Bosnia and Kosovo: Interpreting the gender dimensions of international intervention

This article suggests that there is a fundamental feminist dilemma at the heart of debates on the ethics of intervention. The concern lies in the difficulties of promoting a feminist agenda for acceptance by a maledominated, masculinist and militaristic international community whilst also taking into account the unique local gender constructions that must be acknowledged in any decision on intervention. It is not sufficient to persuade organizations such as NATO and the UN, and powerful states such as the US and Russia, to recognize the gendered aspects of conflict, important though this is. The key question is reflected back to feminists: how can we promote feminist criteria on intervention to the international community while respecting the needs and cultural diversity of local communities? In the case of Kosovo, we need to ask how feminist calls for equality and non-discrimination can be reconciled with the extremely patriarchal construction of gender relations among Kosovar Albanians.