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WOMEN BUILDING PEACE - CONSENSUS, INCLUSION, SOCIAL JUSTICE - CASES

Direct Link to Full 58-Page 2013 Publication:

http://www.c-r.org/sites/c-r.org/files/AccordInsight_WomenBuildingPeace.pdf

Consensus and inclusion as a key strategy - A key strategy used by women’s groups is to take a nonpartisan, unified and consensus-based approach to achieve influence. Women in Bougainville and Northern Ireland developed forums and networks as a way to achieve strength through consensus and unity. In Sierra Leone in 1995 the women’s peace campaign put the issue of a negotiated settlement in the public domain in a non-partisan and nonconfrontational manner, combining non-threatening events like prayer meetings to mobilise support with more direct measures like marches and meetings with government. As a result a negotiated settlement became a respectable option for both the government and the rebels without loss of face.

Advancing broader issues of social justice - Inclusion – ensuring that a wide range of perspectives is represented, including marginalised sections of community – is an important factor for sustainable peace. Women’s groups can broaden the range of substantive issues on the table, promoting not just women’s rights but also social justice. Many peace processes prioritise elites and those carrying arms and aim to satisfy their dema demands. Issues key to long lasting, durable peace such as reconciliation, equality and access to land can go unaddressed. Women’s groups can therefore gain legitimacy and support by appealing to a broader constituency; they can also help ensure the interests of a wider section of the community are heard.