Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

The Reconstruction and Peacebuilding theme focuses on the application of a gender perspective to peacebuilding. The response of local, national, and international systems to women’s priorities in post-conflict situations can significantly impact stability and development.

The realisation of women’s right to full participation in preventing, resolving and recovering from conflict, is critical to building sustainable peace and the fulfilment of human security. Furthermore, the response of local, national and international systems to women’s priorities in post-conflict situations, can significantly impacts the stability and development of communities.

The engagement of women in early stages of peacemaking can increase gender analysis in post-conflict planning, lead to improved outcomes for women, and enhance their capacity to participate in longer-term peacebuilding. However, women’s rights and concerns should not be dependent on the presence of women in peace processes. Systems must be in place to ensure their inclusion is standard operating procedure.

In SCR 1325, the Security Council recognises that addressing the unique needs of women and girls during post-conflict reconstruction requires integrating a gender perspective at all stages (1325,OP8). The Security Council acknowledges the need to counter negative societal attitudes regarding women’s equal capacity for involvement, and calls for the promotion of women’s leadership and support for women’s organizations (1889,OP1). In addition, the Security Council requests training on the protection, rights and needs of women in all peacebuilding measures (1325,OP6).

To achieve this, the Security Council tasks the Secretary-General to report on challenges and make recommendations relevant to the participation of women and gender mainstreaming in peacebuilding and recovery efforts (1888,OP19). In response, the Secretary-General issued a report on women’s participation in peacebuilding in 2010. The report details the challenges obstacles women must confront in participating in recovery and peacebuilding efforts, and advocates for a Seven-Point Action Plan to respond to these challenges.


First, the plan calls to increase women’s engagement in peace processes and to address gender issues in the context of peace agreements. Secondly, the plan urges for the inclusion of gender expertise at senior levels in the UN’s mediation support activities. Thirdly, the plan notes that, while the international community cannot control the gender composition of the negotiating parties, it must investigate strategies for the inclusion of more women. Fourthly, the plan calls for the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that negotiating parties engage with women’s civil society organisations. The Action Plan’s fifth commitment involves increasing the proportion of women decision makers in post-conflict governance institutions. The sixth point addresses rule of law, emphasising the importance of issues such as women’s access to justice and a gender perspective to legal reform. The Action Plan’s seventh commitment is concerned with women’s economic empowerment. The Action Plan’s implementation remains the challenge.

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CONFERENCE/ MEETING: 3rd Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians Held in Tehran

Iran's capital of Tehran on Sunday hosted the third Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians, with an Iranian female lawmaker elected as the chairwoman of the Muslim Women Parliamentarians Committee.
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Laleh Eftekhari, a member of the Iranian parliament, took over from a female Sudanese legislator as the new chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians Committee for a one-year period.

INITIATIVE: At Geneva II Talks in January, It Is Not Enough to 'Add Women and Stir'

The campaign to ensure women's equal participation at the peace talks on Syria in January has become more urgent, as certain parties recognize that women are vital in rebuilding and reconciling Syrian society. Yet only a few weeks before the talks are scheduled to start, no commitment has been made as to whether women will actually sit at the negotiating table between the Syrian government and the opposition.

ONLINE DIALOGUE/BLOG: No Women Leaders? No Peace in Region

The partially autonomous northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is a beautiful part of the world but is marred by a long history of violent political and ethic struggles.

CONFERENCE: Bosnia's Obligations to Female Survivors of War Crimes

A conference on the obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina to women survivors of war crimes organized by the Swiss Association Against Impunity (TRIAL) was held in Sarajevo on Wednesday.

INITIATIVE: Educating Women Worldwide is a Matter of Peace and National Security

“Whether it's ending conflict, managing a transition, or rebuilding a country, the world can no longer afford to continue ignoring half the population.”
– Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, December 19, 2011

INITIATIVE: Timor-Leste Officials Arrive to Study Nepal's Peace Process

KATHMANDU, July 29: An official delegation from Timor-Leste led by Minister for Social Solidarity Isabel Amaral Guterres arrived in Kathmandu on Monday on a five-day visit.

The four-member delegation will meet Nepali officials to acquire first-hand experience of peace building and post-conflict reconstruction in Nepal, according to a press statement issued by the UNDP office in Kathmandu.

IMPLEMENTATION: Cambodia: Demanding Justice for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge

As the United Nations Security Council adopts a new resolution on conflict-related sexual violence today, we detail the efforts of a UN Trust Fund-supported programme that works to ensure that sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge during the 1974-1979 genocide in Cambodia is never forgotten.

BLOG: The Women at the Forefront of Somalia's Future

For more than 20 years there has been a continuous stream of bad news where Somalia is concerned with images of war, famine and piracy. Now with Al Shabaaab driven out of Mogadishu, and the Somali Transitional Government and African Union in control of the capital, Somalia seems to have joined the Africa Rising tide, and interestingly the image of Somalia's new era of a peaceful future seems to be largely women.

STATEMENT: Kosovo: Amnesty International Condemns Threats to Woman Human Rights Defender

Amnesty International is deeply concerned and shocked at recent threats made against human rights defender, Nazlie Bala, in Kosovo. Nazlie Bala is a well-respected human rights activist who has contributed significantly to documenting human rights abuses before and after the1998-1999 war. She has also played a vital role in establishing institutional support for persons suffering from domestic violence.

FORUM: Capitol Hill Forum Addresses the Role of Muslim Women in Peace-Building

“Muslim women can and should play a significant role in ensuring peace in their communities and countries around the world,” said Dr. Rosa Rai Djalal, President of the Muslim Women's Association, at a forum on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 20, 2013. “If women are not involved in the peace process, peace is unlikely to be sustainable.

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