Ten years ago, the Security Council of the United Nations adopted Resolution 1325, "Women, Peace, and Security," in order to improve women’s involvement in political processes to negotiate peace agreements and to increase their representation in peace missions. At the 25th Forum on Global Issues organized by the German Foreign Office under the theme "Women as Players in Peace Processes," participants discussed the progress made in implementing the resolution and the experiences of women in peace processes, as well as the opportunities to strengthen their involvement.



The fact that women play a decisive role—but still have insufficient rights—in peace processes has been highlighted by Luz Mendez from the National Union of Guatemalan Women and by Leymah Gbowee from the Women Peace and Security Network Africa. Being the only woman in the peace negotiations in Guatemala, Luz Mendez has contributed significantly to the inclusion of gender equality in peace agreements. She emphasized the important role women play in the transition of a country from war to peace. Likewise, Gbowee has initiated and led the female peace activist movement in Liberia, which has been instrumental in building peace and stability in the country.



In order for women to seize their rights and play an active role in political (peace) processes, they need to be financed and represented appropriately in peace delegations of the parties. According to Gbowee, this would be the only way to ensure that gender aspects are actually enshrined in the agreements. Peace agreements that make no explicit reference to gender equality are per definition discriminating against women, affirmed Joyce Neu, Head of the UN Standby Team of Mediation.



The panelists agreed that in negotiations, women put greater emphasis on topics relevant to society such as water scarcity, land degradation and access to public services, as women are often the ones most affected by environmental changes. (Christiane Roettger)



Comprehensive information on the conference, including presentations and background documents, are available at http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/ForumGF/25-GF/FrauenInFriedensprozessen.html

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, April 2010