Woman as Peacemaker or the Ambivalent Politics of Myth

Abstract

Feminist arguments in favor of an increased participation of women in the public and the political spheres have sometimes resorted to the thesis of an alleged superior ability of women to take into account the relational dimension of human life, whether acquired in the private experience of family life or considered to be an innate feminine disposition. In this context, the myth of woman as a peacemaker has gained visibility and indeed has sometimes functioned as a countermyth in feminist politics. This paper examines the occurrences and uses of this myth from Aristophanes to the debates surrounding the ethics of care, through the suffragist movement, as well as the critiques that have been addressed to it.

Keywords

• conflict
• countermyth
• ethics of care
• feminism
• peace
• politics