Women, Shared Leadership, and Policy: The Mano River Women's Peace Network Case Study

"With fires still burning from the latest battle, the women of Musaga {Burundi} collected what food and clothing they could for victims in Busoro. Then they marched to the local government office, where they rallied with their sisters from Busoro to demand an end to the killing. The Tutsi and Hutu women clasped hands to sing 'Give us peace. Give us peace now!' They sang together for hours before making their separate, dangerous ways back home. And although the war continued, something important had changed. The road that divided them now connected them, and through their local peace group, Twishakira amahoro ('we want to have peace'), the women of the villages have worked to keep this connection strong" (Fleshman, 2003, p.1). This case study began with a seemingly straightforward and simple question. In what ways is The Mano River Women's Peace Network (MARWOPNET) unique in the field of peacekeeping? As I began the research online, possible layers of investigation and pathways for inquiry revealed the complexity of this exploration. Discussions associated with this research topic include: theories of gender and leadership; the role of gender in violent conflicts and negotiations; the functions (theoretical and actual) of policy in eradicating violence; the relationship between gender and communication; and the examination of these topics through an African perspective. In writing this case study, I have woven together aspects of these additional lines of inquiry while maintaining a focus on the original research question. Of particular note is any substantive presence of writings by Africans in the academic field of leadership. One of the strategies of this essay is to present some of the current theories on the subject of leadership, re-examining these discussions in an African context. I have prioritized the words of African women and men in regards to leadership and peacekeeping in their communities to reveal their on-the-ground and scholarly contributions. This research project is compiled using secondary sources. As such this essay could be categorized as a beginning theoretical treatise from which I plan to use primary sources in further research. This paper will present a context for the need of female peacekeepers, including the conditions of women and children in conflict zones, international legislation related to women peacekeepers, theories of leadership, examples of male support and cooperation, a discussion of African women's strategies in the inclusion of diverse stakeholders, The Mano River Women's Peace Network's unique structure of decentralized, collaborative leadership and my closing reflections. This research project was not conducted dispassionately, the discovery and interpretation of the data collected is representative of my own positioning. As an African American academic and artist whose research and creative projects are done in honor of those who have swept the path before me I have a commitment to the recognition of assets, and the development of resources that contribute to well-being in African and Diasporic communities. As a woman, I came to this project with a prior belief that women's collectivity could play a major role in peacekeeping activities. The evidence proves my original thesis and indicates that it will take an enormous collective and focused effort to combat violence against women in both public and private spheres. Theory, Women, and Leadership As exemplified by the opening story from Burundi the peacekeeping activities of African women provide an excellent example of the ways that women's collectivity can work against the odds to shift hearts, minds, and policy from a war paradigm to peacekeeping and community renewal. There have been numerous studies on power and leadership in regards to women and the majority of them separate individual from collective leadership(s). Recently there has been scholarship that proposes new ways of examining the multiplicity of leadership forms. …