UNSCR 1325 and local women’s involvement in peacebuilding processes

: a case study of Liberia

Abstract

Gender norms tend to shape women’s role in peace processes and make the decision making arena largely male-dominated. Since peacebuilding was introduced in the 1990s, it was emphasised that a wider range of actors such as women, youth, marginalised groups, and civil society actors are fundamental to enable post-conflict states to establish sustainable peace. Over the last two decades, national and international initiatives raising awareness about the need to strengthen women’s full participation at all stages of peace processes have been flourishing, as the adoption of the historical United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in 2000 has demonstrated. Nevertheless, women remain considerably marginalised from decision-making processes and most of their issues unadressed. This research questions the predominant rigidity towards women’s involvement in peacebuilding processes and analyses the role of grassroots civil society actors in implementing UNSCR 1325 and fostering local women’s participation at the peace table in Africa. Based on the case study analysis of the “Peace Huts” initiative in Liberia’s post-conflict peacebuilding context, this thesis focuses on a grassroots approach to implement UNSCR 1325 and empower local women. It argues that governments and international organisations should engage with civil society actors and reinforce local structures in order to translate policy frameworks into effective actions. Due to their proximity with communities, civil society organisations constitute strategic actors to safeguard the effective application of UNSCR 1325 at local level and therefore, their full inclusion in the operationalisation of UNSCR 1325 appears fundamental to build sustainable peace and effectively empower women at the grassroots level.

Date of Award	24 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Mónica Dias (Supervisor)