Call for Submissions: Symposium on Gender, Conflict, & Global Environmental Change

Sep 14, 2014 | Peace Review

Under the guest editorship of Dr. Christiane Fröhlich (Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at Hamburg University, IFSH) and Dr. Giovanna Gioli (Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg), Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice is dedicating part of issue 27(2) to explore the nexus between gender, natural resources, and conflict (de-)escalation processes in order to build inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge on gender-sensitive conflict analyses in the context of global environmental change.

Gender is considered to be an important factor in both conflict and environmental research. Since the 1970s, the "gender & environment" scholarship (encompassing both natural resources, especially water, and, more recently, climate change) have contributed to highlight the role played by gender in determining access to and control over natural resources. Similarly, "gender & conflict" scholars and practitioners have delved into the role of constructed femininities and masculinities as well as gendered discourses as factors of power consolidation and acquisition. The 1995 Beijing Plan for Action included  “women and armed conflict” and “women and the environment” as critical areas of concern for promoting the status of women. Yet, due to disciplinary boundaries as well as to policy agendas and donor priorities, there has been scant cross-fertilization and dialogue between these research areas, and very few studies have addressed the three dimensions of the nexus together.

Gender is a relevant category both for the analysis of conflict (de-)escalation and the understanding of differing vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities with regard to global environmental change. The growing interest in environmental conflict and conflicts over natural resources has yet to lead to a comprehensive analysis of their gender dimension, which could replace the prevailing prescriptive recommendations.

We invite essays and case studies that explore the theoretical and practical development of the above sketched nexus, its relationship to other agencies and frameworks, and how challenges are identified and managed. Questions to be addressed include:

I. What is the relationship between gender identities, the symbolic and material construction of the environment and dynamics of conflict (de-)escalation?

II. How do international and national actors and discourses influence the relationship between gender-coded power relations and the interlacing of resource scarcity, adaptive capacity, and conflict escalation?

III. How do gender-differentiated resource utilization and local adaptive practices influence conflict (de-)escalation processes?

We welcome essays that are both reflective of the process thus far and/or look forward to new opportunities. Interested writers should submit essays (2500-3500 words) and 1-2 line bios to Peace Review no later than January 15th, 2015. Essays should be jargon- and footnote-free, although we will run Recommended Readings. Please refer to the Submission Guidelines.

We publish essays on ideas and research in peace studies, broadly defined. Essays are relatively short (2500-3500 words), contain no footnotes or exhaustive bibliography, and are intended for a wide readership. The journal is most interested in the cultural and political issues surrounding conflicts occurring between nations and peoples.

Please direct content-based questions or concerns to Guest Editors:

Dr. Christiane Fröhlich (froehlich@ifsh.de) &
Dr. Giovanna Gioli (giovanna.gioli@zmaw.de)

Send Essays to:
Robert Elias (Editor in Chief)
Erika Myszynski (Managing Editor)
Email: peacereview@usfca.edu
Subject Line: Gender