Does peace need women?

Women often play a crucial role in peace-building in communities which have been riven with conflict, but are excluded from formal negotiations.

What’s more, the contributions they do take are not figured into the plans made by those in formal negotiations. This means that their perspectives on conflicts, and some of the best ways to forge peace, are ignored. This can have serious consequences.

Women, peace and security

By not including women in the peace process we are actually losing out on a great resource to create sustainable peace.

Ambassador Miroslava Beham, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues

The OSCE Gender Section moved from theory into action by launching the Guidance Note on Gender-Responsive Mediation in October 2013. Most of all, it encourages to enhance representation of women, and build effective relations with women’s organization.

To promote those important goals and have a platform for further discussion the OSCE Gender Section and UN Women organised a conference in Almaty in November 2013 bringing the OSCE’s expertise in conflict prevention, resolution and rehabilitation, with that of UN Women.

Listen to the podcast to hear what the conference participants have to say on the issue:

Interviews on women in mediation

Ambassador Erwan Fouere, former OSCE Special Representative for the Transdniestrian settlement process, Annika Karlsson, Regional Manager for South Caucasus and South Asia at the Swedish foundation Kvinna till Kvinna, and John Ruhoff, a Swiss diplomat in Istanbul were asked to reflect on gender responsive mediation. Read the interviews.