Women, Peace and Security Agenda
into their national action plans, a sharp
increase on 53 nations in 2015 and 19 in
2010, although only 24 percent of them
included a specific budget to implement
the plan.
The data presented by the UN also
indicate that peace agreements with
provisions on gender equality have
only increased from 14 percent in 1995
to 22 percent in 2019 (of those signed
between 2015 and 2018, only one in five
contained gender-sensitive provisions).
During the 2019 peace talks in the
Central African Republic, 10 percent
of the participants were women and, in
Mali, 20 percent of the members of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
were women. On average, between
1992 and 2019, women accounted for 13
percent of all negotiators and 6 percent
of all mediators. In 2019, women soldiers
barely represented 4.2 percent of the
personnel deployed in peacekeeping
missions (a figure that, in the case of
the Atlantic Alliance, rises to nearly 14
percent).
And the report’s portrayal of sexual
violence is devastating: “there are
serious reasons to believe,” it states,
“that more than 50 parties to conflicts
have committed or instigated systematic
rape or other forms of sexual violence”,
and that one out of five refugee and
displaced women experience sexual
violence. Furthermore, the devastating
effects of COVID-19 have been a setback
and an obstacle to the most basic rights
and, of course, those of women and girls.
But, as Guterres insisted over and
over again, “we still have time to act”.
To this end, the Secretary-General
presented an initiative (Call to Action)
urging organizations and countries to
implement a set of measures over the
next decade. Amongst these, the one that
stands out is designing and encouraging
peace processes that include women
from the very beginning, enhancing the
role of local communities of women. Also,
eliminating the digital divide so that the
use of new technologies can increase
the power of women in decision-making,
as well as their participation
in conflict and post-conflict resolution.
At the same time, Guterres advocates
increasing and strengthening the role
of feminist movements as peacemakers
(from women human rights defenders
December 2020
A solid legal basis
RESOLUTION 1325 of October 2000: claims that war and conflicts have a unique
and disproportionate impact on women and girls; acknowledges that it is
essential to enhance the presence of women as a key factor in the prevention
and resolution of war and in peacebuilding; stresses the importance of the equal
and full participation of women as active agents at all levels of peace and security
decision-making. States and agencies are responsible for the implementation of
this Resolution.
Since then, ten other Security Council resolutions have insisted on two of its
main objectives:
1- Women’s leadership in conflict prevention and peacekeeping
• RESOLUTION 1889 of 2009: focuses on post-conflict peacebuilding and the
participation of women at all stages.
• RESOLUTION 2122 of 2013: establishes the specific methods to fight against the
deficit in women’s participation; acknowledges the need to address the root
causes of conflict and security risks faced by women.
• RESOLUTION 2242 of 2015: emphasises the importance of cooperation with civil
society; calls for increased funding for gender-sensitive training, analysis and
programmes.
• RESOLUTION 2493 of 2019: urges Member States to facilitate the participation of
women in peace processes.
2- Preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict
• RESOLUTION 1820 of 2008: condemns sexual violence as a weapon of war.
• RESOLUTION 1888 of 2009: reiterates that sexual violence exacerbates armed
conflicts and prevents international peace and security.
• RESOLUTION 1960 of 2010: insists on the obligation to end sexual violence in
armed conflicts.
• RESOLUTION 2106 of 2013: urges that current obligations be made operational
rather than creating new structures/initiatives; includes a text on the participation
of women in the fight against sexual violence.
• RESOLUTION 2467 of 2019: reiterates that sexual violence in conflict occurs
continuously against women and girls.
• RESOLUTION 2538 of 2020: encourages the UN, regional and subregional
organizations and States to promote the participation and role of women in
peacekeeping operations.
Sylvain Liechti/UN