Ten years after the United Nations Security Council formally recognised women must be involved in peacebuilding efforts, women are still largely absent from peace negotiations, CARE says in a new report on the eve of the 10-year anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325.

UNSC Resolution 1325, passed October 31, 2000, called for increased participation of women in peacebuilding efforts, through increased representation of women at all decision-making levels for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict;  prevention of gender-based violence; protection of women and girls against violence; and the promotion of gender perspectives in peace missions.

CARE’s report highlights experiences in Afghanistan, Uganda and Nepal, where in some instances, women have managed to change the agenda and focus attention on root causes and legacies of the violence in their country. For example, in Nepal, some of the poorest and most marginalized women have participated in the negotiation of a new constitution, bringing issues like Dalit rights and gender-based violence into the process.

But overall, the original idea behind UNSC 1325 – involving women in peacebuilding – has in practice gained little traction.

"The establishment of peace is not just about formal negotiations, but also ensuring there is a tangible impact of peace, such as access to education, health and welfare. There can’t be lasting peace in Nepal without the significant involvement of women, " said Indu Pant Ghimire, CARE Nepal Gender Advisor.

Intimidation and violence against women is one of the major barriers; without protection, participation is unsustainable and may do more harm than good. And without access to education, health care and livelihoods – in short, full participation in society – women are not well-placed to participate on a large scale in peacebuilding efforts.

“The passing of UNSC 1325 was seen as a milestone for women’s rights, when in fact, it is a statement of the obvious: women – as well as men – must be involved in peacebuilding efforts,” said Robert Glasser, Secretary General of CARE International. “But in the past 25 years, only one in 40 peace accord signatories have been women. Across the world in conflict countries women are working in their communities for peace, but they are excluded from peace negotiations. It’s not that they don’t want a seat at the table, it’s that they’re not given one.

“CARE, which works in some of the deadliest conflict zones in the world, knows that women are often the most affected by war, through rape or sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and living with the fall-out from the destruction of society. The involvement of women is crucial when it comes to re-establishing normal life, healing social wounds, and building new, more just institutions.”

The UN Security Council will hold an open debate on Oct. 26 to discuss USNCR 1325, and CARE expects that member states will take specific steps to monitor and foster the implementation of the resolution.

Key recommendations from the CARE report to the international community:

• Step up efforts to protect women from violence: Any strategy to promote women’s participation in peacebuilding will fail if it does not address their protection from violence. In particular, a thorough analysis of gaps in frontline services and response capacity for protection should urgently be conducted  – as mandated by SCR 1888 – and submitted to the UN Security Council within three months.
• Fund long-term, multi-sectoral strategies that enable women to participate in the peacebuilding process: Access to basic education, health services and economic livelihoods are proven, necessary foundations for meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and in society in general.
• Connect grassroots peacebuilding to national and international peacebuilding efforts: Extensive peacebuilding work is underway by local, grassroots women’s groups around the world, but on the whole their expertise is not included or considered in debates at national and international levels.

The report, “From Resolution to Reality: Lessons learned from Afghanistan, Nepal and Uganda on women’s participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict governance”, is available online to download below:

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From Resolution to Reality Report	2638 Kb