Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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Although mediation provides divorcing couples savings in cost and time, along with a resolution more frequently heeded than that reached through litigation, a truly equitable solution cannot be reached unless the mediator is able to recognize the gender-based power imbalances inherent in the mediation process. Critics contend that mediation’s portrayal as a more humane method of dispute resolution is only adhered to by women; men approach the proceeding in a more adversarial fashion, creating power imbalances that mediators are not  capable of handling. The author answers the critics with realistic and thought-provoking suggestions to correct the gender-based imbalance and establish mediation as a universally accepted method of resolving family disputes.

Aprevalent and predominant criticism of the family mediation movement is its failure to address the widespread imbalance of power between men and women, particularly within the context of battered women and the perpetuation of a patriarchal familial paradigm. 1 These concerns may be alleviated, or at least addressed, through education in the area of gender problems and politics, as well as through greater female representation in the profession of mediation.