Women at Peace Tables in a Changing Geopolitical Context: Lessons from Sudan, Ethiopia and Libya

Oct 21, 2024 | The African Union, Inclusive Peace, the Permanent Mission of Ireland, and UN Women.
UN Secretariat, Conference Room 11
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How can peacebuilding and mediation respond and adapt to the increase in armed conflicts and the difficulties faced by the global peace and security system as it struggles to respond? In recent years, we have witnessed a drastic decline in comprehensive peace agreements led by the UN, an overall decline in Western influence in peace-making, and new actors entering the mediation space. From regional peace efforts to National Dialogues with the potential to promote greater inclusivity, the traditional peacebuilding landscape as we once knew it is rapidly changing, in multiple ways.

Since the inception of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security in 2000, women's participation in peace negotiations has been high on the international agenda. Despite substantial advocacy for increased women’s representation in peace processes, significant gaps persist in achieving gender-responsive, let alone transformative, peace and ceasefire efforts, and women in conflict continue to face significant risk of violence and reprisals for their work. A key challenge remains as we approach the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 next year: the WPS agenda in peace processes has not been adapted to current geopolitical realities and the changed nature of peace processes. Advocacy and activities around WPS remain primarily focused on large-scale, comprehensive peace tables and formal processes. As a result, the WPS agenda is at risk of being further marginalized in today’s complex power dynamics regarding influence in peace processes.

Rationale

The advocacy and practice of the WPS agenda must be adapted to different contexts to provide nuanced and effective responses to new challenges for women’s participation. This panel discussion aims to shed light on the crucial role of women in peacemaking within the African context, focusing specifically on the experiences and contributions of women from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya. By examining these cases and hearing first-hand from women peacebuilders, the discussion seeks to highlight both the opportunities and challenges associated with meeting the one-third representation threshold for women’s participation in peace processes and the innovative strategies women have used to organize and make recommendations to member states and intergovernmental organizations. Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya offer valuable insights into the complex dynamics of current peace processes and women's participation. In Sudan, women were at the forefront of the 2018/2019 revolution,  achieving critical success in negotiating the Sudan Political Framework, which stated that women's representation at the national legislative and executive levels would be no less than 40%. However, following the resurgence of war in April 2023, Sudanese women have been excluded from ceasefire negotiations but have continued to organize and advocate for peace in other spaces. In Ethiopia, the National Dialogue process has a 35% women quota and an extra women’s delegation while the AU-led peace-making in Oromia has no women included. In Libya, the UN-led peace process appears stuck, with elections pending since 2021. The 30 percent quota agreed to in the Libyan Political Dialogue was largely disregarded in the structures of the transitional government.

Objective

This event will focus on women’s meaningful participation in peacemaking. Discussions will

identify:

i) Innovative approaches that women are using to change and participate in increasingly complex peace processes in the new geopolitical context, including positive examples of what has and is working.

ii) Recommendations to Member States and international organizations on how the WPS agenda can be adapted to the changing geopolitical context.

Expected Outcomes

• Raise awareness, inspire action, and generate recommendations for improving women's participation in different types of peace processes in Africa and beyond.

• Provide a platform for Sudanese, Ethiopian, and Libyan women to share their experiences.

• Potential questions/areas of research on how the WPS agenda must adapt to the changing global context.

Potential Discussion Points

• How women navigate today’s complex and multilayered peace processes at different levels

• Roles played by women in resolving conflict, including their contributions, challenges, and successes, at community, national and regional levels

• Innovative strategies women peacebuilders use to promote peace and engage in ceasefires.

• How intergenerational, political, and ideological differences among different women’s groups are negotiated.

• Lessons from Ethiopia, Sudan, and Libya’s experiences regarding women's participation in peacebuilding and political processes.

The panel discussion will feature expert speakers, including representatives from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya, academics, and activists, who will provide insights into the role of women in peace processes. The event will also include a Q&A session for audience participation. The side event is organized is by the African Union, Inclusive Peace, the Permanent Mission of Ireland and UN Women.