Gendered Battlefields: A Contextual and Comparative Analysis of Women's Participation in Armed conflicts in Africa

Abstract

The level of women's participation in armed violence in Africa is determined by the nature and typology of conflict. Using prior research as a data source, the article examines the nature of women's participation in ongoing and recently-concluded armed conflicts in 15 countries in Africa. Based upon data that show variations, and similarities in the contextual conditions under which women become war participants, this article presents three kinds of wars, and the conditions that distinguish them from one another, as a theoretical framework in analysing women's involvement in Africa's armed conflicts. The findings show that in 'resources/opportunistic' driven wars, women's participation is higher and more complex when compared to 'ethno-religious' and 'secessionist/autonomy' driven wars. Moreover, this paper finds that women’s participation can be active and passive; coerced and voluntary.