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Raising Women's Voices
by Dyan E. Mazurana and Susan R. McKay
Executive
Summary (Full report)
If progress is to
be made towards building more peaceful, cooperative and just societies
where human security is valued as paramount, building peace must more
deeply involve women and women's approaches. As documented throughout
this essay, women's roles in, and contribution to, peacebuilding have
been underutilized and lcking in recognition at community, national, and
international levels. Despite women's marginalization outside the mainstream
peace and international security arenas, their work in peacebuilding is
substantial. We contend that distinct yet little studied women's peaceuilding
approaches in response to violent conflict are key elements to the attainment
of human security and peace. Consequently, knowing more about the gendering
of peacebuilding policies and projects, as well as women's peacebuilding
capacities, holds the potential for expanding women's capabilities by
developing alternative approaches that can be used as a basis for policy
making and training programmes. Furthermore, both gender-aware and women's
peacebuilding processes can offer models that exand the repertoire of
avilable approaches for both men and women. In conclusion, for women's
full participation in peacebuilding to be enhanced, there needs to be
specific focus upon building their capacities, and gender must be included
as an explicit aspect of peacebuilding initiatives.
Employing gender analysis,
we document and analyze a diverse array of current peacebuilding policies
and projects from women's grassroots, nongovernmental organizations (NGO),
the United Nations, and several other international organizations. The
Introduction gives an overview of women's multiple roles in peacebuilding
and the divergent ways peacebuilding is defined and envisioned by women's
grassroots groups, international NGOs, scholars and branches within the
United Nations.
The first section
investigates women's grassroots peacebuilding. It begins with an examination
of the meanting and processes of peacebuilding as defined by the writings
and actions of multiple women's grassroots peacebuilding organizations.
We then detail common foci of women's peacebuilding with specific examples
from around the world; categories include reconciliation efforts, demilitarization,
the importance of women's roles in buidling peace, and the healing and
rebuilding of human relations. We conclude with case examples of women's
grassroots peacebuilding initiatives in Northern Ireland, South Sudan,
Russia and the TransCaucasus and Northern Caucasus regions.
The second section
of this essay documents and analyzses local, national and international
NGOs' peacebuilding policies and programmes. In particular, the critical
role of NGOs in peacebuilding processes and efforts to build coalitions
and networks for peace are examined. Case examples of NGO peaebuilding
activity in the United States, the Philippines, Canada, Sweden and Israel
are detailed.
The final section
records and analyzes peacebuilding policies and programmes within the
multiple branches of the United Nations (UN), as well as regional organizations.
We find that while United Nations and regional peacebuilding initiatives
are diverse, unless they are women-centrered, women's roles and initiatives
tend to be marginalized. Our conclusion illustrates key lessons for effective
peacebuilding and offers additional avenues for further research into
women's peacebuilding activities.
BASED ON OUR RESEARCH,
THE FOLLOWING LESSONS ARE NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE PEACEBUILDING
- All peacebuilding
initiatives must consider the gender impacts of, and incorporate women
in, their policies and projects.
- Psychosocial, relational
and spiritual peacebuilding projects should be emphasized as a central
aspect of any peacebuilding initiative.
- Peacebuilding is
culturally specific. Local approaches to peacebuilding should be recognized,
honoured and built upon; this includes traditional peacebuilding approaches
and the peacebuilding inventions of women-centred and local groups.
- Outside organizations
and personnel should work with and not for locals and build upon local
expertise.
- Within the parameters
of working with locals, peacebuilding projects should be documented
and evaluated.
- Improved communication
and cooperation is needed among various organizations working in peacebuilding
and econstruction, at all level; the formation of networks greatly facilitates
effective peacebuilding.
Those interested in
obtaining a copy of Women and Peacebuilding should contact The
International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
63, rue de Brésoles
Montréal, H2Y 1V7 CANADA
Tel: (1 514) 283 5073
Fax: (1 514) 283 3792 E-mail: ichrdd@ichrdd.ca Website: www.ichrdd.ca |
