Such as we need to think about including women and girls [along with LGBTIQ+ and diverse masculinities] in our development /peacebuilding programs we should also need to rethink about how the patriarchal agenda dictates how we operate. Just as sometimes females can replicate misogyny (even the most hardcore feminists) we can also replicate other parts of the male-dominant system, like the use of violence, which is a very much masculine-centered approach. Violence, heroism, competitiveness, which are very central to our culture, are often identified more to masculine qualities in a binary system.
Feminisms from the global south and from postcolonial studies suggest interesting approaches to this. Recover cooperation, collaboration and nurturing in our processes. Stop thinking about our work in the rhetoric and language of a battlefield. If we care about relationships (which we should if we are even thinking of long-term lasting approaches) let’s be creative and think outside this system. Let’s stop following that agenda. What can we build differently? Can we even imagine it to be? Since the “feminine” is regarded as “weak” this approaches don’t seem to many as “combative” enough. They are not, and they should not pretend to be. Instead, they should be proactive and, overall, deeply questioning and transgressive.
