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.

For more resources on this Critical Issue, visit PeaceWomen Resource Center >>

LIBERIA: Sirleaf Emphasizes Importance of Women Training

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said the educating and empowering of women in Liberia was a guaranteed way of ensuring that Liberia never returns to the dark days of conflict and chaos.

She made the assertion when she made keynote remarks last Friday during the Graduation Ceremony of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Project held at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex.

CAR: Expert Describes Trauma Among Sexual Violence Survivors as Witness Recounts Gang-Rape

The second week of the war crimes trial of former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba has seen an expert on gender crimes and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as a victim of rape by Mr. Bemba's soldiers, take the witness stand.

INTERNATIONAL: Violence Against Women - Missing Millennium Development Goal

"Tackling violence against women would address the gender dimensions of the Development Goals," says UN expert on violence against women

The following statement was issued by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Rashida Manjoo, in the course of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”

UGANDA: Uganda Improves on UN MDGs

ABOUT 75% of Ugandans have access to safe water, compared to only 53% 10 years ago, according to a report released by the Ministry of Finance yesterday.

The report showed that Uganda had made significant progress towards many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The September 2010 report noted that progress had been made, especially in reducing the number of people in absolute poverty and those facing food shortage.

NAMIBIA: GBV Remains Under-Reported

In Namibia, gender-based violence (GBV) has traditionally been regarded as a private matter and shrouded in a culture of silence. As a result, cases of GBV are under-reported because of shame, stigma and fear of retribution.
Unfortunately, the victims of GBV are mostly women and children.

MALAWI: Get Legislation Into the Hands of Those Who Need It

The gendered status of the HIV and AIDS pandemic is obvious when we look at countless statistics showing that more women than men are infected - and many more women than men bear the brunt of caring for those infected.

The link between gender-based violence and HIV and AIDS in southern Africa is also quite clear.

CAMBODIA: Cambodia's Democratic Warrior

After helping resettle Cambodian immigrants in the United States and earning a master's degree in social work from the University of California at Berkeley, Mu Sochua returned to Southeast Asia in 1981 to work with the 300,000 Cambodian refugees living in camps along the Thai border.

CENTRAL ASIA: UN Chief in Central Asia to Encourage Peace, Stability

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon is in Central Asia following recent unrest in the region to discuss empowerment of women and the UN's contribution to building stability and peace with regional leaders, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said here on Tuesday.

ZIMBABWE: Gender-Based Violence: 'Zimbabwe Police Officers Forget Themselves'

Tasha Ncube* has no kind words for the police. Early last month, the 31-year-old mother of two was beaten several times by her husband over what she says were small arguments. This was the first time in a marriage that has gone for years without any such occurrence.

CENTRAL ASIA: UN Sec Gen Ban Ki-Moon to Meet with Women from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Within the framework of a visit to Kazakhstan for participation in the OSCE Summit UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with a group of women of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - participants of regional initiative " Women for peace and security in Central Asia, the Ferghana Valley region"; the UNDP press service informs of it.

Pages