Elisabeth Prügl, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
A proliferating literature has documented a correlation between gender inequality and the likelihood for countries to handle conflicts violently. Although the relationship appears to be robust, there are few convincing explanations for this correlation. This panel draws upon an indepth analysis of empirical qualitative data on gendered patterns of conflict management in conflict-affected communities of Nigeria and Indonesia and investigates how gender relations support conflict management at the community level. The contributions provide key insights on the way in which gender relations interlink with cycles of conflict (escalation, de-escalation, conflict management) and fill an important gap in the literature on conflict analysis and resolution. Bridging feminist approaches with conflict studies, the panel excavates empirically how grassroots gendered dynamics operate in violent conflicts and become a resource or obstacle to conflict management.