ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 7(1), 467-477 467 Journal Homepage: -www.journalijar.com Article DOI:10.21474/IJAR01/8351 DOI URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/8351 RESEARCH ARTICLE “THE IMPACT OF GENDER IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN AFRICA”. Dashe Yilkur Butnap 1 and Kangdim Dingji Maza 2 . 1. Department of Political Science,University of Jos, P.M.B 2084 Jos, Plateau State- Nigeria. 2. Near East University Lefkosa,Via Mersin 10, Turkey. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Manuscript Info Abstract ……………………. ……………………………………………………………… Manuscript History Received: 08 November 2018 Final Accepted: 10 December 2018 Published: January 2019 Key words:- Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Gender bias, Gender mainstreaming and Feminism. The modern international system since her emergence in 1648 has been plagued by series of conflict and instability especially in the decolonized countries of Africa. Even though, there have been series of peacebuilding efforts and approaches to conflict resolution, it has been accused of excluding the paradigm of gender in her analysis and discourse. This paper sought to explain the important contributions of gender and her impact in conflict management in Africa. Through literatures and key informant interviews, the study was able to establish the nexus between gender and conflict, explain how the feminist paradigm challenged the mainstream theories of International Relations of neglecting the critical role of gender in the peace building process. From all these prism, the study has been able to discover that for any meaningful conflict resolution mechanism to be effective, the need for harmony and gender balance is not only necessary but is also key in guaranteeing the success of the peace building process. Copy Right, IJAR, 2017,. All rights reserved. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction:- The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia has been described by scholars within the spectrum of academia as the epoch event which gave rise to the modern international state system given the fact that it was able to lay the concrete foundation for the academic discipline or area which is referred to as international relations today. International relations as an academic area of study, has been defined by scholars as the study of “all interactions amongst states and other actors in the global system”. (Fawole, 2003). In analyzing the nature and character of such interactions amongst states, the academic discipline has various lenses, prism and theoretical frameworks which tend to explain how this relationship takes place. These approaches have been categorized as mainstream or positivist paradigms and post- modern or post-positivist approach. The positivist approach (es) to the study of international relations has theories such as realism, liberalism, neo-liberalism and Marxism while the post-positivist approaches has theories such as critical school, constructivism, feminism, post-structuralism and post-colonialism. Most often than not, these mainstream approaches to the study of global politics came under severe criticism of excluding other key and important variants of international relations discourse in her unit of analysis one of such example of non-inclusion is the sensitive issue of “gender” in international relations discourse given the important role women play in the society today. This politics of exclusion by these mainstream theorists gave birth to this post-positivist approach of “Feminism” which is gradually becoming an important paradigm in analyzing global politics. Corresponding Author:-Dashe Yilkur Butnap. Address:-Department of Political Science,University of Jos, P.M.B 2084 Jos, Plateau State- Nigeria.