Angolan women in the aftermath of conflict Henda Ducados (2004) Women’s experiences of the Angolan conflict – not just as victims but also as soldiers, leaders and activists – have been largely ignored and are poorly understood. Henda Ducados analyses how the conflict affected women’s role in the household, economy and society. Once dominated by and mass organizations such as the MPLA’s Organization of Angolan Women and UNITA’s Independence League for Angolan Women, newer civil society groups have now emerged. Their relative weakness is explained by patriarchal structures, the lack of civil society space and the very different ways many women experienced the war and its aftermath. The role of women in supporting peace and sustainable development needs to be better understood, orienting policies that enable their participation in all spheres of society.
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