From the Margins to the Centre

Abstract

Using data collected from in-depth interviews with 13 Somali women, this chapter re-examines the dominant assumptions about women and peace-building. It explores how women's participation in peace-building manifests itself in Somali politics; identifies distinctive gender dimensions of peace-building; and explores the particular ways women negotiate and influence peace. It makes the case for a new recognition of women's roles in peace-building and argues that Somali women are already employing successful strategies to negotiate space within the political domain and build peace within their families and communities. As such, the chapter goes beyond the false dichotomy of formal/informal peace-building activities, and contends that the current narrative, which is based on simplistic explanations of women and politics, fails to take into account the historical context of women's agency and the vastly changing political and community dynamics that impact how women participate in peace-building.