In order to measure and identify tension or violence, conflict early warning systems are often developed in particularly unstable areas. The goal of these systems is to communicate with decision-makers and relevant actors in order to minimize conflict’s impact on the civilian population.
The United Nations has recognized women’s involvement in conflict prevention as important in the achievement of “durable peace, security and reconciliation.” As women are impacted significantly and uniquely by war, early warning systems need to be gender aware in both their design and implementation.

The main theory behind this is that the incorporation of gender-sensitive indicators and the particular knowledge of women into early warning systems, will make them “more comprehensive” and able to track micro-level events – in part because women are positioned in societies in ways that often make them more sensitive to these events. Furthermore, with micro-level changes taken into account, the specific vulnerabilities of men and women can be addressed more accurately, ensuring that these practices are not perpetuated in post-conflict situations, but also that they might be ended prior to conflict even beginning. Finally, the systems themselves are much more effective when tapping into civil society, and even more so when women’s organizations and networks are included in the process.