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This paper analyses the issue of women and conflicts. It looks at of
women as victims of violence, and also as active participants in wars and
conflict situations. The author also points out that women’s issues and
rights are usually ignored in conflict situations, and in the context of
post-conflict rebuilding of peace.
The paper highlights several challenges to incorporating a gender
perspective in peace operations, including the following:
- because women are usually viewed in the peace as victims of war and
conflict, they are often overlooked as active participants in the
process of peace negotiations, peace building and post conflict
activities
- women lack the organisational force to have strategic plans to
address the current situation of the country as also to present their
plans in peace process
- women and gender issues have generally been excluded from
discussions and interventions for conflict and peace, as these are seen
as predominantly male domains
- the contributions of women are often overlooked because they are
non-traditional or outside the formal issues of the conflict.
The paper concludes by listing some opportunities for reflecting a
gender perspective in the peace process. They include:
- women’s peace activism encompasses concerns for food security,
access to their land, forest, water and other resources, and therefore
contribute to justice and human security
- numerous studies have noted that gender roles change in various ways
during armed conflicts and that this can entail positive potential for
social changes in gender relations
- women peace negotiators understand and articulate the implications
of peace processes for women better than male negotiators.
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