Patriarchal systems in South Sudan have exacerbated its ongoing armed conflict in several ways. The practice of paying bride prices or dowries with cattle has led many young men to join militias or engage in cattle raiding in order to obtain enough cattle to marry. This has increased violence and proliferation of small arms. Additionally, the commodification of women and acceptance of practices like child marriage, polygamy, and domestic violence have contributed to instability, lower education rates, and high maternal mortality. Peace efforts have neglected to address patriarchal systems as a root cause, leaving the conflict prone to reemergence.

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Patriarchal Structures as Factors to Conflict: Why gender equality matters to sustainable
peace.
Leslie Archambeault, J.D.
M.S. Candidate, Center for Global Affairs
New York University
Word Length- Without footnotes- 3753; Including footnotes- 4914
Introduction:
Evidence of pervasive patriarchy is abundant throughout the globe, as well as throughout
history. The most classically understood meaning of the term defines it as the “manifestation
and institutionalization of male dominance over women…in the family and…in society in
general.”1 Traditional historical implications of patriarchy have altered through the years2;
however looking at laws, norms, and institutions through a gendered lens makes clear that not
only is patriarchy still alive and well, it is thriving. No state is safe from the legacy and
continued culture that patriarchal systems have lent to society.3 Sex trafficking, dowry brides,
honor murders, and gender based violence are just a few examples of patriarchy in the world
today. Some other examples include a state’s use of reproductive rights and health to exert
control over women (bio-power), and the dearth of women’s participation in legislative bodies
and other high decision-making posts. The very custom of children taking their father’s last
name upon birth, and young women taking their husband’s last name upon marriage is an
indication that the balance of power still tips very heavily toward men. Although women’s
1 Gerda Lerner, The Creation of Patriarchy, 239, (Oxford University Press 1986)
2 Deniz Kandiyoti, Bargaining with Patriarchy,Gender and Society, Vol.2 No.3, Sept. 1988, 274-290
3 Philip Cohen, America is Still a Patriarchy,The Atlantic, Nov. 19, 2012, available at
http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/11/america-is-still-a-patriarchy/265428/

2. 1
movements, particularly women’s human rights advocacy, have made great strides toward the
protection and enforcement of fundamental human rights, patriarchy still reigns. And there is
very little incentive for men, who continue to wield the majority of political, social, and
economic power, to use that power to dismantle a system that has acted and continues to act very
much to their benefit.
A focus on patriarchal systems is necessary to analyze not just what human rights abuses
women are being met with on a daily basis, but also in order to distinguish what potential other
dangers result from the continued patriarchal epidemic. One of the consequences of patriarchal
systems has been the exacerbation of conflicts in some societies. This paper argues that rigid
patriarchal systems may not only contribute to the exacerbation of a conflict, but may also serve
as a triggering factor. Factors to a conflict, as well as potential exacerbating realities are
essential in determining the best strategies and policies for peacemaking and peacebuilding. If a
patriarchal system is in part adding to the conflict, then that patriarchal system must itself be
addressed before sustainable peace can be achieved. Additionally, if rampant patriarchy creates
the risk of conflict, then that too must be addressed when striving for the maintenance of a
positive and sustainable peace.4
The last twenty years or so has seen dramatic changes in the inclusion of women in
peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. Gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping missions has
become a reality at an international level as a direct result of the huge achievements made in the
passage of Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820, 2106, and 2122, to name a few. Arguments
for women’s inclusion in the peacemaking process have included arguments for their
4 For discussion on positive peace see Johan Galtung, Peace by Peaceful Means: Peace and Conflict, Development
and Civilization, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, Sage Publications, 1996

3. 2
vulnerabilities in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, and the disproportionate impact of
conflict situations on women and children.5 These arguments are significant because they are
persuasive and evidenced. However, an inclusion of women in the peace process, and the
existence of on the ground gender advisors, is not enough if the aims of the actual peacekeeping
missions fail to address issues of patriarchy as potential root conflict factors.
Patriarchal systems have consistently been defended on the grounds of cultural norms.6
The rise of cultural relativism in international human rights law, as well as the advent of political
correctness and cultural sensitivity has added to a general push back against women’s rights
advocates.7 Cultural relativism has become an easy and handy excuse to leaving patriarchy as is.
By taking patriarchy beyond a human rights/inequality perspective, and reframing the issue, the
dismantling of patriarchal systems becomes a necessary step in the building of sustainable peace.
The addition of yet another dimension in motivating the quest for comprehensive equality at all
levels of political, social, and cultural systems is strategic and harder to ignore.
In summary, this paper argues that patriarchal systems do at times serve as factors driving
social and political conflict and violence. Additionally, patriarchal triggers are particularly
dangerous in places where other conflict factors, such as the competition over the control of
revenues from natural resources, or high stocks of small arms are present. Addressing patriarchy
as a potential factor to conflict is important because unless gendered power imbalances are
mitigated cycles of conflict will continue unabated. Peacebuilding efforts focused on other
causes of conflict often neglect patriarchy as a factor, leaving unaddressed a root cause that has
5 For example, UN Security Council, Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) [on women and peace and security] ,
31 October 2000, S/RES/1325 (2000), “Expressing concern that civilians, particularly women and children, account
for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict…”
6 Bhabani Shankar Nayak, Challengesof Cultural Relativismand the Future of Feminist Universalism, Journal of
Politics and Law, Vol. 6, No.2, 2013, 84-85
7 Bhabani Shankar Nayak, Challengesof Cultural Relativismand the Future of Feminist Universalism, 85-86

4. 3
potential for triggering further conflict. As an unaddressed conflict factor, patriarchal systems
deserve as much attention, and require as thoughtful an analysis as other factors. Women's
empowerment, in both the private and public sphere, is an essential component to mitigating
these triggers of conflict in order to rebalance the power structures in a society. Male
engagement plays an essential role as well, as they too are members of the society wherein the
problem exists and must therefore be a part of the solution.
This paper is divided into five sections, including this introduction to the issue.
Furthermore, part I is a discussion of South Sudan as a case study wherein a patriarchal system
has already exacerbated an ongoing armed conflict. Part II is a discussion of family planning
and autonomy issues in Pakistan, and how current patriarchal values are adding to an
environment that leaves the state ripe for future violent conflict. Part III is a brief look at
patriarchal attitudes in India and its contribution to societal conflict. Lastly, part IV is a
summary of conclusions drawn.
Part I: South Sudan
Evidence of patriarchy as a factor to conflict is not always readily available, due mainly
to its being largely ignored by peacebuilding missions and conflict/context analyses as such.
However, there are some current examples that serve to illustrate the point at hand. The first
such example involves the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. Violence and instability have
grown in South Sudan at alarming rates over the past year.8 South Sudan is an extremely
patriarchal society, wherein the commodification of young girls and women is a longstanding
cultural norm. As the society, particularly in rural areas, has grown increasingly impoverished
8 Isma’il Kushkush and Nicholas Kulish, Civilians Flee as Violence Worsens in South Sudan,New York Times, Feb.
26, 2014.

5. 4
due to decades of fighting, and more recent government corruption, the buying, selling, and
amassing of women as property has grown rampant.9 The patriarchal practice this paper intends
to highlight involves the practice of cattle for use as payment of bride dowries.
In South Sudan, marriage is an important milestone in the society. Young men and
young women need to marry in order to gain status and recognition as full adult members of the
community.10 That means that men and women who are not married are still treated as youth for
all intents and purposes, regardless of their ages. The need to marry then becomes crucial for
social standing. Another cultural norm in South Sudan is the practice of dowry payments. In
order to marry, a man must first pay a dowry to the father of the potential bride.11 These dowries
are primarily paid with cattle.12 Large unemployment rates13 coupled with huge increases in
dowry prices14 has meant that many youth males are unable to marry.15 The inability of youth
males to afford dowry prices may have led some to react drastically. Some unmarried males
have joined small militia in the area, while others have joined cattle-raiding gangs.16
Additionally, some youth males have reported stealing brides from across country borders, and
even moving to urban areas to join youth gangs.17 Young men who are unable to afford the
dowry for a bride may feel they are faced with the choice to either remain unmarried, or to steal.
9 William Sunday D. Tor, South Sudan,the problem of dowry and its impact on family systems, The Citizen (Juba),
Aug. 30, 2012.
10 Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan,Report
of the United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 295, Nov. 2011.
11 Id.
12 Id.; William Sunday D. Tor, South Sudan,the problem of dowry and its impact on family systems; John Burnett, In
South Sudan,Cows are cash and source of friction, NPR News, Aug. 12, 2012.
13 William Sunday D. Tor, South Sudan,the problem of dowry and its impact on family systems;
14 Id.
15 Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan,citing an
unpublished U.N. report.
16 Id.; William Sunday D. Tor, South Sudan,the problem of dowry and its impact on family systems; John Burnett,
In South Sudan,Cows are cash and source of friction.
17 Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan

6. 5
Additional patriarchal attitudes and practices have further complicated the problem. The
inability of some to pay the high dowry prices has afforded those who can pay exorbitant sums
increased status and power in the community.18 Wealthy and much older patriarchs are better
able to pay the sums requested as dowries. With polygamy also generally accepted, some of
these older patriarchs are amassing women like property, thus increasing their own social
standing.19 The acceptance of polygamy may then result in even fewer available brides creating
more competition and dissatisfaction among male youth.20
The commodification of young women in this manner may also lead to an increase in
child marriage. As girls and women are commodities of the family, for sale to the highest
bidder, it makes economic sense that the more female children in the family the better.21 Young
girls may then be married off as soon as possible in order to maximize the number of children,
and the number of girls that they can give birth to in their own relatively short lives.22 When
women are treated like property they generally have little say in who they marry, when they
marry, how many children they have, or if they want to have children at all. And because their
husbands have in effect paid for them, these severe power disparities may have led to recent
large rates of domestic violence and gender based violence in the state, as well as increased
suicide rates for young women.23
18 Id.
19 Id.
20 Joseph Henrich, Robert Boyd, Peter Richerson, The Puzzle of Monogamous Marriage,University of British
Columbia, Royal Society Publishing, January 23, 2012.
21 “This Old Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him” Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan, A Report of
Human Rights Watch,2013.
22 Id.
23 Id.

7. 6
The practice of cattle raiding may be thus an increasing source of instability in the state.24
Militias are contributing to the raiding because cattle are such a large source of power and
wealth, and also because militias are increasingly becoming populated with disaffected and
disempowered youth males who need cattle in order to pay a dowry.25 Cattle-raiding gangs,
although always a fixture in pastoral areas of South Sudan, are also becoming more violent.26
Some raiders are trying to steal enough cattle for a bride dowry, while others are merely
exploiting the situation to enact petty vengeances.27 Less than two months ago locals
interviewed at ethnic strongholds in South Sudan claimed that the ethnic violence most reported
on was “concealing, and at times promoting, smaller, localized conflicts over cows.”28 South
Sudan’s Governor’s Advisor for Peace and Reconciliation, Ezekiel Thiang, has also gone on
record stating that “cattle destroying crops and cattle theft are the two main causes of conflict,”
in the state.29 The increase in cattle-raiding has led local cattle herders to procure small arms
themselves for protection of their property.30
The increase in small arms and cattle related violence stems from the need to pay bride
dowries, the commodification of women, and the lack of alternative economic opportunities for
youth male.31 Instability and insecurity in South Sudan thus may be exacerbated by the
patriarchal attitudes and societal systems at play in the state. Why then are peacemaking
24 William Sunday D. Tor, South Sudan,the problem of dowry and its impact on family systems; John Burnett, In
South Sudan,Cows are cash and source of friction,
25 Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan
26 Jessica Hatcher, South Sudan unrest exacerbated by conflict among cattle herders, The Guardian, March 11,
2014; Frank Langfitt, Cattle Rustling A Dangerous Business in Sudan,NPR News, April 17, 2011
27 Jessica Hatcher, South Sudan unrest exacerbated by conflict among cattle herders
28 Id.
29 Id.
30 Id.; Frank Langfitt, Cattle Rustling A Dangerous Business in Sudan;For a discussion ofsmalls arms proliferation
by civilians and militias in South Sudan see also Beijing Meeting on African peace and security: combating illicit
small arms and ammunition,Seminar Report by SaferWorld, March 18, 2014; and Civilian disarmament in South
Sudan:A Legacy of struggle, A report of SaferWorld, February 2012.
31 Marc Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, Dowry and Division: Youth and State Building in South Sudan

8. 7
initiatives focused predominantly on small arms proliferation? If the patriarchal practices of
dowries, polygamy, and child marriage are playing a role in exacerbating the conflict, which they
arguably are, then these systems must themselves be addressed in addition to other conflict
factors involved.
In addition to its effect on the conflict, patriarchy in South Sudan also has long term
detrimental effects worth noting. Education in the state is of particular concern. The United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that 70% of children between the ages of six
and seventeen in South Sudan have never even stepped inside a classroom.32 Additionally, only
one in ten children, according to UNICEF’s report, has completed primary school.33 Even more
disturbing are literacy rates for women. 84% of women in South Sudan can neither read nor
write.34
The accepted practice of child marriage in the state also has particularly dangerous long-
term consequences. In South Sudan, more than 50% of women are married by the time they
reach the age of 18.35 South Sudan also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the
world.36 The practice of child marriage is intimately related to maternal mortality rates as young
girls are forced to have children when their bodies are not yet biologically ready.37 Children
32 Basic Education and Gender Equality:UNICEF in South Sudan,A Report of UNICEF, available at:
http://www.unicef.org/southsudan/Education.pdf
33 Id.
34 Aimee Henderson, Shannon Fraser, and Ka Vang (eds.), Baseline Study on the Status of Women in the New
Sudan,A Report of USAID, 2004, available at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADT832.pdf ; See also, United
Nations in South Sudan Webpage, About South Sudan:Fast Facts, available at: http://ss.one.un.org/country-
info.html
35 “This Old Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him” Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan.
36 South Sudan:The Biggest Threat to a Woman’s Life, A Report of IRIN: Humanitarian News and Analysis, July
2012, available at: http://www.irinnews.org/report/95900/south-sudan-the-biggest-threat-to-a-woman-s-life.
37 “This Old Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him” Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan; Cynthia Gorney,
Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides, National Geographic, June 2011, available at:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/child-brides/gorney-text.

9. 8
born to child brides are additionally at increased risk of disease and death. Child mortality rates
increase substantially in children born to child brides.38
Empowering women in South Sudan and dismantling patriarchy is not an overnight
effort. It must be a long-term goal and requires thoughtful and sustainable efforts on the part of
peacemaking and peacebuilding mechanisms. Removing small arms in South Sudan will not
alone help the unaddressed conflict factors related to extreme patriarchal practices and beliefs.
Encouragement and capacity building for women’s civil society organizations, particularly in
rural areas, is absolutely necessary. In addition, caps on bride dowries may have significant
more immediate effects, with the ultimate goal of eliminating dowries altogether a constant
effort. Polygamy is also problematic because of the resulting lack of available brides, and the
practice itself should be curtailed.
This paper wishes to avoid oversimplifying the complex and varied root causes to
continued violence in South Sudan, but rather intends to point out one unaddressed and ignored
factor contributing to the conflict. If continually ignored as a root factor, violence, at least in the
pastoral regions of the state, seems inevitable.
Part II: Pakistan
Another example of the dangerous consequences of patriarchal structures can be seen
with a critical look at Pakistan’s more recent reproductive rights and health policies. About two-
thirds of Pakistan’s population is currently under 30 years old.39 Thirteen percent of its
population is under five, with another twenty-three percent between the ages of five and
38 For example see,Anita Raj, Niranjan Saggurti, et al, The Effect of maternal child marriage on morbidity and
mortality of children under5 in India: cross sectional study of a nationally representative sample,BMJ, January
2010, 340, available at http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.b4258.
39 Zofeen Ebrahim, Population:Youth Bulge Adds to Pakistan’s Woe, Inter Press Service, October 26, 2011.

10. 9
fourteen.40 This kind of population disparity is called a youth bulge, and it can be particularly
dangerous in states that have poverty and unemployment issues. The rapid growth of youth
populations in a state can undermine political alliances and coalitions and can add to a greater
instability.41 Youth in general are considered much easier to manipulate towards extremism and
both political and social conflicts because they have fewer responsibilities in terms of actual
careers and families.42 Studies have linked youth bulges paired with unemployment to a much
greater likelihood and presence of violence in a community or state.43 There is a reported
correlative shift from dissatisfaction and frustration from the inability to get a job, to extremist
radicalization.44
General overpopulation in Pakistan has already caused huge economic crises, including
massive unemployment.45 The unemployed young are increasingly joining militants, religious
extremist groups, or falling into lives of petty local crime.46 Economic solutions are not the only
answer, nor would they be enough of an answer. Reproductive health services and access as part
of the government’s policy of regulating population can be very effective in addressing youth
bulges like Pakistan’s. However, entrenched patriarchal attitudes and gendered power dynamics
are preventing government policies from having their intended effect.
Pakistan has thus far failed to succeed in its efforts to utilize reproductive health and
family planning services to address the increasing youth bulge issue in the state. In fact, in the
40 Id.
41 Id.; Zofeen Ebrahim, Pakistan:Lack of access to contraception,abortion,persist,Inter Press Service, April 30,
2010.
42 Martha M. Campbell, Ndola Prata, Malcolm Potts, The Impact of Freedom on Fertility Decline, Journal of Family
Planning and Reproductive Health Care, 39, 2013.
43 Id., 44-50
44 Id.
45 Zofeen Ebrahim, Population:Youth Bulge Adds to Pakistan’s Woe.
46 Id., Zofeen Ebrahim, Pakistan:Lack of access to contraception,abortion,persist.

11. 10
globally Pakistan has “one of the highest unmet needs for family planning services.”47 A World
Population Fund Report stated that “seven million women have declared that they do not want
more children or want to space births, but are unable to do so.”48 An estimated four million
children are added to the population of Pakistan each year, with 2.7 million of the pregnancies
unintended.49 Only Afghanistan is behind Pakistan in world statistics of reproductive health
indicators such as high fertility rate and low contraceptive use.50 Reproductive services and
contraception seem to be obvious solutions, however, according to a 2007 Pakistan Demographic
and Health Survey, only 30% of married women in the state use contraception at all. Why is
contraception then not being utilized?
The government of Pakistan was one of the first in the world to launch a national family
planning program, and has sponsored such programs for nearly forty years.51 However, despite
being one of the first to begin a program like this, Pakistan is distinct in its failure to see
significant improvements in contraceptive use.52 The government has sponsored contraceptive
use in the state, and women are reporting not wanting or intending to have children. In
explaining these seemingly incongruous statistics we must once again look to patriarchal gender
constructs.
Pakistan is a deeply patriarchal society, and though a variety of contraceptives are
available, women may have very little say on whether or not they are allowed to use
47 Karen Hardee and Elizabeth Leahy, Population,Fertility,and Family Planning in Pakistan:A Program in
Stagnation, Population Action International, Research Commentary vol.3 issue 3, October 2008.
48 Id.
49 Id.
50 Zofeen Ebrahim, Pakistan:Lack of access to contraception,abortion,persist
51 Fariyal F. Fikree, Amanullah Khan, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Fatima Sajan, and Mohammad H. Rahbar, What
Influences Contraceptive Use Among Young Women In Urban Squatter Settlements of Karachi,Pakistan?,
International Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 27, No.3, Sept. 2001, A Report of the Guttmacher Institute,
available at: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2713001.html
52 Id.

12. 11
contraception at all.53 Opposing views on contraceptive use by husbands, mothers-in-law, and
even extended families, may then contribute to the lack of contraceptive use among women who
may be otherwise receptive.54 Patriarchal attitudes in Pakistan are also deeply connected to
religion, namely Islamic teachings. Like many religious teachings, including those of Judeo-
Christian origin, these teachings discourage contraception as a rule.55 Over 90% of Pakistan’s
population adheres to Islamic beliefs, and traditions based on varying interpretations of the same
religious laws are rigidly adhered to.56 There is some evidence that Sharia law may allow
contraception if there is a genuine reason, however such a reason cannot be as common as the
inability to afford a child.57 Even with government sponsored family planning services, religious
beliefs may contribute to the extremely low use of contraceptives.58 Patriarchal attitudes and
practices in the home prevent women from making autonomous decisions about if and when to
have children.59 These patriarchal practices stem from both traditional culture as well as varying
interpretations of religious tenets among adherents in the state.
A lack of contraceptive use is at least in part the result of patriarchal attitudes and
systems. The failure to use contraception has resulted in a population crisis, termed by one
reporter as a ticking time bomb. The population crisis has already led to a youth bulge and has
thus contributed to rampant unemployment. As youth bulges create breeding grounds for
radicalization and extremist groups, a reality exacerbated by unemployment and poverty, the
53 Id.
54 Id.
55 Farahnaz Zahidi, Would A Male Pill Revolutionise Birth Control in Pakiston?, The Express Tribune of the
International N.Y. Times, Nov. 18, 2012, available at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/467472/rethinking-contraception-
would-a-male-pill-revolutionise-birth-control-in-pakistan/.
56 Fariyal F. Fikree, Amanullah Khan, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Fatima Sajan, and Mohammad H. Rahbar, What
Influences Contraceptive Use Among Young Women In Urban Squatter Settlements of Karachi,Pakistan,
57 Farahnaz Zahidi, Would A Male Pill Revolutionise Birth Control in Pakiston?
58 Fariyal F. Fikree, Amanullah Khan, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Fatima Sajan, and Mohammad H. Rahbar, What
Influences Contraceptive Use Among Young Women In Urban Squatter Settlements of Karachi,Pakistan?
59 Id.

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youth bulge in Pakistan is hugely problematic. In this case study, the patriarchal practices
related to family planning has led to the risk of a large, unemployed, alienated, and increasingly
radicalized youth population, ripe for creating extremist violence and political and social
conflict. In order to change contraceptive use in Pakistan it is necessary to first address
patriarchy and gendered power dynamics in the home. Women with little to no autonomy have
to be able to choose if and when to have children through the effective managing of their
contraceptive and reproductive health needs.
Part III: India
The last case study the paper addresses is India and its gender distribution ratios in
population. India is an important example of such gender ratio disparities because it has many of
the same patriarchal roots to the problem as discussed above regarding Pakistan and South
Sudan. Although, India is not currently perceived as at significant risk for armed conflict, or
extremism, the gender ratios in the state are problematic in terms of future social unrest, leading
to an increase in violence within the state.
Female infanticide and sex-selective abortions are pervasive in India. Modern
technology allowing for knowledge of the baby’s sex earlier and earlier into the pregnancy,
coupled with a hugely traditional patriarchal society that prioritizes boys have converged to
result in a deficit of women in India.60 In 2013, there were 940 girls born for every 1,000 boys,61
60 Chris Arsenault,Millionsof Aborted Girls imbalance India,Al Jazeera, Oct. 30, 2011, available at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/10/201110415385524923.html
61 Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India,
available at: http://censusindia.gov.in / [last accessed April 12, 2014]

14. 13
which is up from the 2011 census where there were only 914 girls born for every 1,000 boys.62
Although numbers are up, the disparity is still concerning. Across the world, an estimated 163
million girls are missing from the population as a result of female infanticide and sex-selective
abortions over the last three decades.63
One of the most important reasons for male preference, to the extent where sex-selective
abortions and female infanticide are utilized as family planning mechanisms is the tradition of
dowry payments.64 Unlike in South Sudan, in India the bride’s family pays the groom the
dowry. This creates a family dichotomy where a girl child is brought up in the household only to
leave it upon marriage, and not just leave it, but take a significant portion of the family’s money
with her.65 At times, dowries can be as much as several years’ worth of the family’s income.66
Additionally, further restrictive practices such as property inheritance rules, wherein property
passes from father to son, as well as cultural norms dictating that sons support their parents in
their later years lead to the preference for male children.67
Gender imbalances such as those seen in India create distinct social issues, including
increases in violent crimes. Much like in Pakistan, and South Sudan, youth males who are
unable to marry can become alienated and frustrated. Large numbers of single young men much
like in the previously discussed case studies may seek out violent means to show their
62 Chris Arsenault,Millionsof Aborted Girls imbalance India
63 Mara Hvistendahl, Unnatural Selection:Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of
Men, Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 42, Issue 4, 311-313, December 2011.
64 Chris Arsenault,Millionsof Aborted Girls imbalance India; Christine Myers, Sex Selective Abortion in India,
Global Tides Journal, Vol. 6, Article 3, 2012, available at:
http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=globaltides.
65 Id.; Alison Brysk and Aditee Maskey, Rethinking Trafficking,Patriarchy,Poverty, and Private Wrongs in India,
Global Dialogue, Vol. 14, No.2, Summer/Autumn 2012, available at:
http://www.worlddialogue.org/content.php?id=533.
66 Id.; See also, Maya Unnithan-Kumar, Female Selective Abortion-Beyond ‘Culture’: Family Making and Gender
Inequality in a Globalising India,Journal of Culture, Health and Sexuality, Vol. 12, No.2, Feb. 2010, 153-166.
67 Chris Arsenault,Millionsof Aborted Girls imbalance India

15. 14
dissatisfaction to the state. Angry unmarried men often get pushed into military endeavors
further fueling the masculine militarization of the society.68 In addition, human trafficking and
prostitution are related social issues that can have a cumulative effect on the levels of violence in
the state.
In India, the gender disparity ratio is concerning both for the patriarchal attitudes and
practices that cause it, as well as for the resulting social issues, including an increase in violence,
if the issue is not addressed.
Part IV: Conclusions Drawn
Patriarchy is indeed rampant throughout the globe. Its beliefs and practices result in
gross systemic human rights abuses. Using the case studies of South Sudan, Pakistan, and India,
it is clear that patriarchal systems do at times serve as potential factors driving social and
political conflict and violence, and if left unaddressed contribute greatly to insecurity, and
instability in a state. Patriarchal systems comprised of structural sexism create attitudes and
practices that can lead and already have led to a host of problematic issues, including but not
limited to: a) male-dominated youth bulges in the population; b) high maternal mortality rates; c)
high child mortality rates; d) drops in life expectancy; e) sex-selective abortions and female
infanticide; f) tolerance and acceptance of gender based violence; g) violence as a means of
securing resources to procure high dowries; and h) the commodification and monopoly of young
women by dominant, and at times polygamous, patriarchs. Patriarchal systems and attitudes can
act as factors to conflicts and may exacerbate existing conflicts; therefore it is necessary to
address patriarchy in peacebuilding measures, as well as in conflict prevention. Ignoring
68 Id.; Maya Unnithan-Kumar, Female Selective Abortion-Beyond ‘Culture’: Family Making and Gender Inequality
in a Globalising India

16. 15
patriarchal systems and attitudes as potential factors and drivers to conflict and instability is
dangerous and can prove disastrous over time. The empowerment of women in both public and
private life is necessary to achieve equality and international human rights for both sexes, as well
as to create an environment conducive to the maintenance of a sustainable peace.