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ICRC Humanitarian Law & Policy blog: Masculinity and humanitarianism

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Graham Parsons

As I write, a boy, no older than 2, is bouncing around the café, laughing and ‘chatting’ with passersby. He is a sweet, adorable child. You might not even notice that his clothing stands in stark contrast with his innocence. He is wearing little battle fatigues.
Watching this boy, I am reminded of the tragic connection between masculinity and war. Masculinity enables the permissiveness of killing in war and is a primary motivation for atrocities. For this reason, humanitarians should make the study of masculinity an urgent priority.

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