| Abstract: | Protracted, armed, intranational conflict thrives in many spots and regions around the world. Much of the gender and development literature on armed conflict implies that men control decision-making relating to armed conflict and that the fighting itself is an exclusively male domain. Women are perceived and portrayed as the victims of violence, yet ensure survival and continuity in post-conflict situations. However, this depiction seriously oversimplifies men's and women's roles. As relief and development agencies attempt to address the dynamics of organized violence and protracted conflicts which increasingly impede or confuse their work, gender analysis and policy will need to be re-examined and widened to include the issue of male gender identity. The complexity of conflict, gender and armed conflict, reasons for participation in conflict, conflict and contests in constructing masculinity, subverting the warrior discourse, and restructuring masculinity are discussed. |
