Not Just a Case of ‘Dealing with the Bad Guys’: Applying a Gender Lens to Preventing Violent Extremism
with Dr. Henri Myrttinen, Head of Gender and Peacebuilding, International Alert
Date: February 17, 2017
Time: 1:30 – 2:30pm
Venue: IDRC’s Pearson Boardroom, 8th floor, 150 Kent Street, Ottawa
The event is free, but seating is limited. Kindly RSVP.
Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism has quickly risen to the top of the global policy agenda. The passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2242 in 2015, which highlighted the pivotal link between gender equality and international peace and security, has heightened international interest in using a gender lens in this area of work.
Taking a gender approach is useful, but only to the degree in which the analysis of gender roles and dynamics is nuanced. Based on International Alert’s work in the Middle East and North Africa, Nigeria, and Afghanistan, the talk will highlight some of the complexities of these gender dynamics, and address some of the potential pitfalls and emerging best practices of applying a critical gender lens to preventing and countering violent extremism.
Part of IDRC’s Inclusive Economies Gender Speaker Series, this event is co-hosted with the Women, Peace and Security Network – Canada. The event will be held in English but questions are welcome in both English and French. The event is free, but seating is limited. Kindly RSVP.
Dr. Henri Myrttinen is Head of Gender and Peacebuilding at International Alert. He has over 15 years of experience working on gender, conflict and peacebuilding, with a particular focus on masculinities. Henri has worked extensively in different conflict-affected contexts and has also published numerous papers and chapters on various aspects of gender and conflict. He holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a thesis on masculinities and violence in Timor-Leste.