Transforming Masculinities as a Contribution to Conflict Prevention?

Feminists have long argued that socially constructed notions of masculinity and femininity can influence conflict, perhaps making the outbreak of violence more or less likely. However, these understandings of the relationship between gender and conflict have not yet been widely applied when it comes to peacebuilding in conflict-affected countries, where ‘gender’ is still often taken to be synonymous with ‘women’. While there has been increasing interest in masculinities among academics and practitioners working in the field of peacebuilding in recent years, it has not yet resulted into a developed policy or programming agenda. This chapter reflects on key questions about whether and how programming on masculinities could help to build peace and prevent violent conflict: how should we be working to change cultures of masculinity in security sector institutions? How can we address structural factors as well as attitudes and beliefs? What theories of change do we employ?