“Gender and Militarism: Analyzing the Links to Strategize for Peace”
July 2-4, Cape Town, South Africa
With the 15th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 around the corner, the WPP Global Consultation will aim for a critical analysis and activism on gender and militarism – including raising awareness on the link between violent masculinities and armed conflict – in the framework of broadening the current Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and strengthening its transformative components.
The Global Consultation will focus on building bridges between different groups working on militarism & gender – from academic to grassroots level - as to come up with a comprehensive and holistic analysis. The Consultation will bring together key stakeholders to discuss and analyze the following topics:
The Global Consultation will link the following areas of work:
Contact info@womenpeacemakersprogram.org for any questions about the WPP Global Consultation.
Directly after the Global Consultation of WPP, War Resisters International will be convening a conference on "Small Actions, Big Movements: the Continuum of Nonviolence", in Cape Town, South Africa, from July 4-8. By facilitating interaction between the WPP Global Consultation and the WRI Conference mutual learning on militarism, gender and strategizing for nonviolent action will be strengthened. More information about the WRI Conference.
Following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in October 2000; UNSCR 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960 and 2122 have been passed, moving issues concerning women and armed conflict onto the international peace and security agenda. Despite these resolutions, actual implementation of the WPS agenda remains a challenge.
One gap that WPP has identified relates to the fact that the WPS agenda is often formulated and perceived as an agenda aimed at making women and women’s realities part of the existing peace and security framework. Though of utmost importance, “1325” should not go without analyzing the current peace and security framework through a critical gender lens as well. This involves looking at gender beyond a narrow focus on women, and includes integrating a masculinities perspective in the WPS agenda. Such a focus reveals UNSCR 1325’s transformational potential, whereby a feminist perspective on peace and security not only calls attention for the links between gender and militarism and its many manifestations in society; it also underlines the importance of human security and investing in alternative conflict resolution models.
WPP’s journey into this work started many years ago, and intensified during 2009-2010, when WPP decided to integrate a masculinities perspective in its work for gender-sensitive peacebuilding. This decision was informed by the fact that women activists in the WPP network indicated that two main obstacles interfered with their peace activism: Society as a whole lacking a gender-analysis of violence; and many male activists in particular lacking gender awareness and interest in gender justice issues. This confirmed for WPP that changing cultures of violence requires the empowerment of women peace activists as well as more men working with women as allies for gender-sensitive nonviolent social change.
In response, WPP organized the pilot Training of Trainers “Together for Transformation: Exploring Masculinities, Violence and Peacebuilding”. As a result of a successful pilot phase, the concept of masculinities, and how this relates to violence, war and peace, has been firmly incorporated in WPP’s activities and overall strategic focus.
During recent years, activists in our network have indicated that there is a need for critical global analysis and activism on gender and militarism – including raising awareness on the link between violent masculinities and armed conflict – in the framework of broadening the current WPS agenda and strengthening its transformative components.
