Peacekeeping operations in most cases stand set in territories or rather states either in war or post-conflict situations to help prevent the occurrence of conflicts as well as the spread of conflict. Both the means and peacekeeping operation goals often get seen to contradict with ideas regarding manhood and masculinity thus bringing about an aspect of tension between peacekeeping and masculinity. A gender analysis is therefore important to develop a better understanding of the dynamics of the relationship of masculinity with peace as well as the possible consequences in the particular field.
Masculinity in this case encompasses distinct types of ideal that sometimes are self-contradictory and to which both men and women lean towards at a given point in a particular cultural, social and historical situation. The concept of masculinities therefore is faced with tensions especially in this particular case when put in ambiguous circumstances such as peacekeeping operations. For that reason, it is essential to question the compatibility of masculinities and peacekeeping.
Masculinity therefore plays a significant part when it comes to peacekeeping operations. For instance in this case, a broad aspect of militarized masculinity affects these peacekeeping operations. Soldiers for example stand out as perfect peacekeepers since peacekeeping mainly entails a conflict intervention aspect thus combat training comes in handy to enhance the success of these peacekeeping missions. Militarism however comes along with traits and attitudes such as militarized masculinity that in some cases brings forth negative effects on peace keeping operations.
The army can get defined as a specific site for the creation of gendered identities. Gender as a drill is substantially stressed in the military whereby officers as well as soldiers are trained to behave in a hyper-masculinized manner an angle that serves to substantiate themselves better than a feminized “other” foe. Soldiers in most peacekeeping activities encounter strain between the want to rehearse what they learnt to be more proficient in realizing peace and their want or request rather to be masculine.
By and large the dissertation of peacekeeping as being manly is a type of account that uses a positive capability in reference to a specific mission. On the other hand, it tends to utilise a negative qualification naming the “other” that is other local soldiers and parts of the same army. There are distinct ways of identifying a peacekeeping mission as being masculine such as claims that peacekeeping is dangerous and more challenging than a war.
In any peace keeping mission there are processes that involve negotiations, reconciliation, and reconstruction in the society affected by the conflict. Women are part pf the society and just like men, they actively participate in this processes and history shows that women have better in this activities than men. Women bring a different perspective into peace keeping because of how different they experience conflict and understand peace. Women in military are not exception in this case and when put in key roles during peacekeeping missions, the effectiveness and processes the process increases significantly.
However, conflict usually has a great impact on women despite their vividly recognizable influence on conflict management. Women also face various forms of discrimination such as gender-based and sexual violence which increase during conflicts. In fact, one of tactics of war is the sexual and gender violence where women right activists are harassed. Therefore, when women are included in peacekeeping operations, they will understand the pain of these violence better than men and ensure that such are kept to minimum number possible.
When women are recruited into militarized peacekeeping mission, there are various advantages that in the location where the mission is conducted. For example, there are specific needs that women in area need that can only be realised through intervention of another woman. Demobilizing and reintegrating female ex-combatants into civilian life will require the attention of another female. Also, the presence of woman in the peacekeeping force will make the force more approachable. In societies where women are prohibited to talk to men, interaction with another female will provide an avenue for communication that is critical to peace restoration.
One of the critical role militarized peacekeeping mission that includes women is the promotion of the right and wellbeing of women in the society. Other than giving access and support to the neighbourhood ladies, ladies in the force likewise give a greater sense of security that all is well and good to the nearby populace, particularly ladies and kids. They also become the role models for the women in the community and broaden the skills available in the peacekeeping force. Ultimately, these women make greater contribution to the empowerment, inclusion and protection of both the local women and girls.
Militarized masculinity is one of the major components of the how the social gender is constructed. There has always been a tension between the training a soldier undergoes and containing the trait he/she attained in a peacekeeping mission. Also, there is no way to turn a trained soldier for war to act with a sense of cultural and gender sensitivity. Therefore, incorporating female personnel into these forces because it is innate nature of woman to be caring and understanding.
