Global South Perspectives on Women’s Rights and the WPS Agenda

The document examines the shift in global politics as emerging powers in the Global South contest universalist liberal gender norms. Through case studies of Turkey, Brazil, and China, it analyzes how local political contexts—ranging from the rise of political Islam and traditional family values to state-led prioritisation of national prosperity—shape women's rights and the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The authors argue that a more diverse understanding of gender norms is necessary to avoid cultural relativism while effectively improving women's security and well-being globally.

• In Turkey, the government has shifted toward conservative gender discourses, evidenced by its 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and the promotion of 'gender justice' over 'gender equality' via government-organised NGOs (GONGOs) like KADEM.
• Brazil's approach to women's rights is highly malleable depending on the administration; while the Lula government has implemented gender equality measures and high female ministerial representation, the previous Bolsonaro administration slashed funding to combat gender-based violence and opposed 'gender ideology'.
• China prioritises national economic prosperity and state stability over individual rights, leading to the enforcement of traditional gender roles and the marginalisation of feminist voices outside the state.
• The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is currently weakened globally because gender is often viewed as a secondary priority compared to defense, the economy, or the environment during international crises.

APA

Strøm-Sedgwick, C., & Tank, P. (2024). Global South Perspectives on Women’s Rights and the WPS Agenda. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3ff16f62-981f-45e5-af58-6bc580582788/GPS Policy Brief 01-2024.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Strøm-Sedgwick, Carina, and Pinar Tank. Global South Perspectives on Women’s Rights and the WPS Agenda. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3ff16f62-981f-45e5-af58-6bc580582788/GPS Policy Brief 01-2024.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Strøm-Sedgwick |first1=Carina |last2=Tank |first2=Pinar |title=Global South Perspectives on Women’s Rights and the WPS Agenda |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3ff16f62-981f-45e5-af58-6bc580582788/GPS Policy Brief 01-2024.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{strmsedgwick2024global, author = {Strøm-Sedgwick, Carina and Tank, Pinar}, title = {{Global South Perspectives on Women’s Rights and the WPS Agenda}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3ff16f62-981f-45e5-af58-6bc580582788/GPS Policy Brief 01-2024.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }