International Norm Conflict and the Women, Peace, and Security Transnational Network

Abstract This chapter develops a feminist pragmatist approach to promote the voice and agency of marginalized actors in international politics. The United Nations Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda has emerged over the past decades as a transnational network that aims to support women’s peacemaking and to elevate women’s agency in powerful national and international forums tasked with resolving armed conflict and violence. This WPS transnational network is committed to gender justice, inclusive deliberation, and holding institutions and elites accountable to those most affected by conflict and violence but who are frequently excluded from decision-making about them. The chapter presents the case of Afghanistan since the US withdrawal as a real-world test case for the WPS network. It explores the norm conflict regarding human rights and gender equality and responses to it (both contesting and validating norms) intensified by Taliban governance since August 2021. The chapter shows that the strategy of constructive diplomatic engagement with the Taliban has not worked to resolve the norm conflict nor to improve the humanitarian situation for the citizens of Afghanistan. It argues for a feminist pragmatist approach to navigating norm conflict through transnational networks connecting local and global actors committed to women’s security and rights.