Feminine Intervention: The Bosnian War and Women’s Roles in Instigating Peace

Women played a significant role both during and after the Bosnian conflicts throughout the 1990s, as they prioritized their continuation of traditional roles in their homes and families, while also promoting gender equality and women’s roles in peacekeeping processes. Women who were directly involved in the aftermath of the Bosnian war often reinforced traditional gender stereotypes through their connections to their roles as mothers and wives, and their emphasis on the relationship and care of individuals who had been physically and mentally traumatized by the war. In response to the brutal rapes and human rights violations that occurred during the Bosnian wars, many women became feminist activists who played a crucial role in prosecuting war criminals, forming and developing NGOs that prioritized women’s gender equality, and participating in peace processes through the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325