Gender, UN Peacebuilding, and the Politics of Space

Shepherd weaves a compelling narrative that engages with peacebuilding discourse and the ways in which it is not only gendered and gendering but also spatialized. Theoretically sophisticated and nuanced, this book should be compulsory reading for policymakers, as well as academics and students alike. -- International Feminist Journal of Politics The arguments presented in this thought-provoking book are quintessential Shepherd-meticulously supported, incredibly lucid, yet theoretically sophisticated. Skillfully blending critically reflective insights from all kinds of texts, she shows the shifts and continuities in the discursive construction of gender and space over more than ten years of UN peacebuilding practice. Hopeful yet cautious, her analysis of the consequences of such constructions underscores the need for continued resistance to spatial and epistemic injustice. An invaluable read deserving of a broad audience. --Heidi Hudson, Professor of International Relations, University of the Free State, South Africa This is an extraordinarily well-written and accessible book on an important topic. Laura Shepherd looks afresh at the thinking (and lack of thinking) behind much of UN peacebuilding, with special reference to gender and power. Her analysis and conclusions guarantee that this book will be on my student reading lists. --Roger Mac Ginty, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Manchester Through rigorous and rich discourse analysis, Shepherd interrogates not only how the UN understands peacebuilding itself but also how it understands gender, women, and civil society. The book is structured accordingly, with a chapter focusing on each of the four topics, along with a valuable introduction justifying the approach and a conclusion that draws the main threads of the argument together. --Claire Duncanson is senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Edinburgh and is the author of Gender and Peacebuilding