Looking Gender issues in Conflict

1. Understanding Gender in
Conflict-Sensitive Programming
One-Day Workshop for UN Staff
6 December 2023

2. Training Objectives
• To Identify how Conflict Impacts on Gender;
• To Understand Gender and Conflict in Relation to your Work;
• To Undertake Gender and Conflict-Sensitivity in Relation to your
Work.

3. Ground Rules
• Raise hand to speak (in person and online)
• Allow everyone the opportunity to speak
• Don’t interrupt - allow the person to finish before speaking
• Respect all opinions/ views expressed
• Keep discussion focused on the topic
• Flexibility in time and participation
• For online participants, please keep mic muted unless speaking

4. Agenda
• 10 – 10:30 AM: Introductions, Ground Rules, Agenda
• 10:30 – 11 AM: Review of Conflict Sensitivity Analysis
• 11 – 11:30 AM: Introduction to Gender-Sensitive Conflict Analysis (GSCA)
• 11:30 AM – 12 PM: Small Group Exercise (Character Scenarios)
• 12 – 1 PM: Lunch
• 1 – 1:30 PM: Steps for undertaking a Gender-Sensitive Conflict Analysis
• 1:30 – 2:15 PM: Small Group Case Study
• 2:15 – 3:00 PM: Presentations and Plenary Discussion
• 3:00 – 3:15 PM Evaluations
• 3:15 – 3:30 PM: Wrap Up

5. Review – Conflict Sensitivity Analysis
What is Conflict:
• When people or groups have – or believe they have – incompatible
goals and interests.
• It is a natural part of any society. It is not necessarily negative and can
result in positive change.
• Conflict becomes negative when violence is used to manage
incompatible goals and interests (perceived or not).
• Violence is the intentional use power to cause or threaten harm.
• Violence can be physical, psychological, social/ cultural, or economic.
• It can be direct or indirect.

6. Conflict Sensitivity: Definition
Conflict sensitivity is the deliberate practice to examine the interaction
between our own actions and the conflict context where we work.
We do this in order to ensure that our actions:
• Minimise negative effects on the conflict context;
• Maximise positive effects on the conflict context.

7. Why is Conflict Sensitivity Important
• Development Effectiveness: contributes to long-term peace and makes
development work more successful and sustainable.
• Cost Effectiveness: preventing violent conflict is cheaper than stopping
violence once it has started.
• Good Practice: helps makes programs more sustainable and accountable.
• Risk Management: reduces risk of having to terminate programs or close
offices due to violence or instability and reduces the danger to staff and
beneficiaries.

8. Context is KEY in conflict sensitivity
• Context is about power relationships between actors AND the
dynamic between actors and the context.
• Context is multi-layered and includes:
Cultural, social, economic and political factors.
Local (household, community, municipality), Regional and National
Governments also play a role in creating the context.
• Context matters because it shapes how our actions will be perceived
and how effective they are.

9. What is a Conflict-Sensitive Analysis?
• Systematic study of the profile, causes, actors and dynamics of a conflict in
order to understand its roots causes and manifestations.
• It helps humanitarian and development organizations get a better
understanding of the conflict in the contexts where they they and their
impact on that conflict.
• Can be done at the local, regional, national or international level. Seeks to
establish linkages between these levels.
• Conflict-Sensitive Analysis is NOT:
The “truth”. There are always different perspectives.
Valid throughout the lifecycle of the program – context keeps changing.
Complete. We can’t know everything (and that’s ok!).

10. Introducing Gender into
Conflict-Sensitive Analysis

11. DEFINITION OF GENDER
• Gender refers to characteristics of men, women, boys or girls, in a
specific context that are socially constructed.
• Gender can refer to the role of a man or woman in society, to the
expectations of their behaviour or to an individual’s concept of
themselves.
• It is different to sex, which refers to the biological differences
between males and females.
Definitions of Key Terms – Handout 1

12. What is gender-sensitive conflict analysis
(GSCA) and why focus on it?
GSCA involves identifying the specific needs of or issues affecting men,
women, boys or girls, in a specific context and taking these into
account when designing and implementing interventions or activities in
order to avoid reinforcing norms and practices that cause and fuel
gender inequality.
Gender-Sensitive Conflict Analysis (GSCA) is the starting point to
understanding, responding to and transforming the ways in which
gender inequality causes conflict and discrimination.

13. Questions to Consider
• What are the expected roles for women in conflict? Men in conflict?
• What are the impacts of conflict on women? On men? Are these
impacts different for girls or boys?
• For a minority ethnic or religious group?
• For those who are poor? Live in a rural area? Have no education?
• What kinds of violence are females subjected to that males are not?
• What kinds of violence are males subjected to but women are not?

14. Questions to Consider
• What do men have to do and be to be considered a ‘real man’ in
Afghan society?
• What do women have to do and be to be considered a ‘good woman’
• in Afghan society?
• Do these concepts and expectations change according to whether it is
a young woman or man or an older woman or man? From a different
ethnic or religious group? From a different socio-economic class?
From a rural area or urban environment

15. ISSUES TO CONSIDER
• ‘Gender’ is not synonymous with ‘women’. The lives of men are also shaped by gender norms and roles of
their society, so must be considered in your analysis.
• ‘Women’ and ‘men’ are not homogeneous groups. People’s experience varies greatly according to other
aspects of their identities, such as age, marital status, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, (dis)ability and
geographic location.
• Examine your own assumptions. This means trying to set aside stereotypes: Women may be perpetrators of
violence, and men may be victims and survivors. People are many things at the same time.
• Think beyond gender-based violence (GBV). Gender also shapes forms of conflict and violence not typically
thought of as ‘gender-based’.
• Look beyond the obvious sources. There are often ‘go-to’ NGOs, researchers, media which people
frequently consult. Are there other sources who could give you a different perspective?
• Consider public and private spheres. Think about what goes on in the household and the community – and
how they link to each other. In practice, there many divisions within public/private divide.
• Things change. We can’t assume that gender norms are an inherent part of any culture – they have evolved
over time and will continue to do so. Whereas gender norms often change slowly over long periods,
gendered behaviours may change much more quickly.

16. SMALL GROUP EXERCISE – CHARACTER
SCENARIOS
Handout 2:
Please read each character scenario and then discuss in your small
groups the following questions:
• What power and influence does this character have? Who do they
have power over?
• What privileges does this character have?
• What vulnerabilities does this character have?
• How does their gender impact their situation?
YOU HAVE 20 MINUTES for discussion.

17. Process for undertaking a gender-sensitive
conflict analysis
1. Identify gender-sensitive conflict and peace factors
2. Select gender-sensitive key-driving factors
3. Create a systems map
4. Identify and map key actors
5. Locate leverage points for policy and programming

18. Step 1: Identifying gender-sensitive conflict and
peace factors
• What are the gender-sensitive factors that are driving conflict: Look at
issues, processes or behaviours that fuels conflict, divides people or
encourages violence with a focus on gender (e.g. legal system that
discriminates against females, the rates of GBV in a community, the rates of
literacy between males and females at the provincial level);
• What are the gender-sensitive factors that are driving peace: Look at
issues, processes or behaviours for peace and gender equality, that brings
people together and builds connections (e.g. constitution that protects
everybody’s rights, community level programs where men, women and
children all benefit).
• Look at the factors that exist now – at the community, regional, national
and international level.
• Don’t forget intersectionality! How does age, education, class, ethnicity,
geographic location, etc. also impact on these factors.
CONTEXT IS KEY!

19. Step 2: Selecting gender-sensitive key-driving
factors (KDFs)
key driving factors for conflict is defined as: ‘a dynamic or element, without which the
conflict would not exist, or would be completely different.’
The main question to ask in order to select KDFs: Which of the identified gender-sensitive
factors, if resolved, would significantly change the conflict context?
Important to remember that there may be a lot of debate about what are KDFs because
there will always be different views on what is important. The emphasis should be on
determining which KDFs will help you better understand the gender dynamics in the
context you are working.
Examples of KDFs – Handout 4.

20. Step 3: Creating a systems map
Cause and Effect of Gender-Sensitive Key Driving Factor
• What causes this gender-sensitive key driving factor? Why are these
causes significant?
• What effects does this gender-sensitive key driving factor have? Why
are they significant?
• It can be difficult to to connect the causes and effects in practice because
some causes may have more than one effect, and some effects may be
linked to more than one cause.

21. Step 4: Identifying and mapping key actors
• Key actors are individuals or groups who currently have the capacity to significantly push
the situation towards more conflict or towards more peace. Key actors are identified by
examining their behaviour, the roles they play, and the KDFs or causes and effects they
influence or have power over.
• Why they are seen as key actors? What gives them a key position in the conflict?
• What is the gender balance among them? What other identity markers (e.g. wealth, age,
class, ethnicity) do they have?
Examples of key actors for conflict and peace – Handout 4

22. Step 5: Locating leverage points
for policy and programming
• What are the possible entry points for impacting change in the
community you are working in?
• Important to look at how this change would impact differently on
men and women, boys and girls
• Does this change place any group at risk of harm / violence at home,
community or more broadly?
• Are there opportunities to change gender roles, behaviours or
expectations safely? What are they?

23. SMALL GROUP CASE STUDY
Implementation of Women Friendly Health Spaces (WFHS) in Kandahar
Please read the case study handout in your groups.
Answer the following questions:
• What is the main gender-sensitive key driving factor (KDF) in this case scenario?
• What are the causes of the KDF and what effects does the KDF have on the development and
implementation of the Women Friendly Health Spaces in Kandahar?
• How does it impact on the staff of ANGO, and the women beneficiaries? Does their gender make
a difference on how it impacts on them? How?
• Who are the key actors for conflict in this case scenario? Who are the key actors for peace? How
does their gender, education level, socio-economic status and where they live impact on whether
they are a conflict or peace actor?
• What is the suggested course of action to deal with such a dilemma?
• What are the gender dimensions and consequences of your recommended strategies? For
females and for males!

24. LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION
• Report back on small group discussion (5 minutes each)
• Did your views change over the course of your small group
discussion? How?
• How do you think you might respond differently now in the projects
that you are developing and monitoring?

25. EVALUATION

26. THANK YOU!