Navigating Gender, Conflict and International Intervention in Post-2003 Iraq: Iraqi Women’s Civil Society Organisations and Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding

This thesis examines the role of women’s civil society participation in building peace and security in Iraq. It combines feminist political economy analysis and a ‘politics of scale’ approach to explore the contexts of women’s participation. Since 2003 Iraqi women have mobilised in response to heightened levels of violence and new opportunities for participation. Drawing on interviews and primary documents to analyse women’s advocacy, the thesis argues that Iraqi women are strategic agents rather than passive recipients of international frameworks and funding. Women’s civil society participation has been crucial for addressing women's insecurity in local, national and global sites.