Women and Conflict

This guide focuses on the particular roles, needs, and vulnerabilities of women in conflict settings so that the most appropriate interventions can be determined and initiated. The term “women” is purposefully used because the focus is on their role in environments of instability, fragility, and conflict, rather than on broader gender issues. “Gender” is used where appropriate to refer to social and cultural issues relating to female-male interactions and roles. By focusing on the roles and lives of women, the guide acknowledges that interventions are more effective and lasting when they integrate an understanding of women’s perspectives, while at the same time fostering awareness that crises of fragility and conflict can challenge and alter gender roles – often radically and rapidly.

Gender and development issues may overlap or be identical to those relating to women and conflict. Many of the key issues and best practices identified in these pages will in fact be the same as those that are useful in general development settings and/or in humanitarian/emergency responses. However, the focus here is on women’s roles in conflict situations, and the best practices for addressing them. Although women’s roles vary in every conflict, they generally fall into the following categories:

• Agents of change
• Active participants (combatants)
• Supporting participants or shields (forced or voluntary camp followers, cooks, wives, slaves, etc.)
• Victims and spoils of war
• Newly responsible care providers

These roles will be addressed throughout the guide and programmatic options will be provided accordingly. New programs are not always necessary; these options may simply be incorporated into existing programs. However, this is not always the case and opportunities to address the role of women in conflict can be lost if the surrounding issues are not acknowledged and understood.