Women as Peace Builders: On the Ground and at the Table

Abstract

Adopted by the UN Security Council on October 31, 2000, resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security was a far-reaching call for women’s active and complete participation in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, urging and enumerating operational mandates meant to increase the participation of women and inclusion of gender perspectives into all peace and security efforts. The resolution further recognized the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls to gender-based violence – especially rape and other forms of sexual abuse – in zones of armed conflict. The resolution was a landmark in this explicit acknowledgement of the negative impacts of conflict on women. The resolution also recognized women as more than victims by emphasizing and calling upon the international community to embrace, facilitate, and affirm the key role of women in peace negotiations, peace building and peace keeping, and post-conflict reconstruction. Marking the 10th anniversary of resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs convened a panel discussion that brought together academics and practitioners to discuss and debate the role of women “on the ground” and “at the table” in peace building, peace making, mediation, and negotiation. In the subsequent report, participants addressed how resolution 1325 established a framework for action with some tangible results but in the decade since its adoption, implementation has been slow, appointments of women to high-level peace-keeping and mediation positions have been few, and women remain victims of rape and gender-based violence in conflict zones.