ABSTRACT
Women’s experiences of violence and their security needs tend to differ significantly from those of men (Hoogensen and Rottem, 2004, p. 156). Patriarchy, which is an expression of dominant masculinism, normalizes constructed gender dichotomies. This obfuscates ways in which women experience insecurity and discrimination in society. In African contexts, gender and security issues have often been concentrated on the gendered dimensions of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction. However, much remains to be done to integrate gender more fully in peace and security issues and discussions. Former UN Secretary General Kofi A. Annan stated that ‘women still form a minority of those who participate in peace and security negotiations, and receive less attention than men in post-conflict agreements, disarmament and reconstruction’ (United Nations, 2002, p. ix). In recent times, Hendricks (2011) highlighted the need for security sector reform that will integrate gender.
