Gender-sensitive early warning
Incorporating gender into early warning – analysing the differences in men and women’s perceptions of security – can help create a fuller picture of conflict risks. Higher levels of gender equality and women’s physical security are increasingly considered to be important indicators of general stability. Deterioration in women’s security and increases in gender disparity can thus be among the earliest signs of crisis and violence (Anderlini, 2011). Nevertheless, most early warning and early response systems remain gender blind (Zdunnek, 2010), which could lead to responses that are inadvertently harmful to women or detrimental to gender relations (UN Women, 2012b). A review of 30 early warning and assessment frameworks found that only 11 indicators out of 832 made any reference to gender or women (UN Women, 2012b). Some gender-sensitive conflict early warning indicators do exist, but in practice they are rarely used at the community-level (Zdunnek, 2010).
Obstacles to incorporating gender into early warning include scepticism about the pay-offs, and practical challenges of implementation (UN Women, 2012b). There is often a lack of understanding and commitment from non-experts in gender, and data from women, especially on gender-based violence, can be particularly sensitive to collect (UN Women, 2012b).
Gender-sensitive conflict monitoring
Gender-sensitive conflict monitoring systems use information about women and men, and gender relations, to understand conflict dynamics, identify actors and processes that would prevent conflict, and build peace in a gender-sensitive way. A pilot in the Solomon Islands indicated that women and men attached different risk ratings to certain indicators of conflict (Goetz & Treiber, 2006). The pilot’s success relied on positive engagement from the national authorities, so that participants were not exposed to any danger by participating, and so their participation resulted in real change at the policy level.
The sensitivities around gathering information on women, peace, and security issues create gaps in data that impede monitoring and evaluation (GNWP, 2013). Some multilateral organisations have recently developed sets of indicators. For example, the UN agreed in 2011 on the UN Strategic Results Framework on WPS, which includes 26 indicators for measuring progress in advancing UNSCR 1325. The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), a programme of the International Civil Society Action Network, has developed a set of locally acceptable and applicable indicators that enable civil society organisations to measure the degree to which UNSCR 1325 is being implemented across different countries (see GNWP, 2013).
- Anderlini, S. (2011). World development report gender background paper. Washington DC: World Bank
See full text - Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP). (2013). Security Council Resolution 1325: Civil society monitoring report 2013. New York: GNWP.
See full text - Goetz, A-M. & Treiber, A-K. (2006). Gender and conflict analysis (Policy Briefing Paper). UNIFEM.
See full text - UN Women. (2012b). Gender-responsive early warning: Overview and how-to guide. New York: UN
See full text - Zdunnek, G. (2010). Gender-sensitivity and gender-blindness in conflict early warning systems – with a case study on the Niger Delta region (Nigeria). New York: Peacewomen.
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