Women and their roles in peace building in conflict vulnerable areas of Mindanao, Philippines

A disaster of manmade origin, conflict is a violent struggle resulting in destructive outcomes for people and the natural environment. The recovery process can be greatly hampered by issues of mistrust that characterise conflict vulnerable communities. Women, however, can be effective in various roles to overcome mistrust and assist the peace-building process. This chapter reports an action research to identify the roles of women in conflict-vulnerable areas of Mindanao, Philippines. Initial findings suggest that women are an untapped resource who can be effective in various roles to overcome mistrust between people as well as support community-based recovery processes.