Destructive Conflicts Generating Reconstructive Empowerment of Women and Opportunities for Peace?

Abstract: Conflicts are destructive for humans and societies, but are openings for rebuilding a more inclusive and sustainable society presented in the aftermath of conflict? This paper contributes to the growing research field and examines the link between conflict and window of opportunity for development, through a gender lens. Further, this study seeks to understand how conflict affected women’s socioeconomic situation in Rwanda and Burundi. Critical peacebuilding and feminist theories are combined with human security and human capital theory into a unique framework. Based on a qualitative method with help of quantitative data, socioeconomics is dissected and measured into six categories: education, literacy, fertility, land ownership, labour work and agricultural sector. Applied on collected data, findings show that a causal relationship can be established. In addition, empirical findings imply that Rwandan women are more socioeconomically empowered then Burundian ones. However, gender equalising empowerment still has to confront prevailing gender norms and hierarchies in both cases. In sum, women’s socioeconomic empowerment is found as gender roles are challenged, previous closed spaces are opening up and women’s societal value are transformed in post-genocide Rwanda and post-civil war Burundi. Destructive conflicts can generate reconstructive empowerment of women and opportunities for peace.