Towards Gendered Peacebuilding Processes for Sustainable Peace
| Author | Nkabala Nambalirwa Helen,Veneranda Mbabazi,Resty Naiga |
| Published date | 01 December 2020 |
| Date | 01 December 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0973598419896441 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
1 Department of Religion and Peace Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
2 Department of Development Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Corresponding author:
Veneranda Mbabazi, Department of Religion and Peace Studies, College of Humanities
and Social Sciences, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
E-mail: vmbabazi@chuss.ma.ac.ug
Towards Gendered
Peacebuilding
Processes for
Sustainable Peace
Veneranda Mbabazi1, Resty Naiga2 and
Nkabala Nambalirwa Helen1
Abstract
In 2000, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 affirmed
the importance of including women in conflict resolution and peace-
building processes. Despite the existence of Security Council Resolution
1325, women continue to remain tokens in peacebuilding processes.
There is need to have gendered peacebuilding process because it
brings in new nuances and perspectives with regard to peacebuilding
and conflict resolution. A gendered peacebuilding process counterbal-
ances peace processes and policies that are influenced and informed
by masculinity militarization. It also helps in formulating peacebuilding
processes that are beyond masculinity and femininity lenses. A gendered
peacebuilding process goes beyond the essentialist way of inter-
preting reality. More significantly, the inclusion of both femininity and
masculinity perspectives creates a paradigm shift with regard to the
use of languages and strategies employed in peacebuilding processes.
A gendered peacebuilding approach contributes constructively to the
Jadavpur Journal of
International Relations
24(2) 133–151, 2020
2020 Jadavpur University
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DOI: 10.1177/0973598419896441
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134 Jadavpur Journal of International Relations 24(2)
achievement of responsive, inclusive, and sustainable peace because it
draws from men’s and women’s experiences to address conflict issues
that affect humanity.
Keywords
Gendered, peacebuilding, sustainable peace, femininity and masculinity
The idea of having women at peace negotiations tables is not a new idea
in peace discourses. In 2000, the United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1325 stressed and affirmed the vital role females play in
conflict prevention and resolution. It stressed ‘the importance for their
equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance
of peace and security, and the need to increase their role in decision-
making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution’ (United
Nations Security Council 2000).
While the United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325
emphasized the importance of including women in conflict resolution
and peacebuilding, the resolution did not point out what women can
bring in peace processes. Perhaps Tuft (2001: 152) is right to argue that
‘gender perspectives in conflict resolution cannot be based solely on
considerations of the structural imbalances of power between men and
women: it must reflect the different experiences experienced by women
and men in how the direct and indirect impacts of conflict affect their
lives.’ Men’s and women’s experiences in wartimes differ. While male
combatants often die in wars; women frequently suffer both direct and
indirect effects of war, such as deaths, rape, and abductions. Moreover,
when men are on the warfront gender roles tend to change. Women
become providers and heads of their families.
Whereas women have been actively involved in peace initiatives
almost in every conflict; peace agreements are often exclusive to men
(Bouta et al. 2005; Porter 2007). The United Nations (2002) observed
that peace processes can no longer minimize or disregard the contributions
of females in all stages of peace processes. Sustainable peace can be
achieved with equal participation of males and females. It is clear that
peace processes that do not value the active participation of women in all
stages of conflict resolution and peacebuilding works against the
attainment of sustainable peace. In order to mitigate conflicts and wars
around the world, there is a need to utilize the full potentials and skills of
both men and women in all aspect of peace negotiation and peacebuilding
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