An appraisal of the unexplored power and potential of women as peace builders

Pages: 1115-1119
Divya Narang and Sarita Saini (Department of Human Development, College of Home Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana)

Women, as members of a dynamic group in society, play a crucial role in positively transforming conflict situations and in building the foundations of democratic and peaceful societies. Around the world many women are victims of cultural, direct, and structural violence. However, they rarely become carriers of that violence or perpetration rather they decide to act constructively towards building a culture of peace. But, there is limited data to back up these statements which are more rhetorical than substantive. Though a woman symbolizes essential elements of both challenges: posing at once potential threats to peace and peace building resources, yet most of the time women are underestimated as positive agents of change and key actors in peace-building. A neglect of women is short-sighted and counterproductive in terms of peace building particularly in the crucial post-harmony phase with its twin challenges of violence prevention/peace maintenance and societal reconciliation and reconstruction. Men and women may have different ways of dealing with conflict based on their ascribed societal roles. Women may be discouraged from using violence if it isn’t seen as feminine, while men may be encouraged to be violent to prove their masculinity. These cultural characteristics attributed to women like being nurturing and compassionate, makes it easier for women to learn and demonstrate peace. Because women are the central caretakers of families in many cultures, everyone suffers when women are oppressed, victimized, and excluded from peace building. Their centrality to communal life makes their inclusion in peace building indispensable and their gender identities allow them to do some forms of peace building that men cannot do. In addition, some women have found it advantageous to draw on skills, assets, and capacities that are available to them in oppressive patriarchal systems and harness these for productive use in peace building. Because women are half of every community and the tasks of peace building are so great, women and men must be partners in the process of peace building. This paper explores the unique role of women as peace-builders, illustrating their exceptional power and potential to effect social change.