Globalization is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments throughout the world (“What is Globalization?”). Affecting the environment, political and economic systems, their development, and human physical well-being in societies around the world, globalization can be considered a catalyst for global crisis. With globalization making international interactions more widespread, the threat of terrorism on developing countries is becoming a crisis for women. Women in developing countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are helpless in the face of terrorism; suffering from violence, they endure extreme suffering and are deprived of their rights. Globalization is a contributing factor to the problems created for women by terrorism in third world countries.
Although to many, globalization is seen as a positive process to induce harmony economically and integrate nations around the world, this favorable aspect is frequently questioned. A recent study reviews how globalization groups a number of factors “that capture the flows of goods, people, and ideas in combination, capturing the level of exposure to globalization along three main dimensions—economic, political, and social” (Flaten & Soysa, 2012). Contributing to political violence through the means of reducing barriers to interactions among nations and their people, globalization modernizes the growing connectedness of people nationwide. Bringing economic, political, and social modernization to poor countries puts them at a greater risk of facing political violence (i.e., terrorism, genocide/gendercide, torture).
Third world countries (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc.) face political violence on a greater scale. Coerced to modernize aspects of their society to improve it, members of those societies struggle to follow the act of globalizing their nation. This leads to their government enforcing violence to intimidate society in the pursuit of politically-charged goals. Such violence is referred to as terrorism which is defined as “the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear;” (United States Department of Defense).
Developing countries struggle economically and politically, lacking structure. The face of globalization puts members of those nations in a position where they strive to earn success in integration. Where many of those societies hold strong values and beliefs, modernization of such a society threatens to break a stable nation, leading to political violence and terrorism.
With terrorism being an act of political violence, developing nations face violence towards certain members of their society who do not agree with the means of the government or differ in values. Women in particular are targets of terrorism throughout countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc.; facing violence for valuing education, success, or earning rights in a world where they have been stripped of them. Women are bound by the chains of terrorism in these developing countries. Failure to comply with the government, or those in power leads to unimaginable punishments: rape, mutilation, beatings, and in most cases, death.
The atrocities committed against women are only justified by the “patriarchal religious and cultural frameworks” (“Journal of International Women’s Studies”) to preserve their roles in power. The “Journal of International Women’s Studies Vol. 19 No. 6”, mentions the acts of the Taliban towards women to preserve their positions in power: “They use political violence to ensure the continuity in sexual hierarchy and gender status quo. They destroyed educational institutions in general and women’s schools in particular as it symbolizes modernity and holds the promise to open new avenues for women’s empowerment.” Educational rights are only a portion of what women face from acts of terrorism. With many these countries being too poor, they fail to reach the education and gender equality targets. Recently it has been found that women and girls are being held back more; female education is not valued in many societies because they are left to complete the work at home, while the men and boys should gain skills for outside of the home (“Globalization101” 2017). Tradition and religion are strongly valued in developing nations which is a main reason as to why women are restrained from taking proper care of themselves.
Where globalization focuses on modernizing nations worldwide economically, politically, and socially by developed nations, the ability for oppression of minorities and violence to form is ignored. This ignorance has led to acts of terrorism in developing countries being used to influence order and force those members of society to give up their values and follow the values that benefit their nation as a whole (i.e., disregarding personal values to comply with those in power).
Preventing women from attaining any knowledge from receiving an education leaves women more susceptible to poor health. From a lack of services, lack of access to services, and a lack of knowledge/information on health issues, women are vulnerable to sickness. According to “Globalization101” from The Levin Institute of The State University of New York, these vulnerabilities include: “malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy complications, cervical and breast cancer, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and genital mutilation.” Women are typically the first to take care of others, yet the last to receive any care at all.
Women enduring political violence in developing countries are oppressed. They experience unimaginable pain and violence throughout their lifetimes for differing in values to those in power. They are subjected to harsh punishment for valuing education, striving to find a platform to create their own voice and equal rights to find justice in a society where they have none. An example of such violence is the story of Malala Yousafzai. Malala is a Pakistani woman who – at the age of 15 – was shot in the head on her way home from school by a gunman for the Taliban, yet survived and lived to become an advocate for peace and education for women and young girls. Her biography discusses that she had “defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education.” (Malala Yousafzai Biography) Malala was one of many girls and women who – to this day – suffered at the hands of terrorism and violence for such simple acts like receiving education.
With globalization’s ultimate goal in bringing harmony to every nation around the world economically, politically, and socially, the violence and destruction that is additionally caused by it in developing countries is undermined and often overlooked by developed countries. In these societies where men hold positions in power, the women who fight for change as “political” or “social actors” (i.e., Malala Yousafzai) have no way to use their voice. The oppressed gender minorities become marginalized and are subjected to discriminatory killings. Although globalization effectively integrates people economically, politically, and socially in certain parts of the world, the dangerous element of globalization is what contributes to the violence towards women (among other minorities) in developing countries.