Workshop on Women and Worldview Conflict

Workshop on approaches to worldview conflicts on the status of women

For two days in mid-October, 15 professionals from various geographical and philosophical backgrounds gathered at the ETH Zürich to discuss approaches to deal with conflicts between groups with a worldview difference whose disagreement manifests around the status of women in society. Drawing on case studies from Morocco, Pakistan, Central African Republic and Afghanistan, the workshop focused on a range of key questions such as how to bridge polarization, how to enable social change within or against power structures as well as how to frame and speak about the role of women and the conflict. The participants agreed that although challenging, constructive engagement in such conflicts is possible, and that a wide range of approaches can be used. However, they all come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the workshop concluded that approaches to work in such conflicts should be respective and adapted to the context, culture and worldview.

The workshop took place within the Culture and Religion in Mediation CARIM program, a joint program between the Mediation Support Team of the Center for Security Studies CSS at ETH Zürich and the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

For further questions, please contact , CSS at ETH Zurich.