Women in peace and international security in Argentina: The case of women scientists in the navy (1981–2016)

Abstract

Abstract: While the first women scientists joined the Argentine Navy in 1981, women scientists in Argentina are still under-represented in leadership positions. This paper assesses how the Argentine Navy has established mechanisms to promote women officers by affording them equal participation, training and full involvement at decision-making levels related to the maintenance of peace and international security, the influence the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security had in these officers’ promotion, and the contribution of these Argentine women scientists to peace and international security. It concludes that there is no evidence that neither Resolution 1325 nor the Argentine National Action Plan for the implementation of the resolution had any bearing on these women officers’ careers. They reached leadership positions in the same proportion as their male peers did (around 10 %) in the Navy and at the same percentage of civilian women scientists.