Women’s Participation in Peace Negotiations: Connections between Presence and Influence
More than a decade after United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted, the striking absence of women from formal peace negotiations reveals a troubling gap between the aspirations of countless global and regional commitments and the reality of peace processes. It has been 33 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s Declaration on the Participation of Women in Promoting International Peace and Cooperation, 17 years since the UN convened the Fourth World Conference on Women and participating governments issued the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and 12 years since resolution 1325 (2000) made women’s participation in all aspects of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding part of the remit of the Security Council. This imperative has been reiterated in subsequent resolutions, including 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), and 1960 (2010), and in several reports of the Secretary-General on mediation and on women, peace and security...
This paper reviews the modalities of engagement that have been used in various peace processes to enhance women’s participation or the availability of gender expertise. It summarizes women’s demands during peace negotiations as articulated in statements and declarations, assesses the gender-related content of peace agreements, and offers recommendations for the way forward. The findings outlined here will not be news to advocates and activists, but can provide a useful reality check to donors, policymakers and those within the UN and regional organizations upon whom rests the obligation to address the disparity between the goals of resolution 1325 (2000) and the reality of women’s participation in peace processes.
We invite you to read the full report published by our partner, UN WOMEN
More than a decade after United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted, the striking absence of women from formal peace negotiations reveals a troubling gap between the aspirations of countless global and regional commitments and the reality of peace processes. It has been 33 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s Declaration on the Participation of Women in Promoting International Peace and Cooperation, 17 years since the UN convened the Fourth World Conference on Women and participating governments issued the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and 12 years since resolution 1325 (2000) made women’s participation in all aspects of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding part of the remit of the Security Council. This imperative has been reiterated in subsequent resolutions, including 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), and 1960 (2010), and in several reports of the Secretary-General on mediation and on women, peace and security...
This paper reviews the modalities of engagement that have been used in various peace processes to enhance women’s participation or the availability of gender expertise. It summarizes women’s demands during peace negotiations as articulated in statements and declarations, assesses the gender-related content of peace agreements, and offers recommendations for the way forward. The findings outlined here will not be news to advocates and activists, but can provide a useful reality check to donors, policymakers and those within the UN and regional organizations upon whom rests the obligation to address the disparity between the goals of resolution 1325 (2000) and the reality of women’s participation in peace processes.
We invite you to read the full report published by our partner, UN WOMEN
