This paper looks at key gender issues within peacekeeping operations, going beyond an approach that presents women only as victims, to reflect women’s active roles as agents in peace and security issues. It looks at timely analyses of peace operations, and the practical ways in which the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has been implemented in Africa.
The paper focuses on the gendered impact of conflict to encourage transformation rather than reinforcement of power structures. It also embarks on a conceptual understanding of the normative and policy frameworks for gender mainstreaming in peace operations.
Key findings:
- Peacekeeping missions have changed in important ways regarding gender mandates, analyses, staffing and expectations over the last decade. They are now being mandated to address some of the central factors that studies show are resulting in high death rates among women and girls, and their continued marginalisation in political decision-making in the future of their countries.
- The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has made positive progress towards mainstreaming gender into all its operations, including deployment, training, policy and mission support. The existing frameworks for mainstreaming gender into peace operations are efforts by the DPKO to achieve peace based on equality. With the development of relevant training guidelines to develop skills and capacity, awareness has been raised to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and abuse, and the need for the equal representation of women in society.
- An effective gender mainstreaming strategy should ensure that gender considerations are routinely included in the assessment of policy issues, options and impacts, along with other considerations such as socio-economic dimensions. It should also routinely have increased gender equality as one of the policy outcomes – along with growth, efficiency, poverty reduction and sustainability – which requires the inclusion of gender perspectives at several points in the policy process.
- Mainstreaming gender considerations into AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs) has, to date, largely fallen by the wayside. However, it is important to note that useful opportunities to both elevate and strengthen the level of engagement currently exist. For one, the Peace and Security Council (PSC) has already twice held open sessions on women, peace and security. On both occasions, mainstreaming gender considerations into PSOs has been a priority for the PSC.
- Both the UN and AU have developed policies to protect civilians from the scourge of conflict. These organisations employ a multidimensional and integrated approach to peacekeeping, which supports protection of civilians (PoC) implementation. In addition, the UN and AU have actively incorporated gender considerations within their institutional hierarchies, policies and missions. However, the continued violence on civilians during conflicts and the incessantly high rates of sexual and gender-based violence reflect the gaps between policy and practice.