Participation of women in peace processes
Women are often excluded from peace processes because of discriminatory gender stereotyping, a lack of political will, generally few opportunities to participate politically and insufficient educational opportunities.
Such exclusion means the views of around half of a negotiating community are disregarded. Just and equal participation of women can contribute to increasing the legitimacy of peace processes and to improving outcomes.
Facts about the participation of women in peace processes:
4%
of the signatories of peace treaties were women
2,4%
of the head mediators were women
3,7%
of the observers of peace processes were women
9%
of the members of mediation teams were women
Systematically involving women in crisis prevention, conflict resolution, stabilisation and peacekeeping leads to more sustainable outcomes.
- Studies show that when women are actively involved in peace negotiations, the likelihood increases by 20 percent of a peace agreement lasting for at least two years.
Creating a just and sustainable peace requires equal opportunities for women to participate and lead in all phases and at all levels of peace processes.
From a position external to the negotiating room
Women are however often excluded from such processes. In particular, women rarely take up official roles in high-level negotiations (Track I). Structural obstacles also often hinder their participation at local and civil society levels. Nevertheless, civil society currently represents the largest and most used space for women to participate in peace processes. Women often exert pressure on negotiators from a position external to the negotiating room, e.g. through protests.
German commitment
To strengthen the position and abilities of women, German development cooperation supports, among other things, further training, counselling and preparation for political talks.
Further fields of action include the de-hierarchisation of knowledge and the breakdown of structural and systematic obstacles. Practical experience and successful participation strategies can be systematically reviewed and provide a helpful basis for future peace negotiations.
Info: To implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the BMZ, in partnership with UN Women, is promoting the participation of women in the peace processes in Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria at the highest levels through targeted training, preparation for political talks and advisory services.x