The Role of Women in Conflict. Appraisal of the role of women in the resolution of conflict in Nkanu East's Local Government of Enugu State

Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - General and Theories of International Politics, National Open University of Nigeria (NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA), course: PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES, language: English, abstract: This study appraised the role of women in the resolution of conflict in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State of Nigeria. The rational for this study is to verify whether the women of the study area participates in conflict resolution, the strategies and the cultural barriers, if any, that militates against their participation in conflict resolution and peace process in the area as well to identifying whether they are fully integrated in the decision making processes and institutions in the area. Data used in this work are from primary sources. Survey method of quantitative research was used during the study; Questionnaire/Oral Interview was used to collect data from the population of study while probability sampling method was also used to represent the population of Study. The work finds that the women of the study area participating in conflict resolution through the institutions of Umuada, Extended Family Wives Association, Christian Mothers Union and Community Women Association and that they make use of strategies such as mediation, arbitration, good office conciliation, and traditional methods like oath taking, marriage, covenant and ritual among others. Also there are some cultural barriers militating against them in this regards. The work also finds that women of the area are marginalized in both elective and appointive positions and thus underrepresented in the decision making organs and institutions for peace in the Local Government and beyond including the communities in the area etc. The work thereafter recommends among others that all the cultural barriers that forbid women's inclusion or membership of decision making institutions for peace in the area and beyond should be removed, women's marginalization as well as lack of gender mainstreaming in the area should be addressed in the spirit of the United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325 of 2000.