How to navigate as a female in male-dominated sectors within high-risk environments? Both opportunities and complexities involved go beyond just the male-female dynamic or broad cultural differences. It is crucial to consider a broader spectrum of factors that influence these dynamics.
Woman’s career in high-risk environments – not accepted by all
I was born into a family of war veterans, where the equality and value of female contributions were highly appreciated and a no-brainer! My grandparents experienced wartime, where females did the heavy lifting to keep their farm and family running while men fought on the frontline. However, venturing into an unconventional legal career path in fragile states and working as a Nordic white woman and a mother in high-risk environments didn’t surprisingly resonate like a liberal act but faced an enormous amount of bewilderment. Not only abroad but also on the domestic front. Some considered it almost the opposite – a lack of other options, or a desire to experience some unhealthy adrenaline rush to balance the mundanity of family life. And this doubt – even criticism – did not originate from men.
Even though my career decisions have never depended on the acceptance of other people (other than my family), I felt relief that there were also balancing views. Those who embraced the example of a female, and particularly a mom, being in a position to chase her dreams and setting an example not only for other females but for children too. But definitely, I received a reality check that having formally equal opportunities did not automatically sign me up for the full acceptance of society.
The concept of gender equality and women’s participation is culturally driven and deeply imprinted in societal norms. However, the Western way of advocating gender equality is quite accepted in its simplicity, and little has been discussed about the impact of personal experiences, values and family origins as drivers of biases. Those live and flourish – also on the female side. I was slammed by an unnamed senior gender expert when I suggested she takes into consideration the broader and more diverse views in order not to alienate men from equality discussions. Perhaps her understanding of gender equality was different as she bluntly said that I seemed to be suggesting protecting the rights of “white privileged middle-aged men.” I simply answered, “Yes, should they need it.” Our discussion ended there. She must have felt that I was naïve and stupid. I indeed felt stupid, but not naive.
Women often assume roles considered anomalies in hierarchical organisations
My experience working in a male-dominated security sector and being deeply connected to the tight hierarchy of command and control have broadened my horizon on how differently gender equality advocacy is approached by individuals. Sometimes the discrepancy between females and males, especially in hierarchical structures such as missions, can originate from men having a background in organizations where command and control dominate. In those organisations, laterally moving advisors may be considered anomalies, and that person being a woman can cast some unnecessary biased thinking of why and how she can use that leverage. On the other hand, females also tend to be highly alert to their rareness in structures/missions like this, leading often to the feeling of the need to fight for credibility and a place in the male groups. Often even toughening their behavior to avoid appearing weak. Working in compounds, surrounded by A-type males, is a testosterone bath for females too, whether they want it or not.
The question remains, how does this bias and polarization impact the promotion of gender equality in fragile contexts, if at all? Or is it easier to address gender equality when the fundamental rights of females are in question, but getting more diverse and difficult when advanced forms of gender equality in one’s own “backyard” are discussed, tapping then perhaps into more deeply rooted values, experiences, hopes, and dreams?
A mother working abroad is also a stranger in the field
I highly doubt that there would be even in the most advanced societies 100% commonly shared views between individuals about gender equality and participation in practice. We all are so wired by our own experiences, environment, values, and beliefs. This diversity needs to be accepted also when working in fragile and developing countries. Promoting women’s rights and participation as an educated Western white woman does not necessarily mean the automatic acceptance and role model status for local women. On the contrary, it can present a very distant, even utopian example, especially when breaking the news of having kids at home.
Human beings are unique individuals, not just men or women
To summarize, the impact of everyone’s values, experiences, and family origins shapes our thinking, even more than broad cultural differences or male-female dynamics. Promoting equality requires therefore also understanding of one’s own biases. My bias is my value proposition, developed and imprinted by my grandparents with their experiences. Those experiences and my upbringing have shaped me to strongly believe that all human capabilities and capacities are unique, and one should not be defined, judged or minimized simply because of the difference in the number of x chromosomes. Whether this bias is good or bad, depends heavily on how aware I am of it. And writing it down in this blog is a very good way of recognizing my core drivers.
Pia Horttanainen Croxford
The author is an entrepreneur with experience as a legal expert, counsellor, and advisor across the public and private sectors. With extensive field missions in high-risk environments, like Afghanistan and Somalia, she specializes in legal and security sector reform, capacity building, and civilian crisis management. She is also a member of the Nordic Women Mediators Finland–network.
