Gender and Conflict: The Theoretical Discourse and Women’s Experiences of Conflict in Assam, India

Conflict is a universal human phenomenon. It is considered to be inherent in human nature, an idea which has been strongly upheld by Charles Darwin’s famous notion ‘survival of the fittest’. This implies that ever since humans have existed, they have been resorting to conflict for their survival. What has changed over time is the reasons humans resort to conflict, and with that, the form and intensity of conflict itself. In today’s world, conflict has acquired new dimensions and is becoming increasingly violent. Until recently, however, one thing remained constant: conflict has primarily been associated with men. Women have been considered at best a passive witness to conflict. This notion has been challenged by feminist scholars who have tried relentlessly to bring forth women as active agents in the process of conflict. Feminist scholars have also highlighted the effects of violence and violent conflict situations on women. One major way to do this is to look at conflict from a gendered perspective. In what ways do women and conflict interact, and how and to what extent does gender affect this interaction? Furthermore, in what ways do women’s experiences of conflict differ from men’s, and what role does gender play in causing this difference? These are some of the issues that have been explored in this paper.