Women and their human security in the post-conflict setting of Liberia Niké Buijze WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY Women and their human security in post-conflict Liberia September 2014 Niké Buijze Studentnumber: 890827152020 Supervisors: Dr. Margreet van der Burg (SCH) Dr. Gemma van der Haar (RDS) Disaster Studies Chair Group Wageningen Univerity Course code: RDS-80733 Cover photo was taken by the author: Overview of the West Point slum community, seen from the top of the deserted Ducor Hotel in Central Monrovia, Liberia Abstract When talking about women in conflict and post-conflict situations, they are often referred to as victims instead of agents. This perception of women as the protected instead of the protector denies women any form of agency they have on their own security situation in conflict and post-conflict settings. This research tries to highlight women’s agency over their own physical security by centralising women’s experiences of their own security and that of other women and the strategies they use to organise security. This is done in the setting of post-conflict Liberia by presenting a case study of the West Point slum community in Monrovia. The research is framed within the broader human security debate. It tries to show how the notion of human security from below, a situation where the individuals who are faced with a security dilemma are also the ones who provide security, can contribute to a more holistic view on organising human security. The concept of human security from below is combined with a feminist approach, which highlights the patriarchal character of security thinking. It is argued that men and women experience security and insecurity in very different ways and that the dominant perspectives on security are in fact male perspectives. In order for women’s security to be guaranteed, women’s experiences of and agency over human security needs to be acknowledges and actively incorporated within peace-building and reconstruction processes within the post-conflict setting. Key words: human security, feminist approach, gender, human security from below, security communities, post-conflict setting, Liberia The moment that I step outside So many reasons for me to run and hide I can’t do the little things I hold so dear ‘Cause it’s all those little things that I fear ‘Cause I’m just a girl Take a good look at me Just your typical prototype Oh, I’ve had it up to here Oh, am I making myself clear? I’m just a girl I’m just a girl in the world That’s all that you let me be Oh, I’ve had it up to here No Doubt – I’m just a girl Acknowledgements Although I have regularly chosen the path of isolation during the process of writing this thesis, and lived like a hermit from time to time to make sure things got finished on time, there are a lot of people I would like to thank for their love, support and inspiration. Firstly, I would like to thank Margreet van der Burg and Gemma van der Haar for being my dedicated supervisors. Your guidance has led me from a vague topic of interest to a concrete research proposal and finally to a complete MSc thesis. You have been there with regular comments, critical questions and feedback, without ever losing a positive spirit. I have always found our meetings motivating and inspirational. I would like to thank the Wageningen University, and specifically the Disaster Studies chair group, for providing me with an academic home. Coming from a different university with a BSc in Political Science, my MSc years at the WUR have provided me with insights on the different discipline of International Development Studies. The time that I spend here has prepared me for this thesis and changed my scientific views. Doing my fieldwork in Monrovia would not have been possible without the support of ActionAid Liberia. I need to thank Bram and Luckmore for introducing me there, and Korto Williams for expressing interest in my research topic and offering me a research internship with ActionAid. Thank you Teetee, Zakir, Doris, MacArthur, Ben, Adam, Susan, Lakshmi, Romeo, Josie, Josephine and all the other ActionAid staff, for making the time I spend there so enjoyable. I am specifically grateful to the women of the Women’s Rights program. Aisha, Damowa, Elizabeth and Weng, thank you for being there for me, answering all my questions and helping me to shape this research. And finally, I would like to thank Mohammed. I have never felt safe in Liberian traffic, but with you in the car it wasn’t all too bad. Thank you for the endless trips you took with me and for driving me to the airport in the middle of the night. The two months I spend in Monrovia, working on the topic of women’s security, has proven to be a very intense and emotional time for me. It has been the incredible company of some very special people that has kept me sane during my entire stay in Monrovia. Stefanie, Meagan, Eric, Jo, Evelien, Steven, Thomas, Bram and Mary, thank you for your friendship. I’ve really enjoyed our conversations, trips to the beach, poolside hangs, dinners and nights on the town, accompanied by a Savannah or two. Evelien, thank you for providing me with a roof above my head during my first week in Monrovia. Meagan, you were the first friendly face I saw when I arrived and you have been incredibly sweet to me. You rock! And of course there is Endor, who has provided me with a real sense of security in my home. Thank you all! Aside from the friends I met abroad, there are the ones back home, who have been with me for a long time and who will hopefully be there for a long time to come. Anneloes, Shiromi, Marlies and Elske you have made a real difference in the process of writing this thesis. Your company prevented me from completely losing sight of the social life lying beyond the process of obtaining a Master’s degree. i I wouldn’t be the capable young women I am today, without the wonderful family I was brought up in. Mum, dad, Rena and Jirre, thank you for being my home. You are the foundation I can always fall back upon. Mum and dad, thank you for teaching, encouraging and sometimes forcing me to exploit my capacities to the fullest. It has brought me where I am now. Then, there is Martijn. You have been so supportive of me throughout every phase of this thesis. I know it hasn’t necessarily always been fun or easy, but being able to share all of this with someone who knows what it’s like and truly understands, has meant the world to me. You have provided me with all the love and the space that I needed. Thank you, lief! To conclude, I would like to dedicate this thesis to the women of West Point. I’ve never met stronger and more resilient individuals than the women I have met in West Point. Thank you for taking the time to explain life in West Point to this ignorant stranger. You inspire me. Niké Buijze ii Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction and context 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Gender based violence in conflict situations ............................................................................ 5 1.3 Women’s security in post-conflict settings ............................................................................... 6 Is there such a thing as ‘post-conflict’? ............................................................................................... 6 Shifting gender relations ..................................................................................................................... 7 Weakened security structures ............................................................................................................ 9 1.4 Conflict in Liberia .................................................................................................................. 10 A fourteen year civil war ................................................................................................................... 10 Post-conflict Liberia ........................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2 - Theoretical framework 2.1 Human security..................................................................................................................... 14 The rise of a discourse ....................................................................................................................... 14 A narrow notion of human security .................................................................................................. 16 2.2 Human security from below .................................................................................................. 17 2.3 A feminist perspective on human security ............................................................................. 18 Questioning the universality of human security ............................................................................... 18 Different experiences of human security between men and women .............................................. 19 Victimising women ............................................................................................................................ 20 2.4 Combining human security from below with a feminist perspective ....................................... 20 Chapter 3 - Methodology 3.1 A qualitative and interpretative research approach ............................................................... 24 3.2 The relationship between case selection and negotiating access ...........................................