Women's Peace Activism

Abstract

Women have long been fierce and committed advocates for peace. They have worked to end particular conflicts, prevent the use of certain weapons or military tactics, and build peace in specific post‐conflict situations; and they have also campaigned against war in general, against the arms trade and everyday militarism, and in pursuit of a more peaceful and just world. Women have joined mixed‐gender peace movements in large numbers, and a significant number have also or instead organized in autonomous, women‐only groups. It is difficult to generalize about the diverse array of tactics, forms, and/or goals that women's peace activism has adopted over time and on a global scale. However, there are some continuities. Although the relationship between women and peace is contested and even controversial, it remains persistent. And while the relationship between feminism and women's peace activism is also not straightforward, the two are intimately intertwined.