Women's multi‐faceted roles in peacebuilding initiatives: Insights from pastoral communities in west Pokot County, Kenya

Abstract

Women are central custodians of their families. Women constitute at least half of the population in most countries worldwide, yet their role in peacebuilding is often undermined, especially among the pastoral communities where patriarchal structures dominate. Women are increasingly being acknowledged as dual agents of conflicts and peace but the dearth of knowledge on their contribution in peacebuilding would jeopardize policy interventions around women, security, and peace. This article leveraged qualitative research design. Data was collected through semi‐structured and key informant interviews, focus groups, and case narrations, with women in West Pokot County, Kenya, who had been actively involved in peacebuilding activities to unveil their roles in peacebuilding in this conflict‐stricken region. Participant observation and archival data were also employed in the study. Thematic content analysis denoted an inhospitable region with elusive socio‐economic progress occasioned by protracted intra‐ and intercommunity conflicts driving women's fight for peace. From developing early warning systems and leveraging their matriarchal influence, social networks, religious spaces, and integration of cultural perspectives in peacemaking, Pokot women deterred warriors from cattle rustling promoting peace in the region. The transformative peacebuilding efforts of Pokot women advocate for a paradigm shift in global conflict resolution strategies emphasizing inclusion, adaptability and sustainability.