In 2000, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), calling for women’s meaningful participation in the promotion of peace and security. On the surface, the resolution has been effective, particularly in shifting the UN’s perspective of women from victims to peacebuilders, and assets to humanitarian efforts. Since then, the UN has in fact passed eight more resolutions, most recently in 2019, that call for the participation and inclusion of women at all decision making levels, and for the protection and promotion of women’s rights throughout conflict prevention.
As of August 2020, 86 countries have adopted a National Action Plan in support of UNSCR 1325. A 2015 report indicates that since the adoption of UNSCR 1325, 27% of peace agreements have referenced women, compared with only 11% between 1990 and 2000. The way in which countries have chosen to implement the resolution differs, but ensuring there is female representation in mediation, negotiation and advocacy has played a large role.
A POSITIVE EXAMPLE FROM UGANDA
An example of the implementation of UNSCR 1325 can be found in the role of women peace mediators. In Uganda, female mediators have been active for a number of years, to address community disputes in refugee settlements. Their traditional role has recently been reshaped as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Yumbe and Adjumani districts, mediators have taken up the task to share information about the disease and how to prevent it from spreading within refugee communities, where education on the topic is not widespread or easily accessible. Mary Aemo, a field officer with the Women International Peace Centre in the Yumbe District, has emphasised that the key to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is gaining the trust and cooperation of the community, which peace mediators have managed to do successfully.
Knowing the communities is equally important in order for the message to spread efficiently. In the Bidi Bidi settlement of the Yumbe District, mediators are gathering at water collection points to educate their communities on social distancing and good handwashing practices. They have also started composing songs in the local dialect as this seems the most effective way to pass the message across. The methods differ between settlements, but the goal is the same: protection from the ongoing pandemic.
Martha Achok, a peace mediator in Nyumazi, in the Adjumani District, acknowledged the difficulty of their situation. “It’s a bit tricky to tell someone to wash their hands using soap […], when she has spent weeks without washing clothes because of lack of soap.” Despite this, she reports success in raising awareness of COVID-19 and good practices. Communities have in fact reportedly become more vigilant about these new practices and most new cases now come from new settlers.
20 YEARS FROM UNSCR 1325 COUNTRIES ARE STILL NOT DOING ENOUGH
The Ugandan case study is a positive example of implementation of UNSCR 1325, but there is still much more to be done. According to Laurel Stone, a US professor of Conflict Resolution and Women’s Political Participation, the probability of a peace agreement lasting 15 years increases by 35% when women are involved in peace processes. Irrespective of this, 20 years from resolution 1325, women are still underrepresented in high-level peacebuilding processes and are more likely to be represented in local peacebuilding work, like in the Ugandan situation. The Geneva Centre for Security Policy states that this “perpetuates a distinction between the ‘soft’ work of peacebuilding conducted by women and the ‘hard’ work of peacemaking that is the preserve of men.” There are concerns that some countries’ implementation of the Resolution is reinforcing gender disparities. The Geneva Centre set out some recommendations, such as including women in States’ lists of nominees for envoy positions. The UN acknowledged that the absence of women in high-level processes is due to a lack of integration efforts. It is therefore very important that this improves going forward, ensuring that women are present in high-level discussions so that their voices are heard.
Last year, the UN pledged to create "safe environments for women leaders, peacebuilders, human rights defenders and political actors around the globe.” It has been shown, through implementations of the UNSCR 1325, that women can positively contribute to the promotion of peace and security. Governments need to recognise this and involve them in such vital processes.
Natalya is a third year Law student at the University of Manchester. Her goal after university is to become a solicitor, where she hopes to continue helping to bring human rights issues to light. While at university, she is working with the Innocence Project to appeal miscarriages of justice and will be working with the Legal Advice Centre in the coming year.