Peacebuilding and Gender Inclusivity: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh

The work of women’s groups and civil society organizations led by women in conflict zones is underestimated and under resourced, yet these groups continue to be a voice of the marginalized. By examining the case of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, focusing on the 44-Day war in 2020 until now and the history leading to this moment, this research seeks to demonstrate how women’s role in peacebuilding are pivotal and should not be trivialized. Women working with civil society organizations, human rights organizations, and photography collectives, have proven to take a more non-violent approach, and they are more successful at utilizing out-of-the-box methods, specifically digital media tools. When official top-down approaches fail women in conflict situations, civil society organizations step in to fill the gaps. Whereas formal negotiation tactics often seem to be fruitless, the use of these out-of-the-box tools develop safe spaces to share, listen, build empathy, and humanize each other. This dissertation illuminates how women are using digital media tools to do peace work even as active armed conflict can erupt at any time. These contributions should not be overlooked; instead, they underscore that women’s inclusion in peace processes is imperative