Women On The Frontlines Of Peace And Security

Advances the critical dialogue on the importance of women in international peace and security. Points out the importance of women in building and keeping peace. Brings together diverse voices from diplomats to military officials and from human rights activists to development professionals. "

There is a growing body of evidence that shows how outcomes are better for whole societies when women participate in peace talks, security-sector planning, and reconstruction efforts. For example, women often raise day-to-day issues such as human rights, citizen security, employment, and health care, which make peace and security plans more relevant and more durable. They speak on behalf of marginalized groups, often crossing cultural and sectarian divides, which helps give voice to everyone seeking a peaceful future. And once consensus is reached, women can help translate peace from an agreement on paper into changes that make a real difference in people's lives. Women on the Frontlines of Peace and Security reflects President Barack Obama's commitment to advancing women's participation in preventing conflict and keeping peace. It is inspired by the countless women and girls on the front lines who make a difference every day in their communities and societies by creating opportunities and building peace. Black and white print.

What is being done in conflict-affected countries to advance women's participation in peace processes and decision-making? In Peace and Security: Implications for women the authors combine a broad overview with specific local knowledge to examine the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, 'Women, Peace and Security'. They present case studies from Timor-Leste, Fiji and Sri Lanka to suggest the necessary steps to protect women and girls from violence, to ensure the perspectives of women in peacekeeping are not overlooked, and to increase the participation of women in decision-making. While identifying obstacles, the emphasis is on articulating best practices in numerous contexts and outlining key actions to be taken by development agencies, women's NGOs and policy-makers. In recognising the role of women, the authors argue the cause of peace will be better served. Through the lens of women suffering from war imposed upon them from above and women contributing to peace processes by working collaboratively from below, Peace and Security provides practical and transferable learning opportunities for advancing women's security and women's participation in leadership roles.

At turns surprising, funny, and gut-wrenching, this is the hopeful story of the ordinary yet extraordinary people who have figured out how to build lasting peace in their communities The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over: violence breaks out, foreign nations are scandalized, peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement and, sadly, within months the situation is back to where it started--sometimes worse. But what strategies have worked to build lasting peace in conflict zones, particularly for ordinary citizens on the ground? And why should other ordinary citizens, thousands of miles away, care? In The Frontlines of Peace, Severine Autesserre, award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry. With examples drawn from across the globe, she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. Contrary to what most politicians preach, building peace doesn't require billions in aid or massive international interventions. Real, lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens. The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and organizations that are confronting violence in their communities effectively. One thing is clear: successful examples of peacebuilding around the world, in countries at war or at peace, have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people, at times supported by foreigners, often employing methods shunned by the international elite. By narrating success stories of this kind, Autesserre shows the radical changes we must take in our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us--whether we live in Congo, the United States, or elsewhere.

This book provides a critical assessment of the impact of UN Resolution 1325 by examining the effect of peacebuilding missions on increasing gender equality within conflict-affected countries. UN Resolution 1325 was adopted in October 2000, and was the first time that the security concerns of women in situations of armed conflict and their role in peacebuilding was placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council. It was an important step forward in terms of bringing women’s rights and gender equality to bear in the UN’s peace and security agenda. More than a decade after the adoption of this Resolution, its practical reality is yet to be substantially felt on the ground in the very societies and regions where women remain disproportionately affected by armed conflict and grossly under-represented in peace processes. This realization, in part, led to the adoption in 2008 and 2009 of three other Security Council Resolutions, on sexual violence in conflict, violence against women, and for the development of indicators to measure progress in addressing women, peace and security issues. The book draws together the findings from eight countries and four regional contexts to provide guidance on how the impact of Resolution 1325 can be measured, and how peacekeeping operations could improve their capacity to effectively engender security. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, gender studies, the United Nations, international security and IR in general.

This unique book discusses the issue of the role of women in the military, foreign policy, and peace efforts. Contents: Foreword - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Leon Panetta * Preface * Acknowledgments * Chapter I - Integrating Women into U.S. Defense and Foreign Policy * 1. What Took Us So Long? * Expanding Opportunities for Women in the Military * Michael Mullen * 2. Looking through the Gender Lens: More Stable Peace through Empowering Women * Donald Steinberg * Chapter II - Women and Conflict Prevention * 3. Creative Solutions for Crisis Response and Stabilization: The Power of a Gendered Approach * Rick Barton and Cindy Y. Huang * 4. Security for the 21st Century: Preventing Conflict by Building Strong Relationships and Stable Communities * James G. Stavridis and Scott T. Mulvehill * 5. NATO's Commitment to Women, Peace, and Security * Mari Skare * 6. Women, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism: Crafting Effective Security Policies * Jane Mosbacher Morris * 7. Unleashing Women's Economic Potential to Build Social Stability and Prevent Conflict * Melanne Verveer * Chapter III - Women as Equal Participants in Conflict Resolution * 8. Women's Role in Bringing Peace to Sudan and South Sudan * Princeton N. Lyman * 9. Women as Agents of Peace and Stability: Measuring the Results * Michelle Bachelet * 10. Working with African Nations to Support the Role of Women as Agents of Peace and Security * Carter F. Ham * 11. Women in Special Operations Forces: Advancing Peace and Security through Broader Cultural Knowledge * William H. McRaven * Chapter IV - Protections for Women During and After Conflict * 12. Protecting Civilians from Conflict-Related Sexual Violence * Patrick Cammaert * 13. Gender and Accountability in Conflict, Crisis, and Transition * Navanethem Pillay * 14. Women, Conflict, and Trafficking: Building a World Free of Slavery * Luis CdeBaca * Chapter V- Women's Equal Access to the Means for Recovery * 15. Women in Relief and Recovery: Putting Good Policies into Action * Valerie Amos * 16. Promoting Women's Participation in Disaster Management and Building Resilient Communities: A View from U.S. Pacific Command * Miemie Winn Byrd * List of Contributors Clinton and Panetta write: During our tenures as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, we witnessed the major contributions women have made in areas affected by conflict, crisis, and transition. Take Afghanistan, where our Servicemembers, diplomats, and development experts are working with the Afghan people to help build a stable, prosperous society. Because there can be no lasting peace in Afghanistan without the full participation of women, we have worked to include women at every step. We sent teams of female Marines to work directly with Afghan women and help them advocate for their rights. Our Provincial Reconstructions Teams engage with communities to curb violence against women and end practices that destabilize societies, such as honor killing and female immolation. And we are training more Afghan women to join the security forces and the national police so that they can help protect women's rights and uphold the rule of law. In active conflict zones, we know women often suffer disproportionate burdens, including rape as a tactic of war. We also know women can be valiant warriors. American women in uniform have faced the reality of combat and proved their willingness to fight and to die to defend our country. That is why in January 2013, the Defense Department rescinded the restriction excluding women from direct ground combat units and positions. The challenge for all of us moving forward is how we can better engage women as equal partners in all aspects of peace and security.

Gender oppression has been a feature of war and conflict throughout human history, yet until fairly recently, little attention was devoted to addressing the consequences of violence and discrimination experienced by women in post-conflict states. Thankfully, that is changing. Today, in a variety of post-conflict settings--the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Colombia, Northern Ireland --international advocates for women's rights have focused bringing issues of sexual violence, discrimination and exclusion into peace-making processes.In On the Frontlines, Fionnuala Ni Aolain, Dina Francesca Haynes, and Naomi Cahn consider such policies in a range of cases and assess the extent to which they have had success in improving women's lives. They argue that there has been too little success, and that this is in part a product of a focus on schematic policies like straightforward political incorporation rather than a broader and deeper attempt to alter the cultures and societies that are at the root of much of the violence and exclusions experienced by women. They contend that this broader approach would not just benefit women, however. Gender mainstreaming and increased gender equality has a direct correlation with state stability and functions to preclude further conflict. If we are to have any success in stabilizing failing states, gender needs to move to fore of our efforts. With this in mind, they examine the efforts of transnational organizations, states and civil society in multiple jurisdictions to place gender at the forefront of all post-conflict processes. They offer concrete analysis and practical solutions to ensuring gender centrality in all aspects of peace making and peace enforcement.

Passed in 2000, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent seven Resolutions make up the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. This agenda is a significant international normative and policy framework addressing the gender-specific impacts of conflict on women and girls, including protection against sexual and gender-based violence, promotion of women's participation in peace and security processes, and support for women's roles as peace builders in the prevention of conflict and rebuilding of societies after conflict. Implementation within and across states and international organizations - and within peace and security operations - has been slow despite significant transnational advocacy in support of the WPS agenda. The Oxford Handbook of Women, Peace, and Security brings together scholars, advocates, and policymakers to provide an overview of what we know concerning what works to promote women's participation in peace and security, what works to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence and other human rights violations, and what works to prevent conflict drawing on women's experiences and knowledge of building peace from local to global levels. Just as importantly, it addresses the gaps in knowledge on and the future direction of scholarship on WPS. The handbook particularly aims to build on the findings from the 2015 Global Study of Resolution 1325, commissioned by the UN-Secretary General. Over the course of six sections, the handbook addresses the concepts and early history behind WPS; the theory and practice of WPS; international institutions involved with the WPS agenda; the implementation of WPS in conflict prevention, peace operations, peace building, arms control, human-rights protection, and protection of civilians; connections between WPS and other UN resolutions and agendas; and the ongoing and future challenges of WPS.