Critical analysis of the role of women and gender in security sector reform in Lesotho: a human security perspective

Abstract

Using a human security perspective, the study explores barriers to the participation of women and to the inclusion of gender issues in Lesotho’s SSR process. It also explores the gender elements that influence SSR in Lesotho. The study adopts an interpretivist research paradigm. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with women enlisted in the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), the Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS), the Deputy Commissioner of Police, LMPS Officers and the Deputy Commander of the LDF. Interview data was triangulated with secondary data from official documents and newspapers. The qualitative data was analysed thematically. Findings reveal that women played no meaningful role in Lesotho’s SSR. Their exclusion stemmed from entrenched patriarchal norms that frame security as a masculine domain, hierarchical communication practices that denied lower-ranking women access to information, and the elitist character of SSR, dominated by political and military leadership. Institutional practices further entrenched gender inequality, including gendered allocation of duties, limited promotion opportunities, and directives restricting marriage and pregnancy for female recruits. Women were largely confined to administrative or “soft” roles, while men shaped reform debates. The study finds that SSR in Lesotho is predominantly informed by a realist, state-centric conception of security that prioritises territorial integrity and regime stability. Although LMPS perspectives reflected elements of human security, reform processes remained narrowly focused, particularly on combating stock theft and reinforcing traditional symbols of protection such as the molamu stick. Broader human security concerns, including gender-based violence (GBV), structural inequality, and human rights abuses within security institutions, were insufficiently integrated into reform. Overall, SSR has not substantially aligned with a gendered human security approach that emphasises freedom from fear, freedom from want, and dignity. The study recommends depoliticisation of security institutions, gender-responsive restructuring, revision of discriminatory policies, and a reconceptualization of security that links national stability to inclusive development and women’s meaningful participation.

Ho sebelisa pono ea ts'ireletso ea batho, boithuto bo hlahloba litšitiso tsa ho kenya letsoho ha basali le ho kenyelletsa litaba tsa tekano tšebetsong ea SSR ea Lesotho. E boetse e hlahloba lintlha tsa tekano tse susumetsang SSR Lesotho. Boithuto bona bo nka paradigm ea boithuto ba botoloki. Lintlha li ile tsa bokelloa ho sebelisoa lipuisano tse sa reng letho le basali ba ngolisitsoeng Sesoleng sa Tšireletso Lesotho (LDF), Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS), Motlatsi oa Mokhomishenara oa Sepolesa, Liofisiri tsa LMPS le Motlatsi oa Molaoli oa LDF. Lintlha tsa lipuisano li ne li arotsoe ka lintlha tse tharo tse tsoang litokomaneng tsa molao le likoranteng. Lintlha tsa boleng li ile tsa hlahlojoa ka mokhoa o hlophisitsoeng. Liphuputso li senola hore basali ha ba na karolo ea bohlokoa ho SSR ea Lesotho. Ho qheleloa ka thōko ha bona ho ne ho bakoa ke litloaelo tse metseng ka metso ea bapatriareka tse thehang tšireletso e le sebaka sa banna, mekhoa ea puisano ea maemo a phahameng e neng e hanela basali ba maemong a tlaase monyetla oa ho fumana boitsebiso, le semelo sa maemo a phahameng sa SSR, se laoloang ke boetapele ba lipolotiki le sesole. Litloaelo tsa litsi li ile tsa eketsa ho se lekane ha bong, ho kenyeletsoa kabo ea mesebetsi ka bong, menyetla e fokolang ea phahamiso, le litaelo tse thibelang lenyalo le boimana ho basali ba thaopong. Basali ba ne ba lekanyelitsoe haholo mesebetsing ea tsamaiso kapa e “bonolo,” ha banna ba ne ba bōpa likhang tsa liphetoho. Liphuputso li fumane hore SSR naheng ea Lesotho e ipapisitse le maikutlo a 'nete a ts'ireletso, a etelletsang pele botšepehi ba libaka le botsitso ba puso. Leha maikutlo a LMPS a ne a bonts'a likarolo tsa ts'ireletso ea batho, lits'ebetso tsa ntlafatso li ile tsa lula li tsepamisitse maikutlo holima bosholu ba thepa le ho matlafatsa matšoao a ts'ireletso joalo ka molamu. Mathata a pharalletseng a tshireletso ya batho, ho kenyeletswa tlhekefetso ya bong (GBV), ho se lekane ha meralo, le tlhekefetso ya ditokelo tsa botho ka hara ditheo tsa tshireletso, di ne di kentswe ka mokgwa o sa lekaneng tokisong. Ka kakaretso, SSR ha e amane haholo le mokhoa oa ts'ireletso ea batho oa bong o totobatsang tokoloho tšabong, tokoloho bohloking le seriti. Boithuto bona bo khothaletsa ho tlosoa lipolotiking ha mekhatlo ea ts'ireletso, peakanyo bocha e arabelang bong, tokiso ea maano a khethollo, le ho nahana hape ka ts'ireletso e hokahanyang botsitso ba naha le nts'etsopele e kenyeletsang le ho kenya letsoho ho hoholo ha basali.

Ukusebenzisa imbono yokhuseleko lomntu, uphando luhlola imiqobo yokuthatha inxaxheba kwabasetyhini kunye nokubandakanywa kwemiba yesini kwinkqubo ye-SSR yaseLesotho. Ikwaphonononga izinto zesini eziphembelela iSSR eLesotho. Uphononongo lwamkela i-paradigm yophando yotoliko. Idatha yaqokelelwa kusetyenziswa udliwano-ndlebe olulungelelanisiweyo kunye nabasetyhini ababhaliswe kuMkhosi woKhuselo waseLesotho (LDF), iiNkonzo zamaPolisa aPhakamileyo eLesotho (LMPS), uSekela Mkomishinala wamaPolisa, amaGosa e-LMPS kunye noSekela-Mphathi we-LDF. Idatha yodliwano-ndlebe iphindwe kathathu kunye nedatha yesibini evela kumaxwebhu asemthethweni kunye namaphephandaba. Idatha esemgangathweni yacazululwa ngokwemixholo. Iziphumo zidiza ukuba abasetyhini abazange badlale indima ebalulekileyo kwiSSR yaseLesotho. Ukukhutshelwa ngaphandle kwabo kubangelwa kwizithethe ezizinzisiweyo zoosolusapho ezithi ziqinise ukhuseleko njengedomeyini yamadoda, iindlela zokunxibelelana ngokwezikhundla ezithintela abasetyhini abakwinqanaba elisezantsi ukuba bafikelele kulwazi, kunye nobume be-SSR obubalaseleyo, obulawulwa bubunkokeli bezopolitiko nomkhosi. Iinkqubo zamaziko ziye zabethelela ngakumbi ukungalingani ngokwesini, kubandakanywa ukwabiwa kwemisebenzi ngokwesini, amathuba okunyuselwa alinganiselweyo, kunye nezikhokelo ezinqanda umtshato kunye nokukhulelwa kwabasetyhini. Abasetyhini ubukhulu becala babebotshelelwe kwiindima zolawulo okanye “ezithambileyo”, ngelixa amadoda ayebumba iingxoxo zohlaziyo. Uphononongo lufumanisa ukuba i-SSR e-Lesotho isekelwe kakhulu kwingcamango yokwenene, ephakathi kwelizwe yokhuseleko ebeka phambili imfezeko yommandla kunye nokuzinza kolawulo. Nangona iimbono ze-LMPS zibonise izinto zokhuseleko lwabantu, iinkqubo zohlaziyo zahlala zigxile kakhulu, ngakumbi ekulweni ubusela bemfuyo kunye nokomeleza iisimboli zemveli zokhuseleko ezifana nentonga yemolamu. Iinkxalabo ezibanzi ngokhuseleko loluntu, kubandakanywa ubundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini (gender-based violence) (GBV), ukungalingani kwesakhiwo, kunye nokuxhatshazwa kwamalungelo oluntu kumaziko okhuseleko, adityaniswanga ngokwaneleyo kuhlaziyo. Ngokubanzi, i-SSR ayihambelani kakhulu nendlela yokhuseleko lomntu ngokwesini egxininisa inkululeko kuloyiko, inkululeko ekusweleni, kunye nesidima. Uphononongo lucebisa ukuchithwa kwezopolitiko kumaziko okhuseleko, ukulungiswa ngokutsha kwezesondo, ukuhlaziywa kwemigaqo-nkqubo yocalucalulo, kunye nokuqwalaselwa kwakhona kokhuseleko oludibanisa uzinzo lwesizwe kuphuhliso olubandakanyayo kunye nokuthatha inxaxheba okunentsingiselo yabasetyhini.