Announcement Research & Action Project on UNSCR 1325

Announcement Research and Action Project by GPPAC, Cordaid and the Women Peacemakers Program

"Candid Voices From the Field: Obstacles to Delivering Transformative Change Within the Women, Peace & Security Agenda"

In the context of the 15th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), Cordaid, and Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) are launching a research and action project on the deep-rooted obstacles to women’s participation in peace efforts. Despite recent intensified efforts to ensure women’s rights and participation in formal negotiations, women face serious and persisting challenges in their peacebuilding work in both formal and informal peace efforts.  

Drawing on new and existing research, the project asks challenging questions on impediments to this key aspect of the full implementation of the women, peace and security agenda.

• What are the obstacles to women’s participation at the local level? Women often work to prevent and resolve local level conflict before it spreads to the national and regional spheres. And yet, this work is usually under resourced and not given sufficient political support. The project will look at the substantive barriers to women’s participation - beyond policy creation - and how to dismantle them, particularly at this grassroots level.
• How can challenges to the current limited normative framework of peace and security utilize a broader understanding of gender concept to leverage ‘softer’ approaches to power? The project examines the current focus on traditional loci of power and security, and will provide insight on how to shift attention and resources to alternative, more inclusive approaches.
• How can we overcome the obstacles of politics and political will to support women’s engagement in conflict prevention work? The women, peace and security agenda currently contains considerable rhetoric on the importance on women’s meaningful participation, but the issue is rarely, if ever, a red line in difficult negotiations. The project will look at ways to move past this disconnect, and how to marshal political support for women’s participation at all levels.
• How can a focus on a movement-building approach better support women’s work in peacebuilding processes? Research shows that investment in feminist groups strengthens work to combat VAW at the national level. This project will look at how sustained development and support for women’s activism can better support their work on conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction.

Moving beyond the UN Security Council’s definition of conflict situations, the project will look at a broader geographic picture, with case studies that illuminate conflict prevention, nonviolent conflict resolution, and post-conflict rebuilding. Focusing on a broad regional representation, the project will look at conflicts traditionally under-represented in the discourse, and how women are working in these areas and can be better supported.

Highlighting and reflecting the experiences and voices of the project partners, including through consultations in June, the project will explore the specific work of participants, including their assessment of successes and challenges to their peace work. What helped in their situation? What hindered? What was the usefulness of national/regional/international policy frameworks?

Drawing on these perspectives, the project will provide action-oriented recommendations for governments, international organizations, and NGO colleagues. The recommendations will focus on sustainable measures these actors can take to support the successes of women peacebuilders and to overcome the barriers these women encounter.

The project report will be presented in October 2015 to coincide with the anniversary of UNSCR 1325.

For more information, contact:
- Gesa Bent (GPPAC) – g.bent@gppac.net
- Marian Wiersinga (Cordaid) – marian.wiersinga@cordaid.nl
- Sophie Schellens (Women Peacemakers Program) – sophie@womenpeacemakersprogram.org

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