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Governing Protection, Constructing Security: UNMISS in South Sudan

Necevska, Vanessa LU (2026) SIMZ11 20261
Master of Science in Global Studies
Abstract
This thesis, informed by feminist security studies, decolonial theory, and governmentality,
critically examines how women’s security is discursively conceptualized, governed, and
operationalized within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It argues that
UNMISS protection regimes do not merely respond to pre-existing insecurity, but actively
construct women’s security through gendered, colonial, and governmental logics. While these
regimes claim to advance protection, they also reproduce narrow terms of recognizability
dependency, and epistemic marginalization. In doing so, this thesis contributes to broader debates
on peacekeeping, gender governance, and the colonial dimensions of gendered security by
illuminating... (More)
This thesis, informed by feminist security studies, decolonial theory, and governmentality,
critically examines how women’s security is discursively conceptualized, governed, and
operationalized within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It argues that
UNMISS protection regimes do not merely respond to pre-existing insecurity, but actively
construct women’s security through gendered, colonial, and governmental logics. While these
regimes claim to advance protection, they also reproduce narrow terms of recognizability
dependency, and epistemic marginalization. In doing so, this thesis contributes to broader debates
on peacekeeping, gender governance, and the colonial dimensions of gendered security by
illuminating how women’s security in the context of South Sudan is not only a matter of protection,
but also a site of governance through which power, knowledge, and intervention are organized and
legitimized. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Necevska, Vanessa LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ11 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Key words: United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), South Sudan, women’s security, peacekeeping, security governance, feminist security studies, governmentality
language
English
id
9240642
date added to LUP
2026-06-25 09:35:38
date last changed
2026-06-25 09:35:38
@misc{9240642,
  abstract     = {{This thesis, informed by feminist security studies, decolonial theory, and governmentality,
critically examines how women’s security is discursively conceptualized, governed, and
operationalized within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It argues that
UNMISS protection regimes do not merely respond to pre-existing insecurity, but actively
construct women’s security through gendered, colonial, and governmental logics. While these
regimes claim to advance protection, they also reproduce narrow terms of recognizability
dependency, and epistemic marginalization. In doing so, this thesis contributes to broader debates
on peacekeeping, gender governance, and the colonial dimensions of gendered security by
illuminating how women’s security in the context of South Sudan is not only a matter of protection,
but also a site of governance through which power, knowledge, and intervention are organized and
legitimized.}},
  author       = {{Necevska, Vanessa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Governing Protection, Constructing Security: UNMISS in South Sudan}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}