Overview

This book applies a critical-feminist perspective to the question of how security sector reform (SSR) interacts with militarisation and gender relations. Based on an in-depth empirical analysis of SSR in Uganda, the book argues that in a militarising context, SSR is likely to reinforce militarisation and the corresponding essentialised gender relations. Centring qualitative interview material, the book shows that in Uganda, SSR benefits political and social elites, while women, minorities and the political opposition, rather than benefiting from improvements in the justice and security sectors, remain marginalised and oppressed. External actors must accept partial yet significant responsibility for these developments as they supported, financed and legitimised many of the reforms. Based on these insights, the book pushes for and positions itself as part of a new generation of SSR practice and research.

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9781399545235

Table of Contents

Reviews

Maike Messerschmidt's book is a thoughtful, thought-provoking, and at times provocative, critical-feminist analysis of the pitfalls of security sector reform (SSR) in militarised, heteronormative, patriarchal contexts. It is an important, and immensely timely, call to take the gendered socio-political dimensions of SSR and militarism much more seriously into account.--Henri Myrttinen, University of Bremen, Germany

Author Information

Maike Messerschmidt is Lecturer and Research Associate at the Institute of Cultural Studies, University of the Bundeswehr Munich

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