Women, Peace and Security: Examining the Impact of Resolution 1325 on UN Disarmament and Demobilization Programs

Since the end of the Cold War, changes in modern warfare, including the increased targeting of civilians and the escalating use of sexual violence as an instrument of conflict, have dramatically altered the roles and experiences of women in situations of armed conflict. The recognition of the need to address gendered perspectives in peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts, and the need to incorporate a greater number of women in leadership positions at all levels of peacebuilding efforts, culminated nine years ago in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 Women, Peace and Security (2000). Resolution 1325 marked the landmark recognition of the need to increase participation of women in decision-making and peace processes, to more proactively ensure the protection of women and girls in conflict zones, and to institute gender perspectives and awareness training in peacekeeping missions. Nearly a decade after its adoption, NGOs and academics have criticized the implementation of SCR 1325, suggesting that inconsistent and delayed application andinadequate monitoring mechanisms have undermined the effectiveness of 1325 on impacting United Nations peacekeeping missions and operations. This paper will briefly outline the circumstances for which Resolution 1325 was created, the policy developments leading up to its adoption, and will use case examples of UN disarmament and demobilization programs initiated in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Burundi after the year 2000 to examine the measurable impact of Resolution 1325 on UN peacebuilding activities.