CDH 2010 Annual Report
In 2005, the HD Centre published an opinion piece entitled “We the Women : Why conflict mediation is not just a job for men” which considered the issue of gender in mediation. The HD Centre has also looked to increase the inclusion of female participants in the Oslo forum series of retreats for mediators which the HD Centre jointly hosts with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a result, the number of women attending and contributing to the retreats has significantly increased since it began in 2003. In 2010 women represented 30 per cent of participants at the event. A background paper for the 2008 retreat entitled “Gender sensitivity : nicety or necessity in peace process management ?” set the scene for a specific session on addressing gender issues during the process of mediation and a similar session, with a more practical focus, was held at the 2010 retreat.
The HD Centre's efforts to integrate women and gender concerns into peace processes intensified in 2009 with the launch of the “Women at the Peace Table” programme. Focussing on Africa and Asia, it aims to increase the representation of women and consideration of gender issues in peace processes on both continents.
One of the primary ways in which the programme works is identifying, convening, and establishing networks between women who have already been involved in conflict resolution processes in both regions. As well as continent-wide roundtable gatherings of female mediators and negotiators in Africa and Asia, the programme has also focussed on Kenya and Indonesia.
To inform the wider mediation profession of the latest thinking on the incorporation of women and gender considerations into peace negotiations, the “Women at the Peace Table” programme also produces and commissions publications, opinion pieces and blog posts on significant aspects of gender and peacemaking.
In addition, in 2010 the HD Centre increased its focus on ensuring that gender considerations are integrated fully into the way in which the organisation carries out its own work. Following the formation of a gender team within the HD Centre, a process has been developed for ensuring every project considers gender representation and concerns.
Internationally, progress towards achieving the aims of SCR 1325 is extremely slow and there is still a lot of work to be done to consolidate the gains which have been made over the decade since the resolution was agreed. The resolutions that have followed it (SCRs 1820, 1888, 1889 and 1960) all provide further impetus for action. The HD Centre is committed to supporting the aims of SCR 1325 (and relevant resolutions) by working to consolidate progress both internally and externally.
One of the ways in which the HD Centre's “Women at the Peace Table” programme aims to increase the participation of women and the inclusion of gender issues in peace processes is by forming networks of female mediators and negotiators in Africa and Asia.
To develop these networks, the HD Centre held roundtable meetings in both continents in 2010. These meetings drew together a broad range of women including mediators, government representatives, conflict parties, academics and former combatants. By encouraging the women to share their experiences the HD Centre encouraged the exchange of information and ideas and forged supportive networks across regions, and within countries.
Following the launch of the process with a pan-African roundtable in November 2009, at the start of 2010 the “Women at the Peace Table” programme focussed more specifically on Kenya and Indonesia. In March, the HD Centre convened roundtable meetings in both countries, gathering women in Nairobi and Jakarta to explore specific national issues.
In Kenya, the discussion centred around the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Process and the role of women from the political sphere and civil society in peacemaking. Participants included Mrs. Graca Machel, international human rights expert and a member of the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities for the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation. The roundtable highlighted the importance of women working both within a mediation process and outside the process to bring about peace agreements that reflect women's concerns.
At the Indonesian roundtable, which was opened with a keynote speech from the Indonesian Minister for Women, Empowerment and Child Protection, participants identified patriarchal culture as the biggest challenge to the involvement of women in peace processes. In November 2010, the publication, ‘Women at the Indonesian peace table : Enhancing the contributions of women to conflict resolution', was released and made available in English and Bahasa Indonesia. In September, the HD Centre convened a roundtable in Nepal that drew women together from across the Asia Pacific area. This was held in Kathmandu in conjunction with the India-based organisation Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace, and the Nepal-based Alliance for Social Dialogue. Discussions at this pan-Asian event ranged from the incorporation of international norms into peace processes to re-considering the notion of the ‘peace table' itself and how peace negotiations could be conducted differently. There were also specific sessions on the situation in some Asian nations including Sri Lanka, north-east India and Mindanao in the Philippines.
One of the recurring issues at the roundtables is the perception that there are currently not many women with the capacity and experience to act as high-level negotiators and mediators. However, in 2010 alone more than 100 women attended “Women at the Peace Table” roundtables organised by the HD Centre. Simply by bringing women together in Africa and Asia, the HD Centre is demonstrating the depth of interest and experience in peace processes which these women share. In addition, the roundtables not only help to establish a network of women involved in mediation and peacemaking but they also help to identify women who may be able to contribute to further peace processes, in their own countries and continents or elsewhere, in the future.