Engendering Peace in Africa: A Critical Inquiry Into Some Current Thinking on the Role of African Women in Peace-building

Abstract

Romanticised, popular concepts of womanhood and of women's peace-building  capacities need to be critically investigated. A gendered approach is recommended as a corrective to stereotyped perspectives about women and peace, as well as to gender-blind experiments. Such an approach may be found realistic and useful, not only in everyday circumstances, but especially also in war and postwar situations.  Particular attention is given to gender in post-war politics, economy and social reconstruction.