Engendering Peace and Development in the Land of Promise? Maranao Women in a Mindanao Peacebuilding Program, The Philippines

This study aims to understand the engendered pattern of power relations in one peacebuilding program, the Peace and Development Community (PDC) in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. PDC is a multilateral donor funded assistance in consonance with 1996 peace agreement of the Government of the Philip-pines and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It problematize the theory of intersectionality and inclusivity as contrasting paradigms, and from this starting point investigates Maranao women’s positioning, views, experiences and power relations in establishing a PDC in Barangay Muntay, Lanao del Norte, Mindanao. The case study is PDC Muntay, a mixed community of Mus-lims and Christians, where former MNLF rebels integrated themselves into mainstream society, and established a PDC. The case study is interesting from a gender perspective because of the mix of Muslim and Christian, and the in-clusive approach adopted. Moreover, in order to examine the visibility, identity and engagement of women in the PDC, a mixed of ethnographical and partici-patory research methods proved a useful starting point for collecting data. In-depth discussions took place in both formal and informal settings. The ques-tion of representation of women in peace building will mainly understood from the point of view of the women themselves, using relevant literature and policy documents. Critiques and analyses on gender, peace and development were sought so that gender models could help understanding and recognising the agency of women, not as others but as co-equal partners in society and in all peace and development efforts.