Attachments
INTRODUCTION
This technical brief synthesizes current research and stakeholder understandings of the intersections of masculinities and disabilities in the contexts of conflict and post-conflict settings, with the goal of improving disability-inclusive approaches to engaging men and boys in gender equality.
Any armed conflict inevitably increases the prevalence of disability through newly acquired impairments and trauma. It also highlights and augments social and structural inequalities present in pre-war times and exposes the most vulnerable populations to increased hardships. As such, the impact of armed conflicts on persons with disabilities, who make up around 15 per cent of the world’s population, is disproportionately high and has largely remained unaddressed. While compromised infrastructure, interrupted delivery of vital services, lack of access to information and communication, and the breakdown of societal support structures increase the vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities, their general invisibility and lack of participation in conflict prevention and resolution strategies often result in their needs being overlooked.
Field observations show that the experiences of persons having acquired a disability during a conflict — whether in combat or as a civilian — will be vastly different from the experiences of those with pre-existing disabilities. Furthermore, persons with disabilities are also at risk of obtaining secondary disabilities as a result of individual attacks; landmines; disruption in food, water, medical and rehabilitation supplies and services; lack of (accessible) housing; compromised water, sanitation and hygiene facilities; and psychological trauma (United Nations, General Assembly, 2021, para. 31).
The gendered dimensions of war are also undeniable. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable in contexts of conflict and war, having to navigate displacement, food scarcity, economic uncertainty, human trafficking, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence, and a lack of critical health services, all while caring for children and others in need (UNFPA, 2022). Women who wish to take part in combat — and later in peace and rebuilding efforts — are often denied the opportunity to do so (Equal Everywhere, 2022).
The gendered dimensions of war also impact men yet are often left unspoken. War is driven primarily by male leaders, fought primarily by men (by choice, coercion or force), and supported by a masculinist culture that promotes dominance and violence. The costs of war include men and women who love each other — as parents, children, spouses, lovers, siblings — and who have to say goodbye to one another, uncertain of whether they will ever see each other again or of how the traumatic events of war will impact them. That is, the gendered dimensions of war are individual, cultural and relational.
As one of the results of intersecting identities, women and persons with disabilities find themselves at an even higher risk of exposure to war-related crimes: disabled women and girls are more vulnerable to domestic abuse, family-based violence and human trafficking than the general population, while persons with disabilities living in rural and remote areas as well as those displaced by conflict struggle to secure equitable access to essential resources, information and shelter (United Nations, General Assembly, 2021, para. 34; UNDP, 2022).
When a conflict recedes and gives way to peacebuilding, reconstruction and, eventually, reconciliation work, the intense motivation to return to “normal” and rebuild nations can often lead to a renewed emphasis on traditional gender norms that reinforce gender inequalities.
Nation-building and peacemaking can be imbued with problematic concepts and stereotypes concerning gender — for example, that women belong in the home; that men must “return” to the role of breadwinner; that women are peacemakers and men are not (though in reality women are often denied participation in peacemaking efforts, and men lead in decision-making and enforcement related to peace).
Masculinist nation-building is not inevitable, nor is it particularly effective. Building a resilient country equipped to thrive in the long run requires a more nuanced vision and gender-equitable culture and set of practices. Research shows, in fact, that a disability- and gender-inclusive approach is key to ensuring sustainable and lasting progress. Post-conflict rebuilding and social inclusion are mutually supportive: inclusive foundations for addressing collective and individual trauma, rebuilding infrastructures and services, and delivering community support mean more equitable societies in the future. Equitable and inclusive societies in their turn have a positive effect on reducing and de-escalating conflicts (United Nations, General Assembly, 2021, para. 35).
In recent years, a lot of helpful research and guidance has been developed to support gender and disability-inclusive conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation (IASC, 2015; IASC, 2019). The purpose of the present research is to complement these tools as well as the earlier technical report commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia on how to mainstream disability inclusiveness in work with men and boys for gender equality (Pascoe and Arsenjeva, 2023), by highlighting and further developing a specific angle relevant to UNFPA’s work: the engagement of men and boys on the issue of gender equality and disability, particularly as it relates to conflict and post-conflict settings.
Indeed, the ability of men and boys to see their vested interest as co-beneficiaries, allies and agents of change in ending violence and discrimination is a necessary building block for gender equality and is particularly important in sensitive conflict and post-conflict situations (UNDP, 2022). Research continues to confirm the benefits of living in genderequitable societies for all people, including for men and boys. For example, men living in gender-equitable societies are more satisfied with life, sleep better, and take better care of themselves and others (Karpf, 2020; WHO, 2018).
This technical brief provides evidence-informed strategies for meaningful engagement with men and boys to promote gender and disability inclusion in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Drawing from both a systematic review of the literature as well as interviews with key stakeholders, this report clarifies how we can better meet men where they are and equip them with the skills necessary to contribute to peaceful and gender- and disability-inclusive societies, particularly in conflict and post-conflict environments.