Women Must be Involved in Peace Processes, Participate in Decision-making on Equal Footing with Men, President Tells Security Council Open Debate
Women remain starkly under-represented from peace talks and conflict resolution efforts, including in some of today’s most intractable conflicts, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the Security Council today, opening its annual day-long open debate on women, peace and security.
“Peace and security decision-making is overwhelmingly dominated by men and ending impunity for atrocities against women and girls is still but a distant goal,” she said, citing historical data which indicate that between 1992 and 2019, women constituted only 13 per cent of negotiators and 6 per cent of mediators in major peace processes. “It is imperative that we reinforce our resolve to support women in Afghanistan and elsewhere, advocating for their rights, agency and inclusion at every opportunity,” she emphasized.
The Common Pledge on Women’s Participation in Peace Processes brings together a broad array of mediation actors, she said, announcing the launch of the initiative on behalf of the Secretary-General. “No single mediator can affect global and meaningful change in women’s participation,” she emphasized, calling on Member States, regional organizations and other key actors engaged in mediation to join and commit to appointing women as lead mediators, consulting with women leaders and women-led civil society organizations, and embedding gender expertise in their mediation teams, among other concrete steps.
This is an operational initiative, not a general statement or principle, she stressed, adding that “success in peacekeeping hinges on the political support from Member States”, especially Council members, all of whom are charged with protecting international peace and security. “By leveraging our respective political capital and roles, let us dismantle the patriarchal power structures and advance gender equality, ensuring women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in political and public life,” she concluded.
Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), presenting the Secretary-General’s annual report on women, peace and security (document S/2024/671), brought to mind the fearful women of Afghanistan, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar and other parts of the world, who are robbed of an education or future; or displaced and waiting for death whether by bombs, disease or starvation; or victimized with sexual violence perpetrated by men with guns.
“What greater responsibility do we collectively hold than to answer those fears with hope?” she asked. Detailing the brave efforts of women whom she meets around the world who broker agreements for humanitarian access, end tribal conflicts, or disarm and deradicalize young men in their communities, she noted that support for women’s full, equal and meaningful participation has become one of the most common phrases in Council resolutions. “What remains is for us to make those a reality in practice, not least through our funding decisions,” she said.
Effie Owuor, Co-Chair of FemWise-Africa, Secretariat of the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks and Chair of the African Union Panel of the Wise, said: “There is clear evidence that when women are involved in peace negotiations, the resulting agreements are more comprehensive, more durable and more inclusive.” Highlighting the work of women mediator networks in preventive diplomacy, she said the Arab Women Mediators Network in Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen, have been instrumental in mediating conflicts in their communities, while others have mediated ceasefires or brokered the release of political prisoners.
The international community must fund the deployment of women mediators to peace talks and support grassroots women mediators. Moreover, it must foster political will and increase institutional support for women mediators through policy implementation, she urged, spotlighting the African Union Peace and Security Council, which, in March 2024, directed the African Union to develop a policy framework for a women’s quota in all Union-led mediation and peace processes. “This level of political commitment should be replicated across the globe,” she stressed, voicing support for the Secretary-General’s new initiative to that end.
“As a human rights defender and former political prisoner, hope for change has long guided my activism,” said Wai Wai Nu, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Peace Network, spotlighting the “Myanmar military’s nationwide campaign of terror” and the women across the country who are risking their lives as front-line and human rights defenders. She urged the Council to hold an emergency open briefing to prevent further mass atrocities, especially in Rakhine State, and to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. She warned that impunity — like in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territory — emboldens perpetrators to continue their brutality against groups whom they deem inferior. Member States must call on the UN to make women’s participation a requirement in any peace process it supports, she emphasized, stressing that the protection of human rights and accountability are vital to ensure that women can take their rightful place at the peace table.
“What can we do to change things?” asked Viola Amherd, President of Switzerland, Council President for October, who, speaking in her national capacity, said that that question was at the heart of a retreat organized by her country this summer for women mediators from all over the world. Presenting three key findings, she stressed that women must be involved in peace processes and participate in decision-making on an equal footing with men. All must insist that “women are not to be confined to secondary roles in negotiations” — a point echoed by the representatives of Guyana and the Republic of Korea. Women experts must be brought into the peace process at an early stage, and, so that they can so that they can engage in politics safely, women’s rights must be protected — a call heard throughout the day.
In the ensuing debate, over 60 speakers took stock of the state of women’s rights around the world, ahead of the imminent twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000), that not only recognized the right of women to participate fully in peace processes, but also the need for such participation. Many delegates stressed the need for results rather than mere rhetoric, calling for efforts to redress inequities, especially through funding, to produce tangible improvements on the ground.
“Reliable, flexible and sufficient funding for local women-led organizations, women peacebuilders and human rights defenders is essential — but often lacking,” underscored Germany’s delegate. Answering the briefers’ calls, she said her country is the largest donor to the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund — a fund which pursues “long-term, unbureaucratic core-funding” to women-led organizations in conflict zones. Germany will make available up to an additional $6.5 million to the Fund this year, she added.
Despite improvements since the resolution’s adoption, including an increase in women peacekeepers, peace agreements referencing women and increased women’s representation in judicial and legislative bodies and local law enforcement, much more needed to be done, emphasized the representative of the United States. She highlighted her country’s contributions to rapid response funds, as well as $40 million to the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund.
Many speakers underscored the collective responsibility in implementing the 10 resolutions already adopted by the Council on women, peace and security. He highlighted his country’s €1 million investment, alongside the UN, to train female officers and special military advisers on gender issues in the conduct of operations.
“None of the peace agreements reached in 2023 included a women’s group or representative as signatory,” said Richard Simon Hermer, Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland, who, like Japan’s delegate, pointed out that “overall implementation [of the 10 resolutions] is lagging”. He also called for a redoubling of efforts to seek accountability for conflict-related sexual violence crimes, noting that his country has sanctioned perpetrators for such crimes in seven countries.
Indeed, several speakers, including Malta’s representative, urged the pursuit of all available mechanisms to ensure justice and accountability for gross violations of women’s rights, including targeted sanctions and leveraging the mandates of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. He also urged the Council to adopt robust, gender-responsive arms control mechanisms, consistent with Article 7 (4) of the Arms Trade Treaty, to prevent weapons from being used to perpetuate sexual and gender-based violence.
Algeria’s delegate echoed the call to use sanctions against actors who violate international law and women’s rights in conflict zones. However, the Russian Federation’s representative urged attention to the inimical effects of sanctions, in post-conflict recovery, which deprive women and children of social protection and lead to starvation. The UN should not be afraid of mentioning their impact in reports of specific situations. He also pointed out that traditional champions of the women, peace and security agenda were not enthusiastic about discussing it in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Indeed, Mona Al-Khalil, Minister of Women’s Affairs, of the State of Palestine, pointed out that today’s meeting to discuss the landmark resolution was being held amidst the most brutal and dangerous chapter of her State’s history since the 1948 Nakba, as her people were subjected to genocide in Gaza and an apartheid regime in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Assailing the double standards and absence of accountability, she urged the Council to translate commitments under the women, peace and security agenda into tangible measures that protect women and girls from torture and danger — a call also made by the speaker for the League of Arab States.
The systemic violations of international law and the Charter of the United Nations in Ukraine, Gaza and now Lebanon is obvious, underscored Arlene Tickner, Ambassador-at-Large for Gender Issues and Feminist Global Policy for Colombia, whose long history of war, she said, “has taught us that without women, peace is not possible”. Women’s participation in peacemaking must be increased at all levels, in all geographic regions and all types of organizations, she said, urging Council reforms to control the use of the veto.
“We cannot consolidate this [women, peace and security] agenda without the presence of more women in leadership positions at the national level and in multilateral forums, such as this Organization,” which in its almost 80 years of existence has seen no woman ever occupy the post of Secretary-General, said Spain’s representative. The protection of women in crisis contexts, including in the digital space, is the best tool to enable women’s participation, she said, highlighting that, women constitute half of the more than 400 defenders who have benefited from the Temporary Protection and Shelter Program for Human Rights Defenders in Spain. Echoing national commitments and calls to strengthen implementation of the women, peace and security agenda, she stressed: “We cannot wait another 25 years for women and girls to be able to enjoy their legitimate rights.”
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