Why Women? Inclusive Security and Peaceful Societies
Traditional approaches to ending wars—where armed groups meet behind closed doors to hammer out a truce—are falling short in the face of 21st century conflicts. The number of armed conflicts has been increasing over the past decade. In 2014 the world witnessed the highest battle-related death toll since the Cold War. Partly as a means to address these challenges, calls for inclusive approaches to resolving conflict and insecurity have grown louder.
The full impact of women’s participation on peace and security outcomes remains poorly understood. In outlining the existing data, this brief shows how women’s inclusion helps prevent conflict, create peace, and sustain security after war ends. There is overwhelming quantitative evidence that women’s empowerment and gender equality are associated with peace and stability in society. It is argued in this brief that when women influence decisions about war and peace and take the lead against extremism in their communities, it is more likely crises will be resolved without recourse to violence.
Traditional approaches to ending wars—where armed groups meet behind closed doors to hammer out a truce—are falling short in the face of 21st century conflicts. The number of armed conflicts has been increasing over the past decade. In 2014 the world witnessed the highest battle-related death toll since the Cold War. Partly as a means to address these challenges, calls for inclusive approaches to resolving conflict and insecurity have grown louder.
The full impact of women’s participation on peace and security outcomes remains poorly understood. In outlining the existing data, this brief shows how women’s inclusion helps prevent conflict, create peace, and sustain security after war ends. There is overwhelming quantitative evidence that women’s empowerment and gender equality are associated with peace and stability in society. It is argued in this brief that when women influence decisions about war and peace and take the lead against extremism in their communities, it is more likely crises will be resolved without recourse to violence.
