External Publication
Introduction
“Women represent half of humanity, a vital half which creates a balance alongside men….groups of women have a stronger commitment to the ending of violence and the maintenance of long-term peace, than the groups of men and thus often constitute a highly motivated and able group of stakeholders for peacebuilding, who nonetheless are often ignored. The best strategy for conflict prevention and resolution in this century would be to expand the role of women as peacemakers.”
UN Secretary General, Kofi Anan
The United Nations took the lead in expanding the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding by adopting UN Security Council Resolution (SCR 1325) at its 4213th meeting on 31st Oct 2000. Almost two decades have passed since the passage of this declaration, but nothing much has been achieved. History shows us that the World’s First Peace Treaty the Egyptian- Hettite Peace treat/Eternal Treaty signed in 1259 B.C., helped in establishing peace after almost two centuries of war and Queen Puduhepa, wife of Hittite King Hattusili, played a very important role in the diplomatic correspondence (Nerertari Letter) between the Egyptian and the Hittite states. However, in present times, women’s role as peacemakers has been almost zilch. This is substantiated by the study conducted under theUN Women and the Council On Foreign Relations –“Major peace processes between 1990-2017 had zero female signatories in the peace agreements; only 2% of mediators;5% as witnesses and signatories, and 8% as negotiators.”The only two women in history who served as chief negotiators were Miriam Coronel Ferrer of the Philippines and Tzipi Livni of Israel.
Amongst the many reasons for having Women in Conflict Resolution efforts, a few key issues are listed;
First, they are associated with the culture of non-violence, procreation and protection which helps in bridging the clan divisions in clan divisive conflict. For Instance in the Liberia Civil War (1989–2003), women actively participated in educational, skill training courses, communal farming and group micro-loans.This led not only to improving the standard of living in the country but also helped in reducing conflict.
Second, emotional strength to transient pain and suffering makes women predisposed to peace and natural negotiators. In Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Somalia female negotiators developed a reputation for building trust, engaging all sides, and fostering dialogue in otherwise acrimonious settings.
Third, the chances of an agreement or resolution failing are less likely when women or their organizations are involved.As per the Council on Foreign Relations, the participation of civil society groups, including women’s organizations, makes peace agreements 64% less likely to fail.
Fourth, Further on, when a woman participates in the peace process, the resulting agreement is 35% more likely to last at least 15 years. Hence women’s role is useful in post-conflict reconstruction which leads to sustainable peace according to the International Peace Institute. For example in Sierra Leone, women civil society groups helped in post-conflict peace-building efforts.
Fifth, Belfer Center and the World Bank studies reveal that the conflict both between and within the state is directly proportional to the gender equality levels. Higher levels of gender equality are associated with a low propensity for conflict. The countries are more prosperous and stable if the gender gap closes. Women’s political participation increases stability as seen in Congo.
Sixth, Women provide mission-critical insights and help create a gender balance in peacekeeping operations. Female security officials frequently have access to populations and
venues that are closed to men, allowing them to gather intelligence about potential security risks.
Seventh, terrorism risk rises when women are less empowered. Support for gender inequality is positively correlated with the likelihood of violence and sexual violence in conflict fuels further instability.
A major challenge is that women are not perceived to have the skills, knowledge or social status needed to bring about change in the conflict-ridden environment. This perception needs to be changed in the mindset of the male-dominated negotiators and mediators. Moreover, women are seen primarily as victims of conflict as opposed to agents of change or
conflict resolvers. In the words of Gen. John Allen, “No society has ever successfully transitioned from being a conflict-ridden society to developing society unless women were a part of the mainstream.”
In continuing with the celebrations of Women’s Day on the 8th of March every year, one must resolve to enlarge the role of women as peacemakers and include them in action-oriented strategies to achieve positive results. Furthermore, these should become part of the national strategies as well.
India does not have a concrete action plan for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 1325 and needs to truly implement the same. Conflict resolution and peace-building activities involving women not only lays the foundation of sustainable human security but also help in equitable development in the countries emerging from the conflict. Last year’s International Women’s theme of “Balance for Better,” aspires for a gender-balanced world. This gender balancing is very crucial to the peace-building and conflict-resolution efforts where women are seen as agents of change.