It’s time to change the way we talk about women in conflicts
Veiled Somali women brandish their weapons during a protest rally against U.S. draft Security Council resolution plan in Mogadishu, November 28, 2006. REUTERS/Shabelle Media
There’s a disconnect between rhetoric and reality when it comes to women’s roles in peacebuilding and development projects.
It struck me while I was working for a non-governmental organization in West Africa. Though the topic animated discussions with donors, institutional and local partners, and the international NGO network, it overlooked an important reality: Some women spurred violence, and they went unrecognized. During my time working in the Lake Chad Basin, I became aware of groups such as