Women, Peace And Security – Research Agendas

Panel 1 from the Roundtable on Human Rights, Women, Peace and Security at the University of Edinburgh, in Honour of Madeleine Reese

Claire Duncanson (PIR) Gender and the political economy of peacebuilding
Abstract: This paper argues that the WPS project, in order to be a truly potent tool in transforming the global, regional, national and local dynamics and inequalities underlying wars, and thus in building sustainable peace, needs considerable strengthening and deepening. More specifically, it needs to do more to address the political economy of peacebuilding. The paper outlines the gendered nature of war economies, the impact of current post-conflict reconstruction policies in exacerbating gendered inequalities, and suggests what might be required for a more transformative WPS project.

Christine Bell (Law) Peace Agreements: What is a gender perspective?
Abstract: UNSC 1325 talks of peace negotiations and peace agreements needing to adopt ‘a gender perspective’. This paper considers what constitutes a ‘gender perspective’ in a peace agreement, what we know about how provisions on women get included in peace agreements, and what we know about their implementation. The paper will present data from the new Peace Agreement Access Tool (PA-X), a peace agreement database being produced by the Political Settlements Research Programme, supported by DFID and UN Women (www.politicalsettlements.org).

Gerhard Anders (International Development) Victims and perpetrators: Addressing gender-based violence in Africa
Abstract: International criminal law has made considerable progress in addressing gender-based violence. The many armed conflicts in Africa with widespread and systematic sexual violence have been at the forefront of these developments. After some hesitation the international criminal tribunals have taken up the challenge to hold accountable the perpetrators of gender-based violence. One of the principal aims of their efforts has been the development of a global legal order. This universalistic ambition of international criminal law has to be considered in the context of another important objective. Prosecutors and judges also want to give a voice to victims and mete out visible justice on behalf of the victims. However, experiences of victims and perpetrators are often highly ambivalent and blur these clearcut boundaries. This raises the question whether these two goals of international criminal justice can be reconciled.

Zoe Marks (Centre for African Studies) “Gender in Non-State Armed Groups”:
This paper surveys existing research on women and men in armed groups, and the gendered dimensions of their participation in war. I will explore the intersections between critical feminist approaches and emerging quantitative studies on the topic through the lens of my fieldwork with women in Sierra Leone.