Women's Organizations: A Driving Force Behind Women's Participation and Rights

Since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in October 2000, there has been increasing interest in the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Resolution 1325 recognized the relevance of gender in peace and security matters, and mandated all United Nations member-states to ensure full participation of women in conflict resolution and peace processes. Another groundbreaking aspect of Resolution 1325 is that it officially endorsed the inclusion of civil society groups in peace processes and called on all actors involved in such processes to adopt mechanisms supporting local women's peace initiatives. This is the first time that non-state actors have been acknowledged under international law to have a right to be included in peace processes.