| Abstract: | The present paper discusses some of the ways feminist discourse was articulated on Bougainville both during and after the secessionist war that took place on the island between 1989 and 2000. Inspired by feminist discourse, non-governmental organisations have reconfigured Bougainvillean women into newly organised spheres of influence (as moral agents, peacemakers or victims) that potentially distort the matrilineal structure of their society, which is the true source of the women's power and authority. Gender mainstreaming has become a major platform for social and political change managed by outside agencies in what is now the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. The present paper engages with current feminist debate that challenges the universal application of the concept of gender and gender mainstreaming, and especially considers the indigenous African critique in relation to matrilineal societies. |
