Particular accepted gender roles are enforced during times of peace and war, often with violent consequences. Initially this essay will explore the meaning behind gender roles, their creation and their importance in modern society. Using a case study of conflict and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this essay will then investigate the prevalence of sexual violence in war. Gender is a social construct and exists independently. It is an invention of society that dictates what is “male” and what is “female”. Cultural practices and norms further permeate the construction of gender, with stereotypes and dictates from the media and governing bodies regarding how the sexes should identify. Gender associates “feminine” with female and “masculine” with male and suggests that these characteristics should be exclusive to sex. The female and the male are themselves constructed at birth on the basis of the child's genitals; intersex children are often subjected to physical changes in an attempt to "organize" them into a particular social category. Gender determines the roles that humans must play in society, and therefore children are taught from an early age the accepted characteristics of their gender. Into adulthood, the teaching appears to continue, as a plethora of media and a variety of social discourses outline the behavior that those of a particular gender are expected to exhibit. Social representation of gender determines what hobbies we should pursue, how we communicate with others, the type of work we should do, and even the sex we should be attracted to. Creating a hierarchy in society is possible only if there are points of difference between people, and therefore particular physical elements of a human being are chosen and reported...... in the center of the card ...... on the subordinate, and to highlight the dominance of the masculine over the feminine. Works cited Bracewell, W 2000, 'Rape in Kosovo: masculinity and Serbian nationalism', Nations and Nationalism, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 563--590. Cockburn, C 2013, 'War and security, women and gender: an overview of the issues', Gender and Development, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 433--452. Lorber, J 1994, Paradoxes of gender 1st edn, Yale University Press, New Haven. Mostov, J 1995, '“OUR WOMENS”/“THEIR WOMENS” Symbolic Boundaries, Territorial Markers, and Violence in the Balkans, Peace and Change, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 515-529. Seifert, R 1996, 'The second front: the logic of sexual violence in wars', , vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 35-43. Skjelsbaek, I 2001, 'Sexual violence and war: mapping a complex relationship', European Journal of International Relations, vol. 7, no. 2, pages. 211--237.