A largely unexplored topic in the study of peace research is the unique role played by women in peacebuilding. This study has attempted to place women peace activists in the context of peace building and the challenges they face.
Aims of the study
This research paper aims to give a proof to the women who lead their lives that contribute to world peace. In writing this research article, it is hoped that the experiences of the women peace activists will highlight the significant contribution that women have made in the struggle for peace.
Conclusion
Introduction
Women in South Africa faced the reluctance of some to accept them as equal partners. 34;What is peace?” asks Thandi Modiser, chairman of the Defense Select Committee in South Africa.
What is Peace?
When trying to define peace activism, it is essential to explore the common understanding of the concept of peace. Duties to self, to family, to country and to the world do not.
Types of Violence and Non-violence
Sharp (1973, p. 63) argues that nonviolent action is a withdrawal of consent by subjects: People do not always do what they are told, but sometimes they do things that they have been forbidden to do. Galtung's study of three types of violence is the basis for researching responses to violence. This violence is hidden in the sense that it is socially sanctioned or ignored, causing victims of violence to be disbelieved or devalued.
In examining peace through the lens of the history of war and conflict, it is equally valid to examine peace through the lens of the history of the absence of war, conflict, and disease. Nonviolent activists seem to be concerned with the positive nature of power and its application to useful ends, rather than a wholesale rejection of power. The core of nonviolent theory and activism is based on an analysis of how power should be used positively.
Vigilance about the congruence between means and ends is a constant task of nonviolent activists. A peace activist acts according to a moral code in a nonviolent manner by speaking the truth, dealing with conflict, respecting others, and seeking social justice for all.
Conflict Management Activities
Peacemaking compliments all the other elements of conflict management because peace is the most important attribute in all phases of the process. Peacekeeping refers to the deployment and interaction between military and civilian components and is centered around the protection of civilians. provision of basic necessities; the reconstruction of social and political institutions; and organizing and monitoring elections. However, the way in which women are involved will depend on the cultures, religions and traditions of the societies in conflict.
Njiro (2002), states that African women produce over 70 percent of the continent's food, manage the continent's natural resources, nurture, care and provide knowledge capable of securing livelihoods from fragile ecosystems. For the surviving women in Rwanda, not only was life itself violated, but the foundations of the society they once knew were destroyed. Each of us must contribute to reconciliation and peace in our communities.
Resistance to women's participation in peace negotiations is evident across regions and sectors of society, and through various stages of the transition process. Women are not necessarily better connected to the grassroots or more committed to conveying the concerns of marginalized people.
Women and Peace building in South Africa
The role of women in the struggle for peace
Women and men have different susceptibility to different environmental hazards, but women are further challenged by unequal opportunities to protect and promote their health. The institute's regulation that women occupy half of the seats on water committees has been widely accepted and implemented, but formal participation has not been followed by real commitment. Women's participation in water committees has undoubtedly brought some progress in rural areas.
Women on these committees were not free to express their opinions or participate in decision-making. The Mvula study concluded that women's participation in water committees is pure 'tokenism', has no effect on the decisions made by these committees, and is not empowering (The Mvula Trust study from 1998; cited in Hemson, 2002) . Men overwhelmingly support the idea of women's participation and empowerment in the new political climate.
Moser (cited in Hernson, 2002, p. 31) argues that women have the right to participate in projects that have a profound impact on their lives, so that their participation can make a difference. It is not without significance that this would also help in building civil society and consolidating the democratic order in all relevant areas.
Qualitative Approach
The Selection of Participants
The Research Instrument
Data Collection Process
The interviewer met with each of the peace activists in their homes or workplaces. The researcher had the core questions on the interview schedule, but the interview was guided by the schedule rather than the predetermined questions. The participant felt free to present an issue that the researcher had not considered and was given the maximum opportunity to tell her story.
Respondents spent a lot of time 'telling their stories' to illustrate or clarify the answers to the questions asked. Due to the interview situation (office or home), some recordings were distorted due to loud traffic noises. The researcher tried to assess the social life of the individual and his whole background, experiences, roles and motivations as peace activists.
The researcher managed to capture the stress, concerns and anxieties experienced by female peace activists. The researcher was impressed by the extraordinary way in which the peace activists were willing to reveal their experiences in peace work with confidence.
Introduction
Two stated that they were detained and interrogated during the war for their role as peace-building activists. Although women's role in peacebuilding is internationally recognized, the gendered significance of peacebuilding is poorly understood. This research was conducted to learn from a diverse group of women from Durban what peacebuilding means to them.
The participants described peacebuilding in terms of prevention, being proactive, problem solving, meeting human needs and ending oppression and inequality. The participants said that they had to recognize as part of their self-identities that "what I do is peace building". They realize that they have too often been kept in the background and not sufficiently recognized in peacebuilding activities.
Further, participants felt that women should support, challenge and trust each other in their peacebuilding work. Participants realized that their peacebuilding initiatives were marginalized because they lack power and voice, and that what they do is often distinct but just as important as what men do to build peace.
Conclusion
Lessons Learnt
Peace building and Women Activists
If people do not trust each other and lack confidence in the government and the reconstruction process in general, then the best reconstruction strategies are likely to fail. In writing this research paper, the actions and lives of ten peace activists who have given their lives to peace work are validated so that future activists can learn from those who have gone before. It is evident from the lives of the interviewed peace activists that they were not afraid to disobey the government and the law in order to speak their truth.
Respect is essential even in the most difficult situations, such as tense moments during demonstrations, when police action can be harsh. Countless events where women peace activists had to face significant conflicts, including one participant who was placed under house arrest and her son killed during political unrest. Participants in this study see men and women as having dual roles in the private and public spheres, but men still dominate the public spheres.
One participant stated that the idea of war is fundamentally patriarchal and that world solutions must be found in the hands of women. For women to be seen as a force to be reckoned with, a common force, platforms must be created so that women can come together and raise their voices amidst the multitude of male voices.
Recommendations
They must rise up, ignore the differences that divide them and work to strengthen the values that unite them (Anderlini, 2000). Arguments for the inclusion of women as peace activists must clearly recognize the reality that not all women who reach positions of power are active advocates of women's issues and rights. Ways must be sought to build a critical mass of transformational leaders of both men and women, who place the goals of social justice and gender equality at the heart of their political motivations (Norment, 1994).
Government should ensure that; all issues related to women are included in all policies and programs and that more women are appointed to decision-making positions. Women NGOs should acquire the skills to assume leadership positions and make persistent efforts to stay in touch with them. They must also obtain information about peace and disseminate it to all sectors of their communities.
Conclusion
It was not just because they were women, but because they saw it as their right. You have been involved in peace work for a number of years, what factors have sustained your work for peace over time. What were the main obstacles and challenges you faced in your work for peace.
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