Over a decade of violent conflict in the Lake Chad Basin region has had profoundly gendered effects. People of all genders have been concurrently involved in the conflict, either voluntarily or forced, most notably as part of community militias or groups such as Jama’atu Ahl al-Sunna li-l-Da‘wa wa-l-Jihad (JASDJ), Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and similar groups.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which engages in interventions focused on disengagement, disassociation, reintegration and reconciliation (DDRR) recognizes that a gender-transformative approach, supported by a proper analysis, is essential. Taking a qualitative methods approach that draws on data collected in interviews with 50 people (17 women and 33 men) in communities across the Région du Lac and N’Ddjamena, this study examined gender dynamics around the DDRR process in Chad and formulated recommendations to enable gender transformation. This executive summary presents the study’s key findings.