Gender

Gender is a growing focus of transitional justice processes. Yet in reality, not much is changing to transform the structural inequalities that make certain groups more vulnerable to violence.

It is well established that women and girls, men and boys, and people with diverse gender identities all experience conflict and its aftermath differently, which requires us to adapt responses. In times of violence, women are never mere victims but take on a variety of roles, including leading struggles for justice. Their voices are powerful instigators of societal change.

Impunity Watch seeks to:

• Strengthen the participation and influence of women and other marginalised groups in justice processes
• Challenge established gender norms that perpetuate cycles of violence and uphold impunity – such as militarised masculinities

We use a gender-transformative approach in our programmes to address the root causes of gender inequality and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), transform underlying stereotypes, and strengthen women’s participation in wider political arenas.

Gender-transformative justice is a long-term project, since change is required at many levels:

• The individual level of women’s and men’s experiences
• The collective level of families and communities
• The broadest level of international social, political, and economic structures

Engaging men in supporting women’s participation and transforming oppressive masculinities is another crucial strategy to promote changes in gender relations.

How can gender inequality be transformed?

Based on Nancy Fraser’s model of trivalent justice (2008), we believe that change can be promoted in different, but highly interconnected ways:

1. Recognition of women’s and men’s diverse experiences of conflict, as well as the need for transformation of societal ideas and stereotypes that negatively affect them
   Examples: Historical memory processes or truth commissions
2. Redistribution of economic and other resources within society is needed to enable women more equal access and opportunities
   Examples: Transformative reparations
3. Representation of women must be promoted, both in formal and informal transitional justice processes, as well as their political participation
   Examples: Victim participation and mobilisation in transitional justice

Gender-transformative approaches in practice

Impunity Watch aims to promote these three strategies to our work on various levels.

Our gender-transformative approach enhances our work on victim participation by improving the inclusion of women and marginalised groups in transitional justice processes. We address gender and other types of discrimination that inhibit meaningful participation, and provide technical support to key judicial cases on conflict-related gender-based violence.

In addition, we seek to advance gender-transformative approaches through advocacy at local/community level, as well as the international level, such as through the UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council, and the African Union.

We also engage researchers and practitioners to examine the connection between hegemonic masculinities and violence and exclusion, for example through our research in Burundi and Guatemala, and formulate policy recommendations. By initiating dialogue on such topics, we aim to demonstrate that alternative expressions of ‘maleness’ and gender that are disconnected from violence or repression can help foster just and peaceful societies.

Through consistent engagement of our partners, we hope to strengthen the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, such as UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security, and other gender justice norms.