Intersectional Conflict Analysis: Religion and Gender
While different aspects of identity are increasingly understood to shape diverse experiences of, and agency within conflict, religion and gender are still often treated as separate categories, argues Cora Alder in this CSS Analysis. Intersectional analysis examines gender and religion as overlapping rather than parallel categories, enabling a thorough understanding of conflict dynamics and inclusive peace programming strategies.
Twenty years after UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was passed, the international community pays significantly more attention to gender dynamics in conflict and peacebuilding. While many of the aims of the WPS Agenda remain unachieved, its focus has shifted from highlighting women’s role in conflict to looking at gender in broader terms. Gender refers to the social constructions of masculinity and femininity. Masculinity denotes the qualities, behaviors, and attitudes traditionally associated with or deemed appropriate for men; femininity for women.