Fresh Insights on the Quantity and Quality of Women's Inclusion in Peace Processes

On January 2015, the Crisis Management Initiative and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva convened an expert’s meetings bringing together policy analysts, practitioners and academics involved in the women, peace and security agenda to review, analyze and frame the key findings from the “Broadening Participation” research related to women’s participation and gendered approaches. The Brief is a contribution to the UNSCR 1325 High-level Review and to the peace and security community more broadly.

The seven key points which you can read about in this brief are:

1. Investments in process and outcome documentation and monitoring pay dividends to inform learning and good practice.
2. Peace process actors’ understanding of issues of ‘quantity’ and ‘quality’ related to women’s participation needs far greater nuance and accountability.
3. The persistent lack of women’s direct participation in peace processes is rooted in the political economy of power.
4. Technical support packages for women’s participation in peace processes should be strengthened and increased.
5. What mediators think, do and say matters in increasing women’s meaningful participation.
6. The complexity of women’s multiple identities and roles needs to be better reflected in peace process design.
7. Civil society is not a synonym for women or women’s rights organizations.

This publication provides a summary of highlights from the research as well as suggested actions for broadening participation and civil society peacebuilding projects.