Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding

Over 25 years ago, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and since then, it has adopted an additional 9 related resolutions. This agenda marks the first time in the UN’s 80-year history that women’s experiences, particularly their contributions to promoting peace and security in contexts of violent conflict, closed political spaces, and rising extremism, are acknowledged. It is also the first time that the need for women’s protection has been strongly noted. The resolution marks a clear watershed in the evolving efforts to promote human security as a normative framework for the international community. Although the primary focus is on women, the emerging discourse has drawn increasing attention to the need for gendered analysis – i.e., addressing the conditions/experiences of women and men with intersecting identities – in conflict and peacebuilding.

This intensive 2.5-day seminar will provide an overview of the evolving field of women, peace, and security. Drawing on empirical research and practice, the modules will address the following issues:

● Historical and geopolitical evolution and context in which the WPS field has arisen;

● Attaining UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the expansion of the WPS policy agenda with attention to subsequent resolutions and key pillars of this agenda – notably women’s participation in peace and security, protection issues, peacekeeping and conflict prevention including conflict related sexual violence.

● Implications of ongoing conflicts, rising authoritarianism, and violent extremism on gender, peace and security issues.

● Gender analysis and the practical application of a gendered lens to key mediation, security, and peacebuilding processes.

● Experiences and lessons from women’s peace coalitions and women’s contributions to peacebuilding including countering/preventing violent extremism

● Efforts to prevent and address sexual violence in conflict.

● Women and peacekeeping, including issues of sexual exploitation and abuse.