Gender Issue in Peace and Security

On the 5th of October 2009, the United Nations Security Council conducted an opened debate on the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations for sustainable peace and security. The Security Council recognizes the importance of gender mainstreaming at all stages of the peace process since its adoption in 2000 of the Resolution 1325 on
Women, Peace and Security. Gender mainstreaming is about making sure that programs and policies designed by any organization, fund, and agency takes into account the differences between men and women in terms of political, economic and social opportunities, in design, implementation and evaluation. Gender analysis helps us to understand the mainstream political and development context, because it identifies differences between women and men in political, economic and social domains. The analysis is needed to find out whether or not these differences lead to inequality. In peace and security, it is the finding out of different roles of women and men in peacekeeping, peace building, and post-conflict reconstruction action. Gender analysis enables us to know where policy and resource interventions can promote programs that lead to gender equality and human rights. On debated topic, the needs of women and girls in post-conflict situations for sustainable peace and security, I think it is necessary to do gender analysis of all situations leading up to the conflict and in post-conflict follow-up. To find out who does what in conflict and post-conflict areas, who has access to resources that can be used to end violence and aggression, and for peace building. Fund is always needed for projects to target gender issues. The lack of funds for women’s needs reflect the inadequate participation of women in decision-making in the peace process, and post-conflict planning. During the opened debate, members of the Security Council did have a chance to review the past nine years of implementation of Resolution 1325. They also had a chance to evaluate the impact of conflicts in various parts of the world on women and girls, and to estimate their needs in post-conflict situations. It is my hope that they have found the ways and means to promote and sustain women’s role, as active decision-maker in post-conflict reconstruction. I don’t think women should be treated in the same way as girls or minors as “helpless victims” of conflict. Adult women and men should be treated in the same way because both are creators of many conflicts. Therefore, they should work together as peace makers – involved in all actions from peace negotiations, to conflict resolutions.