Navigating fearscapes: women’s coping strategies with(in) the conservation-conflict nexus in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

The gendered impact of fear from persistent insecurities informs women’s navigation within and through conflict- conservation-shaped landscapes. This article introduces a feminist emotional geography approach into discussions concerning the relationship between conservation conflict studies to explore how enables self-determination agency in generating survival strategies with(in) such ‘violent environments’. Based on visual ethnographic methods employed around Virunga National Park Democratic Republic Congo, photo diaries narratives two women illustrate their attempts make sense fears order develop behavioral coping responses form bartering performativity. Going beyond dominant focus ‘everyday resistance’ against oppressive practices other armed actors conflict, I argue that this fear-induced allows account for compliances collaborations unfolding with landscape actors, afford integrity, ownership body mind.