Addressing Masculinities in Peace Negotiations: An Opportunity for Gender Justice

Gender plays a fundamental role in war- and peace-making, but the opportunities to reconsider unequal gender relations in the context of peace negotiations have, so far, largely been missed. This chapter argues that peace negotiations are unique opportunities to address structural inequalities in society and the gendered dimensions of violence. In particular, the construction and performance of hegemonic masculinities and hypermasculinities cause and sustain armed conflicts, and they continue to play an influential role in post-conflict societies. While gender has unhelpfully been equated with women in dominant conflict resolution and international legal discourses, exposing and transforming masculinities in the context of peace negotiations can contribute to gender justice and to the lasting resolution of armed conflicts. This chapter further argues that it is through a critical legal-pluralistic lens that masculinities theory can inform the fruitful development and application of international legal norms in the context of peace negotiations. This shift of perspective goes beyond oversimplified binary thinking and the still dominant essentialisation of women and men as homogenous and exhaustive groups, and it has the potential of contributing to lasting, positive peace that is not characterised by the mere absence of armed violence but the manifestation of social justice.