Abstract The United Nations Security Council has often been identified as a key actor
responsible for the uneven trajectory of the international Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
agenda. It is, however, the Council members—who also seek to advance their national
interest at this intergovernmental forum—that are pivotal in the Council's deliberations and
shape its policies. Yet, little attention has been paid to this aspect of deliberative politics at
the Council in feminist scholarship on WPS. This article seeks to address this gap in the …

Recognizing the critique of sexual essentialism in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
agenda, this article moves beyond this familiar narrative to address the narrowness of
conflict frames that have to date been engaged by the WPS agenda. The events of 11
September 2001 brought new urgency and vibrancy to state action in the realm of
counterterrorism. This momentum was illustrated both by the response of national legal
systems and by more concerted efforts to achieve multilateral and multilevel …