Transforming Masculinities through Family and Community: Post-Conflict Lessons for Gender Equality

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of masculinities within family and community settings in post-conflict regions of Aceh, Maluku, and Bangsamoro, drawing on a secondary analysis of the dataset from Reconstructing Masculinities: Gender Dynamics After Conflict in Aceh, Maluku, and Bangsamoro Mindanao (Affiat, Rahmadhani & Nakayama, 2024). This study applies a qualitative thematic approach grounded in theories of hegemonic and caring masculinities to explore the expression of masculinities in household and communal practices. The findings indicate a norm shift away from physical aggression as a marker of manhood, but persistent reinforcement of dominance continues to reproduce gendered hierarchies within households and community institutions. Provider- and protection-based roles remain central to male identity, sustaining their decision-making authority and reinforcing constraints on women’s autonomy and economic participation. Simultaneously, men’s increased inclination to value peaceful conflict resolution and responsibility in fatherhood opens the way for caring masculinities grounded in relational interconnectedness, shared caregiving and domestic duties. However, these shifts are hindered by unresolved trauma, economic insecurity, and religious and customary authority as defenders of the norm. Masculinity transformation requires systemic gender-responsive interventions that strengthen the emotional and economic infrastructures of care and structural inequality, as well as engage the family and community as sites of change.