August 4, 2023, 12:07 am
The establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019 was a watershed moment for the struggle for peace in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. Women have played a key role in the Bangsamoro peace process and now, with the creation of the BARMM, have key position as ministers in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), bureaucrats throughout the new government’s ministries, and as civil society leaders. However, the gendered challenges facing women across the BARMM remain and continue to be exploited by violent armed groups to drive recruitment and female participation in armed conflict.
Indeed, from the Maute Matriarchs to recruiters and mothers, women have played key roles in political violence across the region. Drawing on field research and my experiences working in Mindanao, I explore the gendered dynamics of violent extremism and peacebuilding across the BARMM, and the key challenges facing the region over the next three years of the transition extension.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
