Reflecting on her origins in the women’s movement in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Karen McMinn discusses what this has taught her about women’s capacity to build bridges during conflict. She examines the main obstacles for women’s participation in decision-making processes and discusses the way forward. Karen McMinn is the Research Consultant on the action research ‘Candid Voices from the Field’, coordinated by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and Cordaid.
This video is part of a series of 10 personal stories from women and men from around the world who work on gender-sensitive peacebuilding within their own communities. These stories are part of the joint action research project ‘Candid Voices from the Field: Obstacles to Delivering Transformative Change within the Women, Peace and Security Agenda’, coordinated by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and Cordaid. The aim is to uncover the deep-rooted issues that hamper women’s participation in peace efforts. Those interviewed participated in a global consultation meeting for the project that took place in The Hague from June 30 to July 2, 2015. The publication of our findings will be launched on October 23, 2015 in New York, coinciding with the anniversary of UNSCR 1325.
Read more about the Global Consultation
Read more about the Action Research
Looking back to the disappearance of her son, a Sri Lankan military officer who was reported Missing in Action, Visaka Dharmadasa talks about how it shaped her drive to work for peace in her country. She speaks on the role of women peacemakers in situations of conflict and what will happen if the world adopts women’s definition of security.
