Gender mainstreaming and peacekeeping operations Online Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Gender mainstreaming and peacekeeping operations Online Course Syllabus Professor teaching the Course: Dr. Olivera Simic 1. Overview of the Course General description The six week course Gender mainstreaming and peacekeeping operations is designed to provide theoretical as well as field based knowledge on the gender dimension of peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. Throughout the six weeks, the students will be exposed to the major trends that have been used for the incorporation of a gender perspective in peacekeeping and humanitarian fields, as well as in post conflict reconstruction. Policies, programmes and practical case studies will be shared with the students with the aim of getting a thorough understanding of the positive and negative aspects of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities in different environments worldwide. At the end of the six week course, the students shall be able to understand the cost of ignoring gender in peacekeeping operations and the delivery of humanitarian assistance as well as its long term consequences, and will be able to analyze current situations with a gender perspective. The last week will sum up the entire course with a focus on post conflict reconstruction through a gender perspective. 2. Intended participants Individuals who are familiar with gender related issues in international environments; but also women and men currently or formerly employed in peacekeeping operations or humanitarian organizations who want to acquire a better understanding of issues at stake, with a gender perspective. 3. Pre or co requisites Students should have the ability to read complex material and to write in English. 4. Date of the Course TBA 5. Class format 5.1 Number of credits: 2 credits 5.2 Number of sessions and length of course: 6 weeks, each week represents one session in a regular class 1

2 5.3 Methodology: This course is offered entirely online. The online platform to be used is Moodle. Before the beginning of the course, students should become familiar with the platform so that they will be able to use it to its fullest capacity. Course readings, Power Point presentations, videos, forum, and assignments will be posted on Monday, and students must complete the required tasks by the following Sunday each week. Each session will require between four to seven hours of work, including readings, assignments, and activities. The Course readings are divided into two categories: 1. Required Readings: These readings are mandatory. They constitute the minimum readings required for all students in order to enable them to achieve learning objectives for this course. They are essential for a complete understanding of the topic for each week. They also constitute the necessary readings for an informed participation in the discussion forums. 2. Recommended Readings: These readings are optional in nature and have been included in order to enable students to further broaden their knowledge on the topic for each week. They should also be useful for students in preparing for their final independent study papers. 6. Course requirements 1. For students taking the course for credits: Participation Students will be expected to participate in each online session and to complete the required assignments, including contributing to the discussion forums. Students participation should demonstrate familiarity with the assigned texts (30%). For each session, students will receive a mark of 0% 5%, for their contribution. Students can receive total of 30% at the end of course (6 sessions x 5%). In order to get 5% in each session students will need to demonstrate a genuine engagement with the reading materials. That is, that you draw your analysis/notes/opinions/reflections from prescribed weekly required readings. The participation in this course has been designed to: support your learning experiences in sessions 1 6 by working through relevant forum questions and hypothetical problems; help you to understand the reading materials; create opportunities for you to raise any questions in relation to the lectures, readings and forum questions that we have set; receive an explanation to the forum questions and concerns you may have in relation to the course; and receive regular feedback in terms of how well you understand the readings and lectures. A professor in this course expects that you will: do the readings before you come to the forum; engage with materials and come prepared to raise questions or make comments; bring up and share your own field experiences (if you want to) or inquiries about press articles or reports they read about peacekeeping operations; 2

3 share your views and listen to others to develop your understanding of the materials in the course; and answer and comment on the forum questions (please, ensure that you always sign your comments/answers by your full name!) What you can expect from your professor: be prepared to know answers to questions that we have set or ones you might have in general about the materials in the readings or the lectures; not deliver lectures in forums, but facilitate discussion around the set forum questions and readings for that week; assist you with any questions you may have in relation to the readings or the course; The participation activities are worth 30% of your final mark. You are encouraged to attend forums regularly, as this 30% can make a difference to your final grade for the course. Also, participation provides you with a great opportunity to engage more closely with your classmates and course material. Lastly, what we discuss in the forums will help you in preparation for your Final Independent Student Paper and research. It will certainly provide you with the foundation to successfully finish this course. Final Independent Study Paper A Final Independent Paper (70%) of no more than 2,500 words focusing on key challenges to peacekeeping operations or humanitarian issues, according to the student s area of interest, will be due at the end of week 6. The students must discuss their topic/research question with the professor before taking on a research project. Students will be graded according to criteria of original research, critical approach and contribution to the growth of the field of gender in peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. For information on style guides and referencing material, please see the Writing Tutorial, under Library Resources, which can be found in the introductory page of this course. 2. For students not taking the course for credits: Students not taking this course for credit need to fulfill the participation requirement but will not be required to write the final independent study paper. 7 Assessment criteria for grading all assignments - Complexity - Creativity - Thoroughness - Demonstrates an understanding of relevant course learning - Applies relevant course learning appropriately - Responds appropriately to the assigned task - Clarity and logic of presentation - Follows guidelines for formatting and presentation Course aims and objectives 8.1 Course aims 3

4 The purpose of the course is to provide the students with the skills and mechanisms to enable them to serve as gender trainers and officers, practitioners, to participate in peace negotiations, to solve conflicts through a gender perspective and to work in international organizations, nongovernmental, humanitarian aid agencies, and governmental institutions. The students will acquire advanced skills in research, data collection, and critical analysis in relation to gender and peacekeeping and humanitarian issues also, they will be able to successfully evaluate a variety of programmes and projects, based upon a profound knowledge on how to link gender, peacekeeping and humanitarian processes Learning objectives: 1) Understand the dynamics of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance with a gender perspective; 2) Understand the consequences of a lack of gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance (the cost of ignoring gender); 3) Suggest innovative ways to redress a lack of gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance; 4) Understand the broader picture of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance in the peace and security fields throughout the world; and 5) Deconstruct gender roles in post conflict situations with a critical approach. 9. Instructor s Short Bio Dr. Olivera Simić is a lecturer with the Griffith University Law School, Queensland, Australia. Originally from the former Yugoslavia, Olivera has lived and studied in Eastern and Western Europe, the USA and South America. Her research engages with peacekeeping, transitional justice, international law, gender and crime from an interdisciplinary perspective. Olivera has published in journals such as International Peacekeeping, Law Text Culture, Women Studies International Forum, Journal of International Women Studies, as well as in books and book chapters. Her book Regulation of Sexual Conduct in UN Peacekeeping Operations is published by Springer in June Outline of Sessions Course Sessions and Readings Session 1: Introduction to Peacekeeping and Gender mainstreaming This session will provide an introduction and a background to the core themes of our course. It will briefly outline the history of peacekeeping (from traditional peacekeeping to mulidimensional peace support operations). We will analyse the definition of gender mainstreaming and emphasize the importance of deconstructing stereotypes and assumptions about women in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance. We will critically analyse the language used in Sec Res 1325 and other documents in peacekeeping operations with an aim to develop a critical reading of related documents with gender lenses. 4

5 Students are encourgaed to read carefully the Sec Res 1325 and other UN resolutions, mandate documents and reports on gender and peacekeeping. How are women represented in these documents (as agents, victims, in need of protection etc)? Session 2: Gender Mainstreaming in Peacekeeping Operations In this session we will analyze the value of integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations through mechanisms for gender mainstreaming (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).we will also raise the question of whether women necessarily make better peacekeepers? Do we need more women in peacekeeping? What is the added value of integrating gender concerns in peacekeeping operations? What is the cost of ignoring gender? Students are encourgaed to read the press releases, UN documents and other reports that emphasise the importance of adding women to peacekeping operations. Does the presence of women change the peacekeeping environment? If yes, how? If not, why? Session 3: Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peacekeeping Operations This session will explore some of the recent UN responses to acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) committed by peackeepers. We will analyse the mechanisms that were put in place to address this issue and their pros and conts. Why has this issue received so much attention? What is the problem with the current mechanisms put in place to address this problem? Do policies and mechanisms to prevent SEA work in practice? Students are encouraged to track down the media and other reports on SEA and pay attention to acts that have been described as SEA by scholars, UN and journalists. Do you agree that all these acts should be lumped under the definition of SEA? If yes, why? If not, why not? Session 4: Gender Mainstreaming in humanitarian assistance This session analysis the differences and commonalities in women s and men s abilities to respond in an emergency situation and their priorities. What are the differences in women s and men s security and protection needs? Who holds what responsabilities/power? How men s gender identities influence their vulnerabilities, needs and priorities? Students are encouraged to track down the reports on humanitarian disasters and read them through gender lenses. Is there any difference in women s and men s priorities during and in the aftermath of humanitarian dissaster? Required Readings/Videos Session 5: Gender sensitive humanitarian framework 5

6 How to design a gender sensitive action plan for humanitarian interventions that benefits women, men, girls and boys and doesn t reinforce marginalization of already vulnerable groups? What is the link between assistance and protection, between vulnerabilities and capacities in humanitarian situations? Students are encouraged to think through recent humanitarian interventions and whether the responses to them have been gender sensitive. You should try to track down one example of humanitarian intervention and critically analyse the response to it through gender lenses. Session 6: Post Conflict Reconstruction and Peacebuilding This session will be structured around the key issues confronted by the society in post conflict period. The session will analyse the gender sensitive approach to post conflict reconstruction. Although women often play an important role in informal peacebuilding activities during the war, when peace talks begin and when formal peace processes are instituted, women are rarely part of the negotiations or the processes. Why is it important that women are present in peace talks? What are the consequences of not having them present? Why is it important that they play an active and formal role in peacebuilding? Students are encouraged to track down the reports on women s and men s roles in the aftermath in conflict. Do gender roles change in post conflict? If yes, how? If not, why not? Week Start Date Session Objectives Readings Ass 1 This session will provide an introduction and a background to the core themes of our course. It will briefly outline the history of peacekeeping (from traditional peacekeeping to mulidimensional peace support operations). We will analyse the definition of gender mainstreaming and emphasize the importance of deconstructing stereotypes and assumptions about women in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance. We will critically analyse the language used in Sec Res 1325 and other documents in peacekeeping operations with an aim to develop a critical reading of related documents with gender lenses. 6

7 2 In this session we will analyze the value of integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations through mechanisms for gender mainstreaming (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).we will also raise the question of whether women necessarily make better peacekeepers? Do we need more women in peacekeeping? What is the added value of integrating gender concerns in peacekeeping operations? What is the cost of ignoring gender? 3 This session will explore some of the recent UN responses to acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) committed by peackeepers. We will analyse the mechanisms that were put in place to address this issue and their pros and conts. Why has this issue received so much attention? What is the problem with the current mechanisms put in place to address this problem? Do policies and mechanisms to prevent SEA work in practice? 4 This session analysis the differences and commonalities in women s and men s abilities to respond in an emergency situation and their priorities. What are the differences in women s and men s security and protection needs? Who holds what responsabilities/power? How men s gender identities influence their vulnerabilities, 7

8 needs and priorities? 5 How to design a gendersensitive action plan for humanitarian interventions that benefits women, men, girls and boys and doesn t reinforce marginalization of already vulnerable groups? What is the link between assistance and protection, between vulnerabilities and capacities in humanitarian situations? 6 This session will be structured around the key issues confronted by the society in post conflict period. The session will analyse the gender sensitive approach to postconflict reconstruction. Although women often play an important role in informal peacebuilding activities during the war, when peace talks begin and when formal peace processes are instituted, women are rarely part of the negotiations or the processes. Why is it important that women are present in peace talks? What are the consequences of not having them present? Why is it important that they play an active and formal role in peacebuilding? 8