NATO Gender Mainstreaming and the Feminist Critique of the Law of Armed Conflict

This article suggests that NATO's strategic action plan to mainstream gender issues should be analyzed through the critical lens of feminist theory in general, and the feminist critique of the law of armed conflict specifically. Although international organizations, national policies and initiatives all work toward achieving greater protection of women and girls in the course of conflict, these assorted resolutions and other instruments should not be used as a kind of 'checklist'. True gender mainstreaming requires NATO militaries, not just political leadership and civilian support staff, to engage with feminist critics in order to develop a common vocabulary around their respective gender ideologies.