactionnaires – et plus largement, dans celui des transformations sociales se produisant autour et entre ces vagues de mobilisation. Alors que les relations entre citoyens et autorités étatiques ont été contestées, modifiées, puis repoussées dans une direction réactionnaire, comment les relations de genre ont-elles été contestées depuis 2011 ? Quels nouveaux imaginaires, quels nouveaux rôles et identités ont été revendiqués ? Quelles mobilisations se sont construites face à l’essor saisissant des violences sexistes dans l’espace public ? Quatre ans après le début de la période révolutionnaire, ce numéro d’Égypte/Monde arabe explore les nouvelles luttes liées au genre en Égypte au prisme de la sociologie, l’anthropologie et la science politique.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Child Rights Situation in Arab Countries
    Overview of Child Rights حالة حقوق الطفل Situation in Arab Countries يف بلدان عربية Overview of Child Rights Situation in Arab Countries Research and writing support was provided by Defense for Children International – Palestine’s Brad Parker, international advocacy officer, Mona Patel, consultant, and Olivia Watson, advocacy officer. DCIP’s Ivan Karakashian, advocacy unit coordinator, and Priscilla Doolittle Wathington, consulting editor, edited and reviewed the report. Sukaina Khalawi, regional coordinator of the Middle East and North Africa Desk at DCI, also reviewed the report. Cover Photo: The children of an impoverished Iraqi family reportedly living on five dollars a day and living in structures made up of scrap metal play outside their home in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf as Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on July 19, 2015. AFP PHOTO / HAIDAR HAMDANI With the support of Canton of Geneva 2 Defense for Children International Children across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are frequently deprived of the basic rights afforded to them in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international law. This is particularly alarming and reprehensible for children within the juvenile justice system, regardless of whether they are in conflict with the law. Across the region, laws relating to children are outdated, and enforcement of children’s rights is too often weak or nonexistent. Many countries lack a comprehensive juvenile justice system that can appropriately respect and handle children’s rights. Shockingly, governments in some countries are simply unable or unwilling to adequately protect children.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume Ii: Issue 1 March 2020
    VOLUME II: ISSUE 1 MARCH 2020 Email: [email protected] Corpus Juris ISSN: 2582-2918 The Law Journal website: www.corpusjuris.co.in DISCLAIMER No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form by any means without prior written permission of the Editor-in-chief of Corpus Juris – The Law Journal. The Editorial Team of Corpus Juris holds the copyright to all articles contributed to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are purely personal opinions of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Team of Corpus Juris or the Publisher Adv. Sunil Chauhan. Though all efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information published, Corpus Juris shall not be responsible for any errors caused due to oversight or otherwise. Corpus Juris ISSN: 2582-2918 The Law Journal website: www.corpusjuris.co.in ABOUT US Corpus Juris is an open access, peer reviewed journal which aims to generate dialogue on matters of current interest. Started by three law school classmates, Corpus Juris is unique in as much as there is no specific theme by which the Journal is restricted. This allows Lawyers, Researchers and Law students alike to express their views in accordance with their interests. Corpus Juris was born from the thought that the legal academia of the world has become somewhat static, even as humans continue to witness progress in leaps and bounds across other disciplines. Bearing the idea that Law and Social Science need to change with the progress of society and social fabric of the world, this is a humble attempt that intends to reinstate the lost atmosphere of legal research and progress across the globe.
    [Show full text]
  • Monthly, Vol 1 Issue 1 April 2017
    Gender Watch Monthly, Vol 1 Issue 1 April 2017 Vol 1 Issue 1 April 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER STORY 3-5 EQUALITY 6 DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION 7 VIOLENCE AND SAFETY 8 ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SANITATION 9-10 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 11 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY 12 LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS 13-14 OPINION PIECES FROM THE MEDIA 15 CONTACT 16 Gender Watch 2 Vol 1 Issue 1 April 2017 COVER STORY Violation of Laws: Rape Reporting in India Media is considered to be the fourth pillar of democracy and is expected to report facts without bias or prejudice. Multiple cases of rape reporting have recentliy become infamous for reasons ranging from victim shaming, corroborating regressive patriarchal values to identity politics. Though, frivolous reporting is not illegal, revealing the victim’s identity violates their right to privacy and is an offence. But, the media continues to reveal victim identities without any repercussion because of policy gaps and lack of effective enforcement of laws. When the state ignores principles of natural justice, gender equality and basic human rights the victims become victims of state apathy and not just rape. Various print media including Times of India, Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Hindu reported on a Section 376 rape violation in Delhi. However, Times of India has been particularly criticized for their article which violates laws against revealing the identity of a rape victim.1Similarly, Kairali TV has also been heavily criticized for their reporting on an incident involving a famous Malayalam actress. When reporting an incident, the author must only state the relevant facts without bias.
    [Show full text]
  • Independent Project Evaluation
    UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Independent project evaluation Improving the Criminal Justice Response to Violence against Women in Egypt EGYZ33 Egypt March 2019 UNITED NATIONS New York, Year This independent evaluation report was prepared by an evaluation team consisting of Ms. Eva Otero, Lead Evaluator and Ms. Nihad El Ghamry, National Evaluator. The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides normative tools, guidelines and templates to be used in the evaluation process of projects. Please find the respective tools on the IEU web site: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/evaluation/evaluation.html The Independent Evaluation Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime can be contacted at: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Vienna International Centre P.O. Box 500 1400 Vienna, Austria Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-0 Email: [email protected] Website: www.unodc.org Disclaimer Independent Project Evaluations are scheduled and managed by the project managers and conducted by external independent evaluators. The role of the Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) in relation to independent project evaluations is one of quality assurance and support throughout the evaluation process, but IEU does not directly participate in or undertake independent project evaluations. It is, however, the responsibility of IEU to respond to the commitment of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) in professionalizing the evaluation function and promoting a culture of evaluation within UNODC for the purposes of accountability and continuous learning and improvement. The views expressed in this independent evaluation report are those of the evaluation team.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Masculinities
    Understanding Masculinities: Results from the INTERNATIONAL MEN AND GENDER EQUALITY SURVEY (IMAGES) – MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine About this Study The International Men and Gender Equality Survey – Middle East and North Africa (IMAGES MENA) study includes quantitative and qualitative research with men and women aged 18 to 59 in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine. Local research partners are: (1) Egypt: El-Zanaty and Associates; Social Research Center, American University in Cairo (AUC); (2) Lebanon: Connecting Research to Development (CRD); ABAAD; (3) Morocco: Association Migration Internationale (AMI); Rajaa Nadifi (independent researcher); Gaëlle Gillot (independent researcher); (4) Palestine: Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University. The multi-country study and its dissemination were coordinated by Promundo and UN Women, under the UN Women Regional Programme Men and Women for Gender Equality funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), with additional support from the Arcus Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (via Prevention+), the U.S. Institute of Peace, the U.S. Department of State in partnership with Vital Voices, and the Oak Foundation. This report presents the first round of IMAGES data collection in the MENA region that was carried out from April 2016 to March 2017. Other studies in the region are currently being planned. National reports are being produced in the four countries, further elaborating on the research findings and providing country-specific recommendations. About IMAGES The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) is a comprehensive, multi-country study on men’s realities, practices, and attitudes with regard to gender norms, gender-equality policies, household dynamics, caregiving and fatherhood, intimate partner violence, sexual diversity, health, and economic stress, among other topics.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Online and Social Media in Combating Sexual Harassment in Egypt
    The American University in Cairo Global Affairs and Public Policy THE ROLE OF ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN EGYPT A Thesis Submitted to The Journalism and Mass Communication Department in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Mariam Saleh under the supervision of Dr. Hussein Amin Fall 2017 Abstract Violence against women – particularly sexual harassment is a widespread problem faced by women around the world. In Egypt, research shows that a large number of women have been harassed at least once in their lifetime. The Egyptian Government, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have been working for several years on interventions and activities to combat sexual harassment. With the widespread use of online and social media in Egypt, this new media became a better and easily accessible form of conveying combating sexual harassment messages. This study, thus, aims to identify ways through which online and social media could be used through development communication campaigns to combat sexual harassment in Egypt. The study is based on a theoretical framework built on the Social Ecological Model, and seeks to identify how online and social media could be utilized along its five levels to combat harassment through social change, social mobilization, and advocacy. The study uses the single exploratory case study of HarassMap – an Egyptian NGO working on combating sexual harassment through online and social media. Theoretical propositions were developed for each of the five levels, and based on a content analysis of HarassMap’s website and Facebook Page, the theoretical propositions were verified and modified.
    [Show full text]
  • Fighting Sexual Assault at Cairo Protests Author(S): Vickie Langohr Source: Middle East Report, No
    "This Is Our Square": Fighting Sexual Assault at Cairo Protests Author(s): Vickie Langohr Source: Middle East Report, No. 268, GENDER FRONT LINES: EGYPT, SYRIA, TUNISIA, TURKEY (Fall 2013), pp. 18-25 Published by: Middle East Research and Information Project, Inc. (MERIP) Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24426461 Accessed: 06-03-2020 02:17 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Middle East Research and Information Project, Inc. (MERIP) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Middle East Report This content downloaded from 128.6.45.205 on Fri, 06 Mar 2020 02:17:50 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms "Sitt al-banat."al-banat." Graffiti Graffiti on on Muhammad Muhammad Mahmoud Mahmoud Street Street in Cairo. in Cairo. hossam el HOSSAM hamalawy EL-HAMALAWY "This Is Our Square" Fighting Sexual Assault at Cairo Protests Vickie Langohr sion rippled through Cairo. Lines at gas stations snaked met repeatedly to strategize about how to protect the women In intoJune major roadways,2013 paralyzingpopular traffic. anger, Artists occupied excitement who would go to andthe protests apprehen- from sexual assault, of women and men, most in their twenties or early thirties, the Ministry of Culture to oppose a new minister from The "blue bra incident" of December 2011 is the iconic the Muslim Brothers' Freedom and Justice Party who had case of assault on Egyptian female protesters, when a fired respected cultural leaders.
    [Show full text]
  • Africa & Bosnia?
    SEEKING CLOSURE: CAN EGYPTIAN WOMEN LEARN FROM THE‗TRUTH EXPERIMENTS‘ OF SOUTH AFRICA & BOSNIA? By DEYA BHATTACHARYA Submitted to Central European University Department of Legal Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of LL.M. in Human Rights Supervisor: Dr. Vladimir Petrovic Budapest, Hungary CEU eTD Collection 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Background ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Research Problem and Question ....................................................................................................... 3 3. Literature Review .................................................................................................................................. 3 4. Thesis Statement and Hypothesis .....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Countering Terrorism: the Transformative Potential of Gender Equality Lawmaking and Policy Reform
    Countering Terrorism: The Transformative Potential of Gender Equality Lawmaking and Policy Reform STUDENT WORKING PAPERS Penn Law Seminar on International Women’s Human Rights taught by Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Associate Dean of International Programs Report presented to UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on May 6, 2016 COUNTERING TERRORISM: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF GENDER EQUALITY LAWMAKING AND POLICY REFORM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The pivotal role of women in countering terrorism is both undervalued and underexplored. Today, terrorism and violent extremism come in diverse forms. In the struggle to address this dynamic and complex issue, the need for a preventive approach is vital, and women, and women’s rights, can offer a significant contribution to preventative measures. To this end, the chapters in this report take innovative approaches to the exploration of the transformative nature of integrating a gender dimension into States’ legislative and policy frameworks that address terrorism. The Security Council and General Assembly have recognized that countering terrorism requires more than a military approach, it necessitates respect for human rights.1 This shift from the traditional focus on reactive measures was reflected in the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which calls for a comprehensive approach that focuses on systematic preventive steps that tackle the underlying factors that contribute to conditions conducive to terrorism, including the need to respect and strengthen human rights.2 The UN has not adopted an official definition of terrorism, leaving States to devise their own definitions. As a result, many of these definitions do not include a human rights perspective.
    [Show full text]