Gender is a social construct and is part of the broader socio-cultural context. It implies different roles, behaviours, norms, and traits assigned to women, men, and gender-diverse groups in a society. Gender is hierarchical in most societies and produces political, social, and economic differences and inequalities. It intersects with other protected characteristics such as age, disability, ethnic or social origin, gender identity, religion, and sexual orientation. Women, men, and gender-diverse groups have different interests, needs, and priorities that need to be taken into consideration as a part of any intervention, including civilian protection efforts.
Taking decisions and tailoring interventions based on the needs of the dominant group in society or those who have traditionally been decision-makers have direct consequences. This means that the needs and interests of more than half of the population are disregarded, which leads to inappropriate and inadequate solutions without serving all individuals equally.
Protection of civilians extends to all civilians of the local population. To adequately respond to different threats they face requires a nuanced understanding of the full range of threats. This includes how gender shapes the vulnerabilities of individuals and their capacities to respond to these threats. A gendered approach also includes recognizing the different roles different genders play in peace and conflict.
- Women and girls are disproportionally affected by conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and in 2021, women and girls accounted for 97% of the 3 293 reported cases of CRSV from across 18 countries designated as conflict-settings, post-conflict situations and situations of concern.
- Women’s and girls’ security issues and needs in most cases are not addressed beyond CRSV, and they face protection risks that extend well beyond CRSV. These risks include threats and attacks against women political leaders, media personnel and human rights defenders, abduction and forced early marriage and enforcement of dress codes and restriction of movement. In 2021, 29 cases of killings of women human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists were verified in 8 conflict-affected countries.
- Women are underrepresented at all decision-making levels in national, regional, and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict. Between 1992 and 2019, women were, on average, 13% of negotiators, 6% of mediators, and 6% of signatories in major peace processes worldwide, and about seven out of every ten peace processes did not include any women mediators or women signatories. In 2021, in conflict-affected and post-conflict countries, women’s representation in parliament was around 21%, in same countries women accounted for 18% of ministers, and held 22% of elected seats in local deliberative bodies. In 2021, 8 out of 25 peace agreements included provisions referencing women, girls, and gender.
Conflict affects people of different genders differently. A gendered approach to POC is needed to respond to different groups’ security needs. Without taking gender perspectives into account, certain forces underlying or driving threats may be overlooked. Through all three pillars of protection, CIVIC aims to take an inclusive approach and mainstream gender in its interventions.
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