© UN Women/Alice Ambrose Mozambicans forced to flee their homes by violence in the north of the country are receiving training courses on peace and security. Women, peace and security: the UN called for a change in approach to peacekeeping Women
“When we strive for peace without including the voices of women, our efforts will not bring lasting peace,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bacchus, speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security.
The session entitled “Peace decisions are made with women: Conflict resolution through women’s participation” is being chaired today by Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio.
“More than two decades have passed since the adoption of the Women, Peace and Security agenda by resolution 1325 (2000),” – reminded Bacchus. During this time, she said, evidence has accumulated that women’s participation is directly linked to the sustainability of the world. “When women are safe, societies become more peaceful,” she said.
Research shows that where women are excluded from public life and have limited access to the labor market, the risk of conflict increases. The participation of women in security structures and peacekeeping operations, on the contrary, increases the effectiveness of such units and the level of transparency of their work. And restrictions on women’s rights often become an early signal of impending conflict and strengthening authoritarian tendencies.
The head of UN Women gave examples from different regions of the world. She mentioned Sudan, where she said atrocities against women and girls “disgrace humanity,” and also noted that only men were represented in the Ukraine negotiations. According to her, a similar trend is also observed in Lebanon, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries. “Peace negotiations and mediation processes are taking place without women,” said Bacchus.
At the same time, it is women who remain the largest and most reliable pillar of peace. “By excluding them from decision-making at a time when we need them more than ever, we are not only failing women—we are failing everyone,” she said.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee called on Security Council members to engage more actively with local women’s organizations early in peacekeeping missions. “Please, please, please stop funding us on a residual basis,” she said. “You can’t spend millions on a war and expect to build peace for pennies.”