Abstract
The goal of this research paper is to analyze concepts of armed conflict and peacebuilding from a gender perspective using a feminist epistemology approach. I examine the impact of armed conflict on women, and the implications of women’s roles in armed conflict and in peacebuilding processes post-conflict. In doing so, I raise the question of how situations of armed conflict and peacebuilding influence women’s empowerment and contribute to the social transformation of predominantly patriarchal societies post-conflict. Combining both a media and textual analysis of secondary sources, I explore this question in the case of Nepal, a country that experienced armed conflict from 1996-2006 and is undergoing reconstruction. Using these methods, my main findings are that while armed conflict afforded women greater roles and opportunities for empowerment, these enhancements were not sustained in the post-conflict period. Furthermore, while peacebuilding was perceived as a unique opportunity for women’s empowerment, gender inequalities persisted. These findings highlight the need for a better understanding of the implications of women’s contributions, agency, and empowerment for the prevention of future conflict and societal transformation that warrants future research.