US Institute of Peace Event, Feb. 16th, 10:30 AM

Female Soldiers and DDR: Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Colombia

February 16, 2011, 10:30am-12:00pm EST
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd floor
1200 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

RSVP: http://female-soldiers-and-ddr.eventbrite.com/

How are the roles of "soldier" and "victim" defined by post-conflict programs? Most disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs are limited in the ways in which issues specific to female combatants are addressed. Even the titles given to female soldiers, such as "females associated with the war," "dependents," or "camp followers" reveal the reluctance of reintegration agencies to identify females who participated in war as soldiers. Why during post-conflict are those women-who once played highly securitized roles, such as soldiers -- de-emphasized in post-conflict policymaking?

Please join us for an event during which panelists will examine particular challenges faced by female ex-combatants in post-conflict environments, and ways in which reintegration agencies and post-conflict programs can integrate gender into their work.

At this event, Dr. Megan Mackenzie, a widely-acclaimed specialist on the dilemmas of female soldiers in Sierra Leone, will discuss her work exploring the impact of this categorization in which the reintegration process for men has been securitized, or emphasized, as an essential element of the transition from war to peace. In contrast, the reintegration process for females has been deemed a social concern and moralized as a return to normal.

This event will feature the following speakers:

Megan Mackenzie
Lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Relations
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Louis-Alexandre Berg, Discussant
Jennings-Randolph Peace Scholar
U.S. Institute of Peace

Colette Rausch, Discussant
Director, Rule of Law Program
U.S. Institute of Peace

Virginia Bouvier, Discussant
Sr. Program Officer, Colombia Program
U.S. Institute of Peace

Kathleen Kuehnast, Moderator
Director, Gender and Peacebuilding Center
U.S. Institute of Peace