The Athenian Edge: The Role of Gender Equality in Climate Security

Abstract

Athena and her brother Ares, the Greek goddess and god of war, had polar opposite definitions of victory. Athena leveraged her wisdom and resourcefulness to gain a strategic “edge” on the battlefield, shielding warriors from needless bloodshed. Ares preferred more brutal forms of violence and aggression to win his battles, often at the cost of human life. No wonder the ancient Greeks worshiped Athena, not Ares.

The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) finds over the past 60 years 40% of conflicts have been over natural resources and tend to be twice as likely to relapse. The impending climate crisis is viewed as a threat multiplier that accentuates the risk of conflict through increased scarcity of resources including energy, land, and water. Research indicates that while women form a disproportionate percentage of victims of both climate and conflict, they can also be solutions to “climate conflict” given a range of factors including their unique understanding of preserving natural resources, of strengthening a community’s social fabric across generations, and of de-escalating violence.

I coin this gendered advantage the “Athenian Edge” – Athena being the goddess of wisdom, this pays homage both (1) to the insights and lived experiences that equip women at the grassroots level to play a catalytic role as security assets and agents of climate action; and (2) to States that foster gender equality (a predictor of social dominance orientation and, by extension, likelihood to engage in interstate conflict) through their policies, practices, and institutions to demonstrate a greater capacity to build positive peace and security even in climate stressed environments.

This thesis explores the “edge” that gender equality brings to build peace and security in light of climate change. It demonstrates how nations and institutions can leverage this “edge” to create sustainable peace that is respectful of planetary boundaries, particularly over their more patriarchal counterparts that have a unidimensional focus on militarization and profit-making. Based on these insights, the thesis suggests a framework for policymakers and capital providers to operationalize the Women, Peace, and Security agenda with a view to building a more secure, sustainable world for all.