Gender markings of war through the family perspective: The role of Serbian women in war

War events lead to various contradictory and opposing positions, both between the warring parties and in terms of gender – men and women. War is a gender-defined category, par excellence. Since ancient times, it has been a socially acceptable opinion that men fight and defend the homeland, while women are almost always excluded from war operations. However, historical facts testify to the great contribution of women in war events, but also to the marginalization of women’s role in war compared to men. Understanding the position and role of women in war is an important sociological concept that should be observed from diametrically different aspects. It is through the family perspective of the woman’s role primarily as mother that her role and position in war is perceived. The aim of the paper is to shed light on the importance of heroines who were unjustly left without decorations for their sacrifice in war, as well as the special testimony and memory of glorious Serbian women who should be preserved from oblivion by collective memory, as well as to point out the need for preserving the remembrance of the famous Serbian women in collective memory. The work methodology is based on the review of theoretical literature and the analysis of relevant scientific sources dealing with the question of gender, war and women’s role in war events. Special attention is dedicated to various theoretical approaches, including the masculinist, culturalist and feminist viewpoints, with the aim of perceiving gender asymmetry in the war context. The results point to traditional frameworks of family and private sphere. In conclusion, it is necessary to reevaluate women’s contribution and preserve their role in collective memory.