ABSTRACT
The concept of gender mainstreaming has promise for the field of conflict analysis and resolution. Gendered individuals are engaged in the practice of conflict resolution, which can be effective only if the impact of gender is recognized. A gender perspective allows both women’s and men’s voices to be heard, which, in turn, makes it possible to imagine and to build a better future for all humans. We know from experience, now backed up by a growing body of literature, that sustainable peace, security, and development cannot be achieved if only one gender is included in decisionmaking processes. Swanee Hunt and Cristina Posa (2001: 38) noted that “Allowing men who plan wars to plan peace is a bad habit,” because it disregards women’s experiences and knowledge, both of which are relevant to decisionmaking processes before, during, and after war. With regard to this, the former Prime Minister of Bosnia, Haris Silajdzic, commented, “If we’d [had] women around the table, there would have been no war; women think long and hard before they send their children out to kill other people’s children” (Initiative for Inclusive Security 2006).
