How Women’s Participation in Armed Conflict Impact War Outcome

Posted: January 4th, 2023

How Women’s Participation in Armed Conflict Impact War Outcome

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How Women’s Participation in Armed Conflict Impact War Outcome

Annotated Bibliography

Article 1

Afshar, Haleh. 2003. “Women and Wars: Some Trajectories towards a Feminist Peace.”

            Development in Practice 13(2-3): 178-188.

The hypothesis is that Muslim women have continuously engaged in wars and struggles for peace and reconciliation for many centuries (Afshar 179). The main issue is that paper examines the various myths on why women do not take active part in wars and conflict. Afshar contends that the social perception that the woman’s place is within the home place derail their attempts to take active part in wars. The author argues that times are changing and giving more women the chance to give their views and participate in conflict resolution may provide a suitable opportunity find amicable solutions to wars and conflicts. Regarding theoretical approach,Afshar uses the inductive theoretical approach to perform the study. The strategy requires the surveyor to start by collecting relevant data that is of interest to the topic. Once enough data is gathered the researcher will focus on examining the data. The researcher examines the trends and patterns in the data, working to form a theory that could describe the patterns.

The author performs a systematic review of the available literature on the topic. The approach is effective because it allows the surveyor to give a clear and inclusive overview of the current literature on a particular topic. Also, the approach provides both the surveyor and the readers to identify possible gaps. Afshar uses the qualitative analysis method to examine and scrutinize the data. The technique largely answers the question what, why, and how. For example, it examines data on why women were sidelined from engaging in war, and what is the consequence of giving them the chance to mitigate. Besides, the analysis method describes how feminism is increasingly becoming a vital aspect in mitigating conflicts, especially if the conflict has some impact on them. The study finds that women in different parts of the world have contributed towards addressing conflicts and advocating for peace. Lebanese women authors are increasingly writing about the ways of examining and surviving conflicts without rancor. The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo in Argentina employed effective techniques to demonstrate the power of motherhood in advocating for peace and reconciliation (Afshar 187). Women in Iran, Israel, and Palestine have also made considerable strides in championing for peace during war.

Article 2

Aolain, Fionnuala. 2010. “Advancing Women’s Rights in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations.”

            American Society of International Law 104, 568-570.

The hypothesis in the article is that some international policies deter women from giving their views on mitigating social issues yet the population has the ability to give effective solutions that may promote individual and societal well-being (568). The major issue in the article is that armed conflict and wars have affected the lives of many women over the years. Many view women as the victims of such clashes, while other think that they are the perpetrators of armed conflict. Wars have also offered unique chances for women to overcome widely held social views that they cannot give solutions that benefit the entire community. Concerning the theoretical approach, Aolain chooses the analysis of secondary data as the suitable option for conducting the study. All the works provide valuable information about the subject matter, and give readers the chance to explore the topic even further. The systematic literature review provides the chance to examine applicable works on the topic, and integrate the information in a way that readers acquire a comprehensive picture of the topic. The data collector uses the qualitative data analysis method that examines the core aspects of the information based on how they appear. The analysis method explain why, how, and what happened. The study finds that women have the potential to make special contributions that may help to address conflicts if they get the opportunity and support (Aolain 570). State leaders and the society at large should borrow vital lessons from the study to allow women contribute towards decision-making now and in future.

Article 3

Brouneus, Karen. 2014. “The Women and Peace Hypothesis in Peacebuilding Settings: Attitudes

            of Women in the Wake of the Rwandan Genocide.” The University of Chicago Press

            Journals 40(1): 125-151.

Brouneus formulates three interconnected research hypothesis connecting war-related depression, PTSD, and trauma to attitudes with significance for building peace. The first hypothesis is that women exhibit higher levels of war-connected trauma events than male counterparts, and the second is that more women than men report higher levels of PTSD and depression than men. The third hypothesis is that women will display more negative perceptions towards coexistence, trust, and siting down to discuss the matter, also called the gacaca process in Rwanda. The main argument in the article is that whereas women can play important functions in promoting peace during war, they have a higher chance of developing stress, depression, and PTSD compared to men. Brouneus argue that whereas men are likely to lose their lives during warfare, women are widowed while many others become victims of sexual violence (Brouneus 132). Brouneus uses the deductive approach, which begins by formulating a social theory, and working towards testing its validity and implications with data. The theoretical approach allows the researcher to shift from a more general category to a more specific one. Brouneus performs a stratified cluster random survey study by conducting 1200 interviews using the structured survey questionnaire in four Rwandese provinces since the beginning on January 2006 (Brouneus 127). The questionnaire comprises of 112 questions separated into ten categories that comprise of background questions, questions on exposure to trauma, and several other questions. Brouneus uses the descriptive data analysis method that takes into account the past trends and the nature of the responses. In accordance with hypotheses one and two, more women than men exhibit higher effects of war-connected trauma than men, and also substantially higher rates of PTSD and depression. The study finds in line with hypothesis three that due to the levels and type of trauma women are exposed to in war, those who participate in the peacebuilding initiative would exhibit more negative perception towards the gacaca process and coexistence and show lower levels of confidence.

Article 4

Connolly, Lesley and Mincieli Laurie. 2019. “Partnerships.” Sustaining Peace in Liberia, 9-13.

            http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep19641.9

The hypothesis is thatallowing the government to work with other supportive teams provides the opportunity to address issues affecting the society. The major issue is thatstate policy and priorities require the support of all stakeholders at the community, national, regional, and international levels to achieve long-term success. All stakeholders have to serve a part in promoting peace in Liberia, particularly the national government, ECOWAS, and AU. Other groups and communities at the local level must also support these polices, but this does not seem to work put for everyone, especially for vulnerable populations such as women (Connolly and Mincieli 9). Concerning the theoretical approach,Connolly and Mincieli use the inductive method, which allows them to gather relevant data that they use to make a conclusion. The theoretical approach permits the researchers to examine various relevant literature for the study. The surveyors conduct a systematic review of the available literature to acquire the relevant information for the study. The surveyors try to use current literature to acquire relevant information for the study. The systematic literature review is appropriate in this case because it saves the time of going to the field and gathering information, which may also require other additional resources. The surveyors use the qualitative data analysis method to scrutinize the available information. The approach makes it possible to explain what partnerships with regional and sub-regional is likely to produce, and how supporting civil society groups provide the chance to enhance cohesion (Connolly and Mincieli 12). The finding is thatpowering people and providing them with equitable opportunities in various areas including youth development, health, education, and social protection empowers women and provide them with the capacity to intervene during wars and conflicts. It becomes easier to promote a strong and cohesive society where peace prevails.

Article 5

Gbowee, Leymah. 2019. “When women Stand Together as One.” Journal of International

            Affairs 72(2): 13-18.

The hypothesis is thatthe peace initiative initiated by women in Liberia to suppress the adverse effects of the civil war succeeded despite the hurdles the group experienced in its attempts to promote peace.  The major issue is that Gbowee describes the attempts by women and women’s groups to make their views heard in advocating for peace during the civil war in Liberia that lasted for 14 years, from 1989 to 2003. Many women got the chance to promote peace prior to the 1997 general elections, but this changed once Charles Taylor assumed presidency in 1997. Despite several challenges, the attempts by women to promote peace in Liberia bore significant outcome. Gbowee uses the abductive the theoretical approach, which seeks to explain particular observations, facts, or issues identified at the beginning of the article. The author uses the qualitative approach to present the theoretical approach, which makes it easier for readers to comprehend the content. The author performs a secondary data analysis to acquire relevant information and to avail necessary information. He examines articles that he feels present relevant information, and his findings help to understand the role of women in advocating for peace during the civil unrest. The approach is effective because it does not require the author to engage in fieldwork research, which usually takes time and requires more resources. Gbowee uses descriptive analysis to analyze the collected information. The approach takes into account the historical information, key performance indicators (KPIs), and describe the outcome depending on particular benchmark. The finding is thatdespite the dissimilarities in political, social, and economic structures, the women’s peace movement in Liberia succeeded because they were embedded in the priorities and experiences of women. The primary reason for the success was the contextualization of their approaches.

Article 6

Issifu, Abdul. 2015. “The Role of African Women in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: The Case of

            Rwanda.” The Journal of Pan African Studies 8(9): 63-78.

The hypothesis is thatempowering women and supporting them financially through international donors such as the European Union, the African Union, and the United Nations put them at a better position to advocate for peace during turbulent times. The major issue is thatdespite the repeated attempts by the UN Security Council Resolution to protect the equal rights of women in their engagement in peacebuilding, millions of children and women in the African continent continue to account for the largest population of casualties in discrimination, marginalization, and hostilities. The theoretical approach is thatthe paper uses the analysis of secondary data as the primary theoretical approach. The methodology is favorable because it is an economical design, and because it is easy to retrieve already published information, especially is one uses the Internet. More fundamentally, the strategy provides the chance to acquire more awareness of the problem when one goes through the various works. The researcher performs a systematic review of available literature by examining a broad range of occasional papers, magazines, reviewed theses, textbooks, reports from international development groups and NGOs, and journals. Mostly, the surveyor used online publications, which are now the most convenient approach for collecting data. Nonetheless, the demerits of relying entirely on the internet, is designing searches that will give the most appropriate findings. The researcher utilizes the descriptive data analysis method to assess the literature. The approach allows the surveyor to describe how the Rwanda genocide affected both men and women, and how the latter came together facilitate the maintenance of law and order. The finding in the study is that the UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security have acknowledged the importance of women’s encounter in conflict to its security mandate and peace (Issifu 72). Thus, advocating for women’s rights in conflict resolution and promoting peace is among the top priority of the Council.  

Article 7

Izabiliza, Jeanne. 2005. “The Role of Women in Reconstruction: Experience of Rwanda.” Paper

            presented at Consultation on Empowering women in the Great Lakes Region: Violence,

            Peace and Women’s Leadership, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 May-1 June.

The hypothesis is thatthe contribution of women in peace construction and reconciliation initiatives can become most operational by enhancing their contribution in decision-making and in the application of policies at various levels (Izabiliza 2). The major issuein the paper is thatwomen have historically taken insufficient part in decision-making and politics in Rwanda, but this has changed over the years. In the past few decades women have proved themselves to be exceptional leaders at the community level and at the policy level. Providing women with the chance to address conflicts and empowering them provides them with the chance to be part of addressing the matter. The researcher uses the mixed method approach to perform the study. The approach allows the surveyor to use both qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches within a single study. The surveyor uses the case study method by examining the 1994 Rwanda genocide and its consequences on both women and men. The study examines how the war transformed many widows and sexually violated women into campaigners of peace. The surveyor uses statistical methods to examine quantitative data. The study uses the descriptive data analysis method to examine the data. The approach makes it possible to assess the extent of the genocide, and its impact on women’s participation in advocating for peace and harmony in the context of war. The Finding is that the driving factor behind the prosperity of women’s addition to reconstruction and peace building processes is a result of dedicated leadership at various stages and the dedication people put to overcome war.  

Article 8

Krause, Jana, Krause Werner, and Branfors Pila. 2018. “Women’s Participation in Peace

            Negotiations and the Durability of Peace.” International Interactions, 44(6): 985-1016.

The hypothesis is thatwomen’s engagement as signatories to peace negotiations and processes enable them to create and foster connections to women civil groups with robust linkages to the grassroots level. The major issue is that the increasingly emerging trends suggest that women’s engagement in peace talks promotes the durability and quality of peace after a war. Nonetheless, to date, women’s participation still experience considerable hurdles. The theoretical approach is thatthe study uses both qualitative and quantitative techniques to gather and examine data. The approach requires the surveyors to understand how both concepts work to achieve the best results. The researchers used a mixed approach that permits them to combine qualitative and quantitative analysis in a three-phase process. The dependent variable in the study is the robustness of peace, while the independent variable is the women’s signatories to peace pacts. The control variables in the study falls into three different categories. The mixed approach makes it possible to examine how quantitative data relate with theoretical information. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods that allows the examiner to assess the theoretical aspects of the data as well as the statistical features that are measured in terms of numbers. The results indicate that women’s engagement in peace negotiations and reconciliation advance the durability and nature of peace. 

Article 9

Weah, Aaron. 2018. “Building Networks for Peace in Liberia.” Local Networks for Peace, pp.

            47-54. http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep19651.9

The hypothesis is that providing women with the chance to address conflicts and war provide the opportunity to acquire more insight into dealing with the menace. Weah argues that the contributions to building peace and reconciliation networks in Liberia’s postwar remains unexplored and underreported. Even though organizations such as the Security Sector Reform Working Group (SSRWG), the Liberia Early Warning and Response Network (LERN), and the Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) played key roles in creating a peaceful postwar Liberia, women played essential functions in promoting peaceful coexistence. Women came together under the Peace Huts initiatives where they held forums and discussed the tribulations they face as females and as a country during war, and to find appropriate solutions. The theoretical approachWeah chooses is the inductive approach where he begins from wider perception and moves towards forming a unified view. Data from various scholarly works help to construct a conclusion that help to respond to the research question. The researcher uses the mixed methods approach by performing a secondary data analysis, and conducting a case study of the SSRWG. The methodology provides relevant information that suit the research question (Weah 48). The scholar uses the qualitative analysis method to analyze the data and comprehend its meanings and contents. The design helps to understand how women got the opportunity to engage in reconciliatory processes, and what they did to help Liberia reconstruct a peaceful society. The study finds that creating a peaceful society after a warring incident requires incorporation of various stakeholders with their networks. Engaging various parties and networks may include empowering women to be active participants in resolving conflict.

Article 10

Wilen, Nina. 2019. “It’s Time to Build a Gender-Just Peace: Here is How.” Africa Policy Brief,

            2, 1-9.

The hypothesis is thatincreasing how women take part in peace-building missions, peace negotiations, and peacekeeping missions, and overcoming the factors that encourage marginalization increase the chances of addressing conflicts and wars such as those witnessed in different parts of the world. Wilen claims that the past few decades have in many aspects been an era where the roles of women in maintaining peace and conflicting issues have attained the needed attention in both policy and academic realms. Yet, while the application of the resolution 1325 also heightened aspirations for more peace-building and gender-equal peace-developing, these objectives have not materialized. The theoretical approachis that the paper examines secondary data to acquire relevant information. The researcher identifies the most suitable literature before examining the various aspects that help to understand the research question. Wilen conducts a systematic literature review of available research to gather the relevant information. The technique allows the researcher to compare data before identifying the one that suits the study. The researcher uses the descriptive data analysis method to examine the nature of the collected data. For example, the analysis method helps to understand how improving women’s socioeconomic status as advocated for by feminist political economist provide the opportunity to acquire better insight into addressing conflicts and wars. The study highlights the importance of facilitating structural reforms to bring to a halt the problem of domestic violence and social discrimination, and instead focus on educating them and bettering their welfare. Moreover, allowing women to participate in matters that impact on the society provides the chance to advance gender equality and makes it possible to find amicable solutions to conflicting issues.

Problem Statement

Many societies usually disregard women and deny them the opportunity to take part in major decision-making processes that may impact on the entire community or society. However, researches and the examination of various contexts reveals that indulging women may provide the chance to find appropriate solutions to the problem. Women has so far helped to establish peace and reconciliation in war-torn countries such as Rwanda and Liberia. The hypothesis in the study is that the more women get the chance to participate in peace-making ventures the more the processes are likely to produce the desirable outcome in the way the society will become more peaceful and everyone would coexist in harmony. The society should overcome the perception that the woman’s place is at home where they perform house chores and other domestic functions. People, especially men should acknowledge that women have the capacity to provide appropriate solutions at a time of war and are equally strategic in their own way. However, it becomes easier to engage women in decision-making practices during war if they get the chance to learn and work in various sectors where they gain experience. Governments learn the importance of creating awareness on the need to empower women to create a society where individuals from both genders take active roles in creating an environment that is peaceful and habitable for everyone. Overall, men may be physically stronger than females, but that does not deprive women the power to use their intellectual reasoning to find amicable solutions to wars and conflicts. Therefore, current societies should learn from past incidences with regard to women’s indulgence in peace and reconciliation practices, and provide them with more avenues to contribute towards addressing conflict. 

Bibliography

Afshar, Haleh. 2003. “Women and Wars: Some Trajectories towards a Feminist Peace.”

            Development in Practice 13(2-3): 178-188.

Aolain, Fionnuala. 2010. “Advancing Women’s Rights in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations.”

            American Society of International Law 104, 568-570.

Brouneus, Karen. 2014. “The Women and Peace Hypothesis in Peacebuilding Settings: Attitudes

            of Women in the Wake of the Rwandan Genocide.” The University of Chicago Press

            Journals 40(1): 125-151.

Connolly, Lesley and Mincieli Laurie. 2019. “Partnerships.” Sustaining Peace in Liberia, 9-13.

            http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep19641.9

Gbowee, Leymah. 2019. “When women Stand Together as One.” Journal of International

            Affairs 72(2): 13-18.

Issifu, Abdul. 2015. “The Role of African Women in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: The Case of

            Rwanda.” The Journal of Pan African Studies 8(9): 63-78.

Izabiliza, Jeanne. 2005. “The Role of Women in Reconstruction: Experience of Rwanda.” Paper

            presented at Consultation on Empowering women in the Great Lakes Region: Violence,

            Peace and Women’s Leadership, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 May-1 June.

Krause, Jana, Krause Werner, and Branfors Pila. 2018. “Women’s Participation in Peace

            Negotiations and the Durability of Peace.” International Interactions, 44(6): 985-1016.

Weah, Aaron. 2018. “Building Networks for Peace in Liberia.” Local Networks for Peace, pp.

            47-54. http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep19651.9

Wilen, Nina. 2019. “It’s Time to Build a Gender-Just Peace: Here is How.” Africa Policy Brief,

            2, 1-9.