“Man, state and War”. One of the first most prominent theory
of International Relations, Classical Relations never recognized the role of
Women in International Relations. Ever since International Relations has
evolved over the years with the role of women not being brought to light until
the late 1980’s. The earlier theories have focused on the contribution of Man
to the International relations whether be it as soldiers in the case of war or
as diplomats of a state. J.Ann Ticker in ‘Gender in International Relations”
gives an explanation to why women have been overlooked by earlier researchers
There is no doubt about the fact that such discrimination
should not exist. Women have proved over the years that they are equal in all
aspects and should be considered so. We have seen in countries like Pakistan
that women can hold major posts such as Benazir Bhutto who was the first female
prime minister of Pakistan. But what people don’t realize is that she has been
the only female prime minister in Pakistan. The fact that a female prime minister
is rare and surprising is a worry as it should be normal routine for a women to
hold such a prestigious position now and then.
The most disappointing thing is the fact the cultural
perceptions that have been ingrained in the society because of the biological
differences between men and women. The perception of man being more powerful both
physically and mentally has made them the central figure in International
Relations, ignoring the role being played by women.
Well the reason more men have been written into the history books so to speak is because men are doing more of the writing. More feminist writers will expand the discourse.
ReplyDeleteAlso just because Bhutto was a Prime Minister does not mean she was a step forward for women in Pakistan. If anything, she just proved that a woman can be just as bad of a leader as a man.