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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SOUTH AFRICA: SA Prompts World to do More for Abused Women

South Africa's Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Hlengiwe Mkhize, has called on countries to renew their commitment to projects aimed at women empowerment and justice.

NEPAL: Discrimination Par Excellence: No Country for Daughters

If the world's largest democracies have ensured equality since decades, can we now write a constitution which promotes discrimination? What is the point of 33% women's representation in the CA, if our voices are ignored? What is the point of a new constitution that does not guarantee equality to more than half of its population?

SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHO Urges More Attention to Care During Pregnancies

Director General of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) Gro Brundtland has urged African countries to pay more attention to pregnancy safety.

Speaking in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, Brundtland said African women faced the highest danger of death during pregnancy or whilst giving birth compared to all other women in the world.

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan Women Train as Police to Take on the Taliban

In Block 08, an anonymous sand coloured building in Helmand's Police HQ, seven veiled figures play out each afternoon their very own drama of the No 1 Afghan Ladies Police Academy.

The women, aged from 18 to 33, are the first recipients of a new scholarship to train as female police officers. At present there are less than 20 serving female officers in the Afghan police in Helmand.

INDONESIA: 2010 Review: Women 'Bear Greater Brunt' of Free Trade, Fundamentalism

Free trade, weak government and rising religious fundamentalism made Indonesian women's lives more miserable last year, the Indonesian Women Coalition said.

Fluctuating prices of food commodities, such as chillies, have born extra burdens for women, as many in Indonesia are still traditionally responsible for preparing meals for their families, the coalition said in the notes of its 2010 review, made available over the weekend.

TANZANIA: A New Constitution is Rare Chance for Women

The prospects of a new dawn for Tanzania are higher, now that President Jakaya Kikwete has announced the formation of a commission to start the process that is expected to lead to the new Constitution. This is good news to women, who feel the current laws do not protect them enough, or give them the same opportunities as men.

INDIA: India Asks UN to do More Against Sexual Violence

Advocating greater participation of women in the areas of conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peace keeping and post conflict reconstruction, India wants UN organs to do more against sexual violence.

ZIMBABWE: Govt Must Get Serious About Prosecuting Rapists – Doctors

There should be no impunity for the perpetrators of rape and it is important for Zimbabwe to set up a multi-sectoral investigation into politically motivated rape, a human rights group has said.

DRC: New Law a Boon for Police Reform

Legislation has been passed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) national assembly aimed at reforming the country's police force, which, staffed by ex-soldiers and former rebels - riddled with corruption, poorly trained and lacking basic equipment - is widely seen as more of a threat to the population than a guarantor of its security.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: UN Backs Effots Against Gender-Based Violence in Southern Africa

In an effort to help law enforcement agencies in southern Africa respond to gender-based violence effectively, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today that it has launched a handbook and a training curriculum to improve the capacity of national police forces in the region to combat the problem.

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