Gendered Battlefields

The report examines how gender structures the conduct and experience of armed conflict, noting that men typically define the parameters of war and are more likely to be killed in combat, while women are more frequently victims of sexual violence. It critiques essentialist views of gender—which see masculinity as inherently aggressive and femininity as inherently peaceful—and instead advocates for a constructionist approach that recognizes gender identities as socially formed and changeable. The document highlights the need for a 'critical mass' of women (approximately 30%) in political decision-making to qualitatively shift political culture toward more cooperative and 'soft' value-based approaches. It concludes with recommendations for the United Nations and member states to mainstream gender in peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and the prosecution of gender-specific war crimes, such as systematic rape.

• The parameters of war are typically defined by men because the public sphere of political life, where decisions about war are made, has traditionally been a male domain.
• War affects men and women differently: men are more likely to be killed in combat, while women are primarily the targets of rape, which the UN Human Rights Commission estimates occurs for every 100 pregnancies during conflict.
• Post-conflict vulnerability is gendered; women and children make up 70% to 80% of the global refugee population and are more susceptible to economic and sexual exploitation.
• The report argues against 'essentialism'—the belief that gender traits are static and biological—and supports 'constructionism,' which posits that gender identities are socially constructed and therefore capable of change.
• A 'critical mass' of approximately 30% of women in political positions is necessary to qualitatively change political culture and discourse.
• In Scandinavian parliaments, the presence of a critical mass of women has been linked to an increased emphasis on 'soft' values, such as family matters, environment, and equality, as well as a greater sense of cooperation across party lines.
• Militarization is described as a process where military values and behaviors dominate a state's political, social, and economic affairs, often relying on stereotyped norms of masculinity and femininity to function.
• Rape in war is analyzed through five hypotheses, ranging from it being a 'natural part of warfare' and a tool of 'male communication' (humiliating the opponent) to an outcome of fundamental hatred against women (misogyny).
• The report recommends that the systematic use of rape in war be formally recognized as a war crime comparable to terrorism and torture within international law, specifically the 1977 additional protocol to the Geneva Convention.
• The report suggests that femininity is not inherently peaceful and masculinity is not inherently aggressive; rather, the value-systems that lead to war are male-related but not exclusively male.

APA

Skjelsbeek, I. (1997). Gendered Battlefields. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/04d31064-8d8d-42f1-9327-f6e604b87b65/Skjelsbaek - 1997 - Gendered Battlefields.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Skjelsbeek, Inger. Gendered Battlefields. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 1997. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/04d31064-8d8d-42f1-9327-f6e604b87b65/Skjelsbaek - 1997 - Gendered Battlefields.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Skjelsbeek |first1=Inger |title=Gendered Battlefields |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=October 1997 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/04d31064-8d8d-42f1-9327-f6e604b87b65/Skjelsbaek - 1997 - Gendered Battlefields.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{skjelsbeek1997gendered, author = {Skjelsbeek, Inger}, title = {{Gendered Battlefields}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {1997}, month = oct, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/04d31064-8d8d-42f1-9327-f6e604b87b65/Skjelsbaek - 1997 - Gendered Battlefields.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }