Gender, Women, Conflict 

Gender analysis is now widely recognized in international and national arenas as an integral
component of effective and sustainable peacebuilding efforts. However, the term “gender” is
often used synonymously as another term for “women.” As a result, gender analysis often fails
to acknowledge that men also possess gender identities. In determining what it means to be
male or female, the term gender encompasses social, cultural and economic considerations and
power dynamics between and among men and women. Focusing on only one side of the gender
equation overlooks this relational quality and provides an incomplete understanding of gender
issues in the context of conflict and peacebuilding efforts. Throughout 2010, USIP’s Gender and
Peacebuilding Center held a series of public events to broaden understanding of the term gender,
and to critically examine the evidence for analyzing conflict and peacebuilding through the social and cultural roles and expectations of men and women. This analysis can inform policy shaping
and policymaking in conflict and postconflict settings. 

4 p.; 25 cm