Protecting Women to Protect the World? : A critical examination of the `Women and Peace´ thesis through process tracing in the case of Kenya

Abstract: Despite the number of decades dedicated to research the causes of conflict, an answer has yet to be found. The theoretical discussions to date have in large been blind to the implications of gender. However in 2009, in spite of gender’s general dismissal as ultimate cause, five professors joined together and formulated the ‘Women and Peace’ thesis. It argues, with the statistical significance to show, that women’s physical security greatly effects state security. To explain how women’s physical security affects state security the ‘Women and Peace’ thesis use, amongst other theories, the controversial choice of evolutionary biology and psychology. The purpose and aim of this study has its point of departure within that choice; it aims to critically examine the statements of the ‘Women and Peace' thesis that are based in evolutionary biology and psychology, and social learning theory. It has done so by conducting a process tracing in the case of Kenya, with the help of a theoretical framework derived from segments of the ‘Women and Peace’ thesis. The findings in this study represents a first step towards the essential empirical research for it to be possible to decide wether there is causality and not just covariation behind the statistical significance presented in the 2009-study. In this case, the findings largely corroborate the initial skepticism towards evolutionary theory, while also concluding that social learning theory shows signs of having some explanatory power to it. This study argues that, if found to be empirically accurate, the results of the ‘Women and Peace’ thesis have the potential to completely change the universal strategies used for peacebuilding today. Therefore this study argues that it should not be dismissed, but developed to a state where it is less dependent of evolutionary theory due to its issues with measurement and causality.