10a. Introduction

In this module, we will explore a number of peace movements that are gender-specific. Most of these consist primarily of women, and some are even exclusive to women. It is difficult to identify peace movements that are male specific or that have the male gender as an aspect of the issue agenda or membership.

Why is this? For starters, historically women – more than men – have been described and given roles directly related to society’s understanding of their gender identity. Of course, this is a really big topic, an entire course! However, one theme in which women are often ascribed particular characteristics is that of peace. In the past (and to a certain extent in the present), many gender theorists and peace scholars thought of women as more inclined to peacemaking than men, who are assigned characteristics that are more prone to be warlike or militaristic. Perhaps your immediate response is – I know lots of females who fight a lot, and I know lots of loving, peaceful males! And that is absolutely true. This is a never-ending debate.

But why do we have these stereotypical notions about women/peace and men/war? Some of our ideas are based on ‘essentialist’ thinking, that is, women have an essence – their social and biological nature – that leans them towards peacemaking. Mainly, this relates to their roles as mothers and as givers of life; thus, women oppose war because it takes lives. Some of the peace movements we will look at capitalize on this idea.

It also arises from perceptions of their physical and psychological differences from men – they are considered weaker, more emotional (I should emphasize this is not the course author's view, but a widely held societal perspective). Some people view this idea as problematic because it emphasizes women’s domestic roles – nurse, mother, childbearer, caregiver – and thus reinforces rigid gender identities. And conversely, suggests that because men do not give birth, they are less likely to be peaceful.

These ideas rest on rigid notions of gender binaries. In truth, and especially in the 21st century, our understanding of gender identity is neither rigid nor opposite. Rather, we think about gender as a continuum or a spectrum, with each individual somewhere in that space, and few people actually at the extreme ends of femininity and masculinity. Related to this, today we view gender as socially constructed, rather than something we are born with or that is part of our essential nature.

Another reason that women are associated with peace is that, historically, women had no political power with which to wage war, but suffered the consequences of it – loss of husbands and sons, loss of livelihood and homes, and experience of sexual violence, to name just a few impacts. Because they had little to gain from war, they were more motivated to call for peace, so the argument goes.

Women’s peace movements occurred in response to many different kinds of conflicts, and maintained ideologies, developed tactics, and created symbols that are also varied. As you are learning about these movements, think about the role that gender played as well.