Which masculinities for a safer and fair world? - Reflections from TJ

Impunity Watch seeks to transform root causes of impunity for meaningful, structural change. Victims’ groups have identified violent/ militarised masculinities as one such root cause, which impedes the non-recurrence of serious human rights violations. Militarised masculinities are gender norms that connect ideals of masculinity to military service and combat, naturalising the use of violence and oppression.

This conversation unpacks the concept of violent/militarised masculinities and its links to upholding impunity, ahead of the NATO summit and the 25th anniversary of the UN resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. We will situate lessons from transitional and post-conflict settings within the context of evolving geopolitical challenges, and offer victim-led reflections on why integrating a masculinities perspective is vital for conflict prevention and durable peace efforts.

Co-organised with the Dutch Gender Platform WO=MEN, we invite attendees of the Road to Summit programme and the Just Peace festival to join us in coming together and challenging our thinking beyond traditional frameworks of security and towards alternative pathways to cooperation, peace, and justice. The discussion will be followed by a borrel/ reception (19:00-20:00).

Impunity Watch also aims for this event to inform upcoming reports on the ‘Linkages between Violent/Militarized Masculinities and Impunity’, co-funded by the Global Initiative Against Impunity and the European Union. This event is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supporting our objective of brokering knowledge between grassroots experiences and high-level decision makers to amplify victim participation in justice and accountability processes.

Moderator: Brandon Hamber is a member of the board at Impunity Watch, and an expert in transitional justice and integrating masculinities into conflict-prevention. Check out our podcast featuring Brandon on this topic.

Panelists:

• Philipp Schulz is a post-Doctoral researcher at Bremen University, specialising in the gender dynamics of armed conflicts and political violence, with a particular focus on masculinities
• Anne-Floor Dekker is the Executive Director of the Dutch gender platform WO=MEN, which coordinates the National Action Plan 1325
• Christella Niyonzima is the Head of Programmes at Impunity Watch Burundi, and a transitional justice and peacebuilding practitioner who specialises in community-driven and gender-transformative approaches
• Jolanda Bosch is an assistant professor at the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) and teaches Military Ethics, with research expertise on the masculine orientation of military organizations