The Urgency of Woman Inclusion in Peace Negotiation

Riana Mardila

Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia

Keywords: women, women inclusion, peace negotiation

Abstract: In 2000, the United Nations passed the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325. It affirms the need

of women leadership and participation in peace process and security. It is a root of the gender and

peacekeeping work for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the promotion of women’s

and children’s right in international sphere. However, facts show that “out of 31 major peace processes

conducted since 1992, only 4% of signatories to peace agreements were women, 2,4% of chief mediators

were women, 3,7% of witnesses or observers to peace negotiations were women, and 9% of negotiation

team members were women.” It means that in some peace negotiations women have been included, yet still

under-represented. By using library research, this essay discusses the presence and the participation of

women in peace negotiations. I believe that women play a significant role in peace negotiation as they have

their own approach and the ability to survive and empower. Nonetheless, this essay has to admit that even

though women inclusion and participation in peace negotiation is essential, it is not a panacea to the conflict

resolution as peace is not only the responsibility of woman but all humankind regardless of their gender.

1 INTRODUCTION

In 2000, the United Nations passed the UN Security

Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (United Nation

Security Council (UNSC), 2000). It affirms the need

for women leadership and participation in a peace

process and security (United Nation Security

Council (UNSC), 2000) explicitly. It is also a root

of the gender and peacekeeping work for the

Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO)

(United Nation Security Council (UNSC), 2000).

UN Women Deputy Executive Director, John

Hendra, added that this resolution is also an attempt

of women’s and children’s right promotion in

international peace and security. (Hendra, 2013)

However, facts show that “out of 31 major peace

processes conducted since 1992, only 4% of

signatories to peace agreements were women, 2.4 %

of chief mediators were women, 3.7% of witnesses

or observers to peace negotiations were women

(BMZ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation

and Development), and 9% of negotiation team

members were women”. It means that in some peace

negotiations women have been included, yet still

under-represented.

Figure 1. Women as participants in peace negotiations

1992-2011

This essay is going to discuss the woman, peace, and

security specifically the presence and participation

of women in peace negotiations. I believe that

women can play a significant role in peace

negotiation. Their presence is important because

404

Mardila, R.

The Urgency of Woman Inclusion in Peace Negotiation.

DOI: 10.5220/0009934404040410

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 404-410

ISBN: 978-989-758-458-9

first, it will equalize the masculinity approach by

having a feminine approach in the peace negotiation.

Second, it will endure the agreement or sustain the

peace after the peace negotiation. Nonetheless, this

essay has to admit that even though women

inclusion and participation in peace negotiation is

essential, it is not a panacea for the whole conflict

resolution. Peace is not the responsibility of women

themselves but also all humankind regardless of

their gender.

This essay is going to be divided into three parts.

First, an overview of the definition of peace

negotiation and peace process. Second, a brief

assessment standard of the ‘success’ itself. Third, the

argumentation on why women inclusion in the peace

negotiation is essential to the success of such

process.

2 PEACE PROCESS AND PEACE

NEGOTIATIONS: THE

OVERVIEW

According to UN Women, peace negotiation means

to bring the problems to the peace table to be

discussed and negotiated on how the solution or the

agreement should be best achieved and implemented

(UN Woman, 2010) Peace negotiation is a part of

peace process. There are three different tracks of

peace negotiations in a whole peace process (UN

Woman, 2014). Each track does not only

differentiate the level of peace negotiation but also

the people who determine the decision making itself

(UN Woman, 2014).

Track 1 is the highest level of negotiation that

encompasses the political, economic, and military

aspect of the peace process (UN Woman, 2014). It

involves representative like diplomats, government,

or opposition leaders, high-level military officials

and actors who have access to the major financial

resources to support the decisions (UN Woman,

2014). Track 1 discusses the decision such as

“deployments of military forces to deter war, the use

of economic sanctions, and post-conflict

constitutional reform” (UN Woman, 2014).

Track 2 is “the civil society-level discussion

involving critical engagement with government

policy and formal security frameworks” (UN

Woman, 2014). It includes activities such as

organizing a protest, lobbying government, and

submitting policy brief (UN Woman, 2014). The

involved parties can be the “civil society groups,

non-government organizations (NGO), religious

networks, academic, and businesses” (UN Woman,

2014).

Track 3 is “the ground level activities responding

to the direct impact of violent conflict on the local

population” (UN Woman, 2014). For example,

organizing the accessibility of food, water, and

medication. The involving actors are mostly people

within the conflict zone or people with personal

attached to the conflict zone (UN Woman, 2014).

According to UN Woman, people in track three are

significantly excluded from policy spaces or

specifically in track 1 (UN Woman, 2014).

This essay encourages the women inclusion in all

tracks of peace negotiations. Either in track one as

the highest level of peace negotiation, in track two

as the medium level, or in track three as the ground

level of peace negotiations. The more women being

included, the more contribution that can be given to

reach the success of the peace negotiation and

process.

Source: https://www.interpeace.org

Figure 2. Diagram of negotiation tracks

3 THE ASSESSMENT

STANDARD OF THE SUCCESS

Success is a value judgment and it is relative. Thus,

this essay set the assessment standard of the

‘success’ of peace negotiation to guide the argument

or as the orientation goal on how woman inclusion

in peace negotiation can contribute to this success.

They are first, the achieving of an agreement that

ends the violence and resolving the conflict. Ending

the violence is clearly crucial. It does not mean it

only ends the suffering caused by the violence, but

The Urgency of Woman Inclusion in Peace Negotiation

405

also it supports the conducive environment to the

conflict resolution process and the implementation

of the agreement. Ending violence also means to

stop the sexual harassment to women and children. It

is an important aspect that should be included in a

peace agreement that calls for ending the conflict.

Specifically, the peace agreement in a conflict zone

where mass rape is utilized as the weapon of war

like Darfur (UN Woman, 2014).

Source: https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine

Figure 3. Protest against sexual violence in Darfur

Second, the political will to move forward to

hold the peacebuilding after the peace agreement. It

is not going to be easy as it does not only require all

conflicting parties to politically will to move

forwards peacefully, but also it takes full

commitment to doing the peace building. To urge

the political will, it requires a lot of negotiations,

incentive and also punishment if necessary. It will

not be discussed any further on what attempts that

can be done to promote the political will. However,

it is important to highlight it. Peacebuilding itself

means, “to foster social, economic, and political

institutions and attitudes that will prevent conflicts

from turning violent” (Doyle & Sambanis in

Jenkins, 2013). It is an attempt undertaken to

establish the foundation of peace and providing the

tools to do so and it is not merely the absence of war

(Doyle & Sambanis in Jenkins, 2013). In addition, it

encompasses the three dimensions of it; the stability

maintenance, the restoration of the state’s function

and capacity, and the capacity building of the society

to manage the conflict and socioeconomic

development (Barnet, 2007).

In regards to women inclusion, there should be

also a commitment to fulfil the UNSCR 1325 as the

goals in addition to the peace itself. “Courage must

be found by international leaders to prevent conflicts

and focus on their root causes – without this,

implementing SCR1325 is out of reach. Many of

these conflicts are marked by gender-based violence

– often facilitated by an unchecked flow of small

arms and a culture of impunity” (Byanyima, 2015).

Last is the peace sustainability with full respect

to human rights and a vision of prevention. This last

key point of success is the last resort of the first and

the second points earlier. The whole success will be

achieved only in order. The success of the third

depends on the success of the second and the second

depends on the success of the first. This assessment

standard aims to achieve success that covers both the

negative peace (the absence of violence) and the

positive peace (the prevention from returning to

conflict and the sustainability of peace) (Galtung,

1985). It also admits that the success of the peace

negotiation is a long process. The women inclusion

will not be a panacea for the whole conflict

resolution. It will not also shorten the long process

of success. However, this essay argues that woman

inclusion in peace negotiation is essential in

contributing to the success of such process.

4 WHY IS WOMEN INCLUSION

ESSENTIAL?

I believe that it is crucial to include the woman in

peace negotiation because first, women’ approach is

needed. It will equalize the number of men on the

peace negotiation table and the masculinity

approach. The hope is no gender should feel

intimidated when talking about peace and resolution

conflict, and the result will be comprehensive as the

results consider the gender approaches.

As I said in the introduction, facts show that

women in peace negotiation are under-represented.

It is also a fact that international politics is a man’s

world (Tickner, 1992). Women are considered

incapable of understanding the military and policy.

"Women are not…going to understand (missile)

throw –weights or what is happening in Afghanistan

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or what is happening in human rights…some women

will, but most women…would rather read the human

interest stuff of what happened” (Tickner, 1992).

Such statement is not true. Many capable women

understand and are educated on military and

policymaking.

Source: www.weforum.org

Figure 4. Under represented woman in peace

negotiation

Besides, even if women have been already

stigmatized as someone who does not comprehend

weapon and strategy, it does not mean that women

can be neglected in the peace negotiation at all. They

have their role to balance the masculinity (e.g.,

toughness, courage, power, independence, and

physical strength) (Tickner, 1992) in the peace

negotiation. For instance, in Syria, women are

struggling against the violence there. They use their

political rights by doing “nonviolent protest,

distributing and monitoring humanitarian aid,

establishing safe space for women and children,

documenting human rights of violation, securing

local-level ceasefires and release of prisoners,

setting up democratic local elections, raising

awareness about civil peace, developing plans for a

future democratic & pluralistic state, and gathering

in parallel to the negotiations to demand broader

inclusion” (Williams, 2014).

Source: https://www.newsdeeply.com

Figure 5. Syrian woman protest, voicing their voice

Such example tells that even though women are not

directly included in peace negotiations, yet they still

struggle and will to contribute to the success of the

peace process as a whole on their (femininity) own

way. Thus, this inclusion is crucial as it plays an

essential role in the success of the peace negotiations

and peace process as a whole.

Woman approach is also needed hand in hand

with man's approach not only for the negotiation

result but also for the peace process. For example is

trauma healing for the victims. As we know that

woman is the most significant victims of conflicts or

wars. They are the victims of sexual violence,

physical destruction (losing home and family),

pregnancy complication caused by war, and post-

conflict trauma. In 1992, there have been more than

20000 women being raped in Bosnia (UNICEF,

1996). In 2009, there were 15000 women had been

raped throughout Democratic Republic of Congo

(DRC) Red Cross has reported that there are 10

countries including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone,

Somalia, and the DRC, with the highest rate of

maternal deaths caused by war either war at the

present day or in the past (The Institute of Inclusive

Security).

From such cases, most of it is entirely personal

and private case. These issues will be a lot easier

when discussed with other women. It does not mean

man cannot approach or understand this but in some

cases, we should also consider the faith, culture of

the victims. In majority Muslims zone, for instance,

the Muslim woman usually more comfort to discuss

with the other woman as that how Islam shapes them

fundamentally. In additional, if we take the example

of maternal deaths and pregnancy complication, only

The Urgency of Woman Inclusion in Peace Negotiation

407

women that can feel this as they are also the mother.

We can have a male gynecologist, but we will never

have a pregnant male. The same as the raped case

where the victims on the conflict zone most of the

time are women. Logically, if we are the victims,

then it will be easier to talk to the women as we are

in the same gender. Women are also close to

children as they are mothers too. This will be an

added value when approaching children victims.

Besides, woman approach is now more needed

because in some terrorism cases, women and

children are not only the victims but also the doer

(terrorist). Thus this approach is not only essential to

cure but also to prevent the conflict.

“We [need to] get men involved, men who are

currently in power, and start partnering with them

(women) on this issue and getting them to make

conscious efforts. We need to have men understand

these statistics, understand the why” (Abdoulah in

Sandberg, 2013, in Galer, 2015).

At the same time, Abdoulah also called on

women to advocate for themselves. “Why do we

think we have to be perfect or we have to have it all

or we have to have done it to go for it? That’s one

obstacle we put in our way. Another is that we

believe with our whole heart, mind and soul that

we’ll do a good job and get recognized, and we

don’t negotiate well enough for what the job is

worth, asking for what we think we deserve in that

role, and asking for the promotions” (Abdoulah in

Sandberg, 2013, in Galer, 2015).

Second, women inclusion is important because it

will endure the agreement or sustain the peace after

the peace negotiation. The Report of Security

General on Women, Peace, and Security 2015

reported that "new evidence, added through research

commissioned for the study, demonstrates clearly

that the inclusion of women led to more sustainable

peace and enhanced prevention efforts” (UN

Security Council, 2015). It has been researched that

women inclusion in peace negotiations can endure

the peace agreement for at least 15 years with the

possibility percentage of 35% (The Institute of

Inclusive Security).

I think this is plausible because a woman has the

endurance to survive and empower. Not that man

cannot, but I think because of patriarchy that has

been rooted for ages, there is this sense of belonging

among women that they should be free, independent;

thus they should empower each other. And ‘thanks

to' patriarchy, women mostly have the endurance to

struggle and to survive as they are taught and feel

that (at least) their family need them; their husbands

especially their children need their wives and

mothers.

Rwanda (since 1994) shows the example that by

giving a chance to women to contribute, Rwanda has

succeeded rebuilt their country. Aside from

Rwandan refugees, the country itself is now healing

and rising with the perseverance and endurance of

the women there. After the genocides, the country

was left with 70% of females (Hunt, 2014). Most of

the males died because of the genocide, and male

perpetrators escaped to other countries. This

condition moved the Rwandan women to step up in

order to survive; not only to survive as an individual

but also as a nation. They were hand in hand

supporting each other including taking care of

orphaned children, organizing support groups for

widows, rebuilding ruined buildings, cultivating

lands, and establishing business (The Institute of

Inclusive Security). In addition, today, Rwanda has

the highest percentage of women appointed to

parliament in the world, estimated at 64% (Strochlic,

2014). It is followed by Bosnia (53%), Cuba (49%),

Seychelles (44%), Sweden (44%) (Inter-

Parliamentary Union, 2016 in Warner, 2016).

Interestingly, many leaders of the Rwandan

government were raised by single mothers in the

pre-genocide refugee camps in the past (Hunt,

2014). Therefore, they are working hard to sustain

the peace and maintain the stability as they do not

want the violence happens again to their fellow

generations.

Source: https://www.inclusivesecurity.org

Figure 5. “How women rebuild Rwanda”

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In contrast to Rwanda, Bosnia’ neglected the

women inclusion. After the bloodshed in 1995 when

nearly 8000 of unarmed Muslim men and boys were

killed, the international community failed to

intervene to stop the tragedy (The Institute of

Inclusive Security). The US Policymakers admitted

that ethnicity rivalry was inevitable (The Institute of

Inclusive Security). Bosnia-Herzegovina at that

time was lack of attachment between the people

within. However, what makes even worst, during the

peace negotiation there is no single woman

presented on the peace table. Swanee Hunt, the

former US Ambassador to Austria (1993 to 1997) in

her book writes: (The Institute of Inclusive Security)

"…[M]ost women leaders in Bosnia were

virtually unknown to the international

community...When [the US-led] team drew up the

guest list for the Dayton negotiations, and they failed

to consult with grass-roots organizers. Instead, the

United States invited to the peace table those who

had waged war. Those who had waged the peace

were excluded. "

Source: https://www.inclusivesecurity.org

Figure 6. Bosnian Women reclaimed peace

Rwanda and Bosnia have highlighted that woman

inclusion in peace negotiation or peace process as a

whole are essential. In Rwanda, we learn how

women's endurance and the power to empower

significantly contributed to the peace process.

Women not only built the peace but also

rebuilt the country itself. On the other hand, we are

also shown how Bosnia-Herzegovina (The Institute

of Inclusive Security) neglected the voice of women.

Instead, it resulted in the Dayton Accord that though

it ended the war, yet it created the separation or

division of territory in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Some

people will think that this will happen regardless of

women participation. We never know unless we try.

Moreover, as Bosnia never give that chance to a

woman, then we never know whether the result will

change or not.

The condition of Rwanda and Bosnia were

indeed quite different. In Rwanda, the condition was

more a peace process after the conflict ended.

Meanwhile, in Bosnia, the condition was more a

peace negotiation to end the war. However, those

examples show how women inclusion creates

another ending. One is united and integrated like

Rwanda. One is not only the territory is separated,

but also the people within are not "attached" to each

other regarding the sense of brotherhood as a nation,

like Bosnia (The Institute of Inclusive Security).

Rwanda tries to achieve not only the negative peace

(ending the conflict) but also the positive peace

(sustainable peace moving forward to develop the

whole nation). Meanwhile, Bosnia has reached the

negative peace (ending the conflict by separation),

but not the positive peace. Even though this

inclusivity of women was not the only key, it played

a significant role in every peace process.

Source: www.npr.org

Figure 7. Rwanda is the number 1 country for women in

power.

The Urgency of Woman Inclusion in Peace Negotiation

409

5 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, woman inclusion in peace negotiation

and the peace process is crucial. It may not be the

panacea to the conflict in which in this case the end

of the conflict or the sustainable peace. However,

giving them a chance to voice out their opinion and

make a contribution during peace negotiation and

process is a must. No gender should be left behind.

The reasons are first, to balance the masculinity

thoughts by having a feminine approach. Hopefully,

it will lead to a comprehensive decision and

solutions. Second, it will endure the agreement or

sustain the peace after the peace negotiation. The

women inclusion does not mean it promotes the

women’s right above the other gender. It is an

attempt to equalize the representation and aspiration

in the peace negotiation and the peace process as a

whole. With the woman inclusion, it is expected that

both negative and positive peace can be achieved

and sustain. It will eliminate not only the violence

(conflict) on the surface (negative peace) but also

the conflict in the grass root and sustainable peace

(positive peace).

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