The Role of Women in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building in the Sudan Case Study Kassala and Rea Sea states

Abstract

The aims of this research are to enrich the conceptual understanding about the role of women in conflict through find out the approaches that women use for their involvement in conflict and peace building process. And explain women's current role in meditations and reconciliation and transform conflict and peace building. And it aims also to assess the socio – economic and environmental and health impacts of conflict and peace on women in the area, in order to recommends ways that provide expanding the role of women in peace building process in Eastern Sudan. The research adopts an interrelated approach depending mainly on the inductive methodology and descriptive analysis by using the field survey in the internal displace camps IDPs, as well as Questionnaires designing to collect information covering the sample size of 462 divided into two categories; 400 for the IDPs women in the camps, selected according stratified sampling method and 62 for the members of the organizations and institutions in (Kassala and Red Sea) were selected by simple random method. The statistical package for social science program was used for the entry and analyzes of the data collected. The study arrived at the following results and finding: 1. Women play an important role in transformation conflict and building peace in the area, they are beneficiary from termination of war or conflict and building peace in community. 2. The findings confirm that there is a significant difference between women's contribution in the formal and informal conflicts and peace process. 3. the study reveals that factors influence the participation of women in conflict transformation and peace building process in Eastern Sudan are: lack of gender awareness or political will that perpetuates patriarchy and old/negative traditions, the social structure of the family in eastern Sudan and the reproductive role of women as well as the high illiteracy rate among women in the area. These lead to low confidence levels and lack of self-esteem among women. It is worth-mentioning that, the high illiteracy rate among women is influential one. The research points out packages of recommendations including, 1- There is a need to raise the awareness among decision maker of the importance of the role of women in conflict transformation and peace building. 2- Change the misconception in some women that peace building operations related to political affair of men. 3- The policy maker should be developing thبناء السلام e capacity building opportunities to help women acquire the expertise required to participate in formal peace building. 4- Provide technical support to organizations associations and activating its role in raising awareness among women in the region.