Publication

This brief, which is based on a study that investigated Pakistani children’s attitudes toward identity, argues that identity-based divides are not the primary drivers of conflict within the country, at least at the community level. The brief further concludes that 1) gender is the one form of identity that remains salient across all age groups when it comes to shaping attitudes towards conflict; 2) dispute resolution at the local level is also primarily a gendered activity; and 3) there is limited agreement on what the main drivers of local conflict are. Finally, a key takeaway from the findings is that programs that aim to address local conflict need to account for how gender affects participation in dispute resolution mechanisms.