Amazons of War and Peace: Local Women Organisations and Communal Conflicts in South-eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the role of women civil society organizations in communal conflicts in South-eastern Nigeria. Until recently the literature on the nexus of gender, civil society, peace and conflict research in Nigeria suggests that civil society studies have been largely gender blind. This is because the literature sometimes ignores the specificities of women group involvement in socio-economic and political processes. There is therefore the need to focus on the various links between gender, conflict and peace particularly in an increasingly violent and conflict-infested global political system. More specifically, the incorporation of cultural mechanisms of conflict resolution into mainstream peace process by women following the failure of conventional conflict management mechanism needs to be explored. From research findings conducted through a synergy of observation method, in-depth and keyinformant interviews, this study shows that women civil society organizations played vital roles in sustaining Aguleri and Umuleri conflict, and relied on traditional instrument of conflict resolution to manage the conflict.