Gender Dimension and Analysis of Peace and Conflict

Gender Analysis is essential to assess and understand the structure of context, relationships, and factors of a certain topic of interest. It describes what is observed in power relations.

Sex and gender are two different things. Sex refers to the differences in biological attributes of men and women. Gender is a social and cultural construct which is learned and changeable. This construct is identified as masculinity and femininity. Arising from this construct are the gender roles expected to masculine and feminine. These gender roles are shaped by ethnicity, generation, class, and religion.

The development of gender as a field of study could be traced from its political struggle. The first wave began in the French Revolution with its declaration of the rights of man (excluding woman). Then in the 20th century, the first feminist movement in England clamored for the right of women to vote. The second wave commenced in the establishment of United Nations in 1945. The civil rights movement in the US in the 60s was also part of this. The third wave took its root in the UN international conferences on women in Mexico (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985), Vienna (1993), Beijing (1995) and other conferences and documents.

There are two differing positions in the interpretation of gender. The first one is the essentialist position. It basically views gender based on the stable and immutable qualities and underlying factors. For the essentialists, gender identity remains unchangeable. The second position is the constructionism. It views gender identity as a result of perceptions of gender rather than innate qualities.

Women are oftentimes projected as victims of conflict and violence, such as rape, domestic violence, and abduction. This may not always be so. Women can also be perpetrators and peace leaders.

Although there is now an opening up of spaces for women to participate in the public sphere, this remains limited. Representation in the public arena such as political and public domains does not guarantee an improvement in the plight of women.

If peace can not be achieved without the equal participation of men and women, then peace remains an elusive and utopian dream – almost unattainable. I think we should be careful in attaching peace to a very difficult endeavor because it will make peace a victim of our doing.