GEnder perspectives in peace initiatives: opportunities and challenges

Women as participants and victims of conflict

By: Chhabra, S , 2006
Via: Eldis

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.