- Program：Master’s Program
- Enrollment in：April 2022
- Study Plan：Society and Communication
- Directed Research: Peace and Conflict Studies
Message
For my master’s thesis, my primary focus is to understand the correlation between context-specific adaptive peacebuilding approaches, gender-sensitive strategies, and the sustaining peace framework.
I aim to explore how adaptive approaches, which play a role in stimulating, facilitating, and supporting local agency and resilience in conflict-affected societies, can hindrances or catalysts in the integration of gender-sensitive strategies and how these factors can impact the sustaining peace framework.
In the context of my research, gender sensitivity approaches involve understanding and addressing the unique needs, experiences, and roles of women, men, and gender-diverse individuals in conflict-affected societies. It’s about acknowledging that the impact of conflict and the path to peace differ for everyone, depending on their gender.
There is plenty of evidence that shows the differentiated impact of gender-sensitive approaches in peace processes. For example, the inclusion of diverse women in peace negotiations represents an increment in inclusive policymaking in economic and social issues including education, health justice, and security. Also, when women are present, peace agreements are 64% less likely to fail.
Gender-sensitive approaches are normally designed and implemented as an “add on top” element instead of including them integrally along the development and implementation of peace processes. This results in an unresponsive approach without meaningful impact that may affect the outcomes for sustaining peace.
To address this issue, peacebuilding efforts must have a strong adaptive element, in which the decision to include gender-sensitive approaches is raised within the affected communities.
In my master’s research, my initial focus will be on analyzing conflicts, particularly in countries situated in Africa and Latin America. By undertaking this comparative approach, I aim to enrich the research by incorporating geographical, cultural, and conflict diversity, providing valuable insights into how peacebuilding strategies differ across regions. Subsequently, I will identify the challenges and successes associated with gender-sensitive approaches, emphasizing their correlation with the adaptive elements employed in the peacebuilding process.
