Understanding Peace from a Gendered Perspective

Peace, in general terms, refers to a state of tranquillity in which people live in harmony. In other words, people residing as a cohesive unit respecting other people’s freedom is the meaning of peace. But, the definition of peace varies from person to person as people believe that the definition is far more than the absence of war and living in harmony.

Peace is necessary for a society to function efficiently as the levels of trust, inclusiveness, and cooperation can be achieved through it. In the long run, peace ultimately leads to the formation of a civilized society. 

There is a notion known as the Philosophy of peace which implies that every person must regard others as ends in themselves and thus not engage in violence towards other people. The Philosophy of Peace education is understood to be an encouraging commitment towards peace in settling disposition and enhancing the confidence of the individual as an agent for peace.

But as we try to understand peace from the perspective of gender, the processes of peacebuilding appear to be gendered. Gender is thought to be an important consideration for peace education. One of the most important reasons for this consideration includes women’s empowerment, as well as equality, being quite essential for the achievement of sustainable peace.  The time has come to recognize the potential of women as peacebuilders and to promote their inclusion in the processes of peacemaking.  The violence taking place against women should be eliminated by making people aware through education. Also, the issues of gender inequalities and discrimination against women must be raised in all spheres to ensure that they get recognized and addressed as well. 

(Source: New Indian Express)

Women as peacebuilders are quite effective both within the individual and group capacity. Their capacity as peacemakers should be recognized and promoted in governments, non-profit organizations, international relations, and in the classroom as well. This is because they are rarely given any credit even after fulfilling the purposes of being the backbone of peace organizations. At the same time, the notion of women being the peacemakers and men being the aggressors is not justified. This is because a person might be angry or calm irrespective of their gender. In other words, it is a mistake to understand human emotion as being gendered.

  

The participation of women should not only be seen in terms of being the victims of war and conflict situations but as women playing a proactive role in the process of peace negotiations along with peacebuilding by being at the forefront of peace efforts around the world. Men have always been seen as being capable of acting as active agents within the circle of power while women act merely as supporters. Therefore, reformation of this thinking is the need of the hour. 

 

Women as victims in conflict situations have suffered a lot. This is because they become easy targets of attack, resulting in the breakdown of families which further leads to social instability. This has been quite evident during the partition which took place immediately after India’s independence. There was a massacre as a result of the division. But the worst sufferers comprise the women and children. They became easy targets to be attacked as they appeared to be vulnerable, which resulted in health issues as well. Thus, the problems which women face during wars include rape, sexual and physical violence, displacement, health problems, etc. 

But the role of women as actors in conflict situations is completely different. They are at the forefront of peace efforts around the world. Women have been quite prominent in the peacebuilding processes even though their role has not always been based on gender. They have always made important contributions in attempting to resolve conflicts both individually as well as collectively. But, as women are thought to be unaware of the formal issues of conflict, their contributions are often overlooked. 

It is believed that women appear to have a more holistic approach to peace in comparison with men. This is because they consider the greatest interests of society while participating in peace negotiations and in structuring peace agreements. But, in the case of men, they are more inclined towards holding power in the cabinet than keeping the interests of people in mind. 

 

For women, the attainment of peace is not the absence of war as they have been still facing gender discrimination. They are being exploited in several ways as sexual slaves during conflicts in refugee camps by the armed forces, police, etc. 

Gender-based violence is still practiced in our society, which can be directed against both men and women. But, the kinds of violence faced by women have undermined their self-esteem as well as self-worth. Apart from being physically hurt, it also hurts their emotions which might lead to the arousal of suicidal thoughts, a depressed state of mind, etc. Any kind of violence is associated with power and inequalities between men and women.

To ensure the security and stability of our country, gender equality is of utmost importance. It is an essential factor that can lead to conflict resolution. Treating both genders equally is the most important step in the achievement of peace, which is possible through the elimination of inequalities present between them. Inclusion of both men and women will make policies respond more effectively to the needs of society. Gender mainstreaming has become one of the most recognized ways of achieving peace in societies. The involvement of all genders in the peacemaking processes is quite essential to sustain peace as it will provide both men and women the opportunity to get themselves heard.

Instead of overlooking the contributions of women in resolving conflicts, they should be acknowledged as they play important roles to achieve sustainable peace. This doesn’t mean neglecting the roles of men, but giving equal respect to both genders will result in the attainment of peace. 

Written by: Angshumita Borthakur