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 Gender and Sexuality
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| About the Programme |
ICES, from its inception, has considered gender a core category in the analysis of ethnic identity and conflict. Hegemonic ethno-nationalisms frequently seek to degrade and feminize the ‘other’ and while women and men within an ethnic group might be segmented in various ways according to class, caste, age, status etc., they are also invariably socialized into upholding gendered stereotypes, in the name of national/ethnic cohesion and identity. Men are expected to be valorous, and often militant, defenders of the ethnic group while women are perceived to symbolize the purity, continuity and exclusivity of the group. Some of the earliest projects in which ICES was involved thus sought to provide a feminist analysis and critique of such gendered subjectivities by unpacking patriarchal assumptions inherent in religious tenets and practices. |
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ICES’s on-going project on masculinity continues this trend
of inquiry by now focusing on the other end of the spectrum
of communalized violence: in the main male perpetrators. The
study seeks to understand the social/cultural parameters
within which such practices become permissible. This
two-country study on masculinity and violence is an
extrapolation, in a sense, of previous, smaller-scale,
in-depth research projects on militarism as well as
militancy in Sri Lanka, pioneered by ICES.ICES’s studies on
militarism and militancy have also been complemented by
research on feminist peace activism nationally, regionally
as well as internationally which culminated in an
international conference which brought together many
feminist scholars, activists and policy makers involved in
peace work. |
| Programme Objectives: |
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To provide a feminist analysis of gender and sexuality |
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To re-conceptualize VAW interventions in conflict and other settings |
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To strengthen the role of women as political decision makers at all levels, particularly in peace and security. |
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To promote an understanding of the historic, social and cultural aspects of sexuality in Sri Lanka, including that of sexual orientation and masculinities |
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Past and Future Directions
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Building on ICES’ work on gender over the past 20 years, this programme will now include sexuality and politics. The programme will combine feminist and alternative research, policy intervention, dialogue, training and creative expression. |
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| ICES’s recent 3-country South Asia study however has sought to think more genealogically about the category of VAW: how do we trace its development through particular historical conjunctures? What have been some of the outcomes of a sustained push by the UN as well as INGOs to make this a focus of inquiry and intervention? How has such a focus shaped feminist scholarship and activism? Such reflection and analysis is not only apposite but crucial for conceptualizing the future direction of this very important area of research and intervention. ICES has also sought to provide a safe space where feminist analyses of the Sri Lankan constitution and devolution of power could be presented and discussed at length, where the Women’s Coalition for Peace could hold their meetings, and where a variety of consultations with other peace groups, business leaders and politicians could take place. Such interventionist contributions towards a political resolution of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, a commitment to re-think categories such as ‘peace building’ and ‘human security’ from a feminist perspective and to challenge the hegemonic, male-centred approach to global security will be continued by ICES in the future.
ICES proposes to work more broadly in the area of sexuality for several reasons.
It is now well established that sexuality, the politics of sexual relations,
orientation, and their material manifestations form an integral part of gender
analysis. At the same time they intersect with other key areas that ICES has
expertise in – namely violence, state and power, and globalization. The violence
that attends many sexual relations needs to be understood fully not only in
terms of general theories but also in terms of the historic and specific ways in
which it operates in Sri Lanka and South Asia. Issues of sexual orientation have
repercussions on one’s relation to state power and citizenship. Sexualities and
their economies are also shaped by global patterns and flows that have their
local characteristics. In committing to provide rigorous research in the area of gender and sexuality,
ICES also importantly seeks to support other initiatives in the field of
sexuality in Sri Lanka. At present while a few activist organizations working on
sexual rights and sexual health exist, few of them have the capacity for
extensive research in the field of sexuality or see it as their mandate. By
providing grounded analysis and empirical data of the many registers of
sexuality in Sri Lanka, ICES seeks to complement the work of these
organizations. |
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