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UN SUSTAINING PEACE STRATEGY

WOMEN AND GENDER ADVISORS

IN PEACE PROCESSES

Including women and gender ad- and raise awareness on the lack of to guarantee the inclusion of gen-
visors in peace processes: exam- attention dedicated to gender-re- der-related provisions in the pea-
ples and analysis lated matters in the discussion of ce agreement. Nonetheless, inclu-
peace agreements, UN-Women ding officially recognized gender

By Lidia Marseglia organized a High-Level -Collo- advisers in mediation teams is not
quium on “Conflict-related sexual a common practice yet, althou-
violence in peace negotiations”, in gh women have played a de fac-
The exclusion of women from pe- 2009. In that occasion, many for- to gender advisers’ role in peace
ace talks is clearly not a new issue, mer negotiators to peace processes processes in several occasions.
deriving from mere structural ine- discussed their approach to confli- In the occasion of the peace pro-
qualities that lead to a preclusion ct-related sexual violence. All the cess for the Burundi civil war en-
for women to access the typical participants admitted that they had ded in 2005, UNIFEM (now part of
dominating roles in peace proces- never addressed the issue during UN-Women), deployed an expert
ses – such as consulting lawyers, negotiations. According to them, team on gender participating in
diplomats, politicians. From the the problem was the lack of specific the peace talks. The team was
analysis of several peace proces- guidance and training on the issue. composed of one man and three
ses, it became obvious that most However, involving women as ad- women who were former mem-
of the negotiating parties did not visors on gender issues to media- bers of liberation movements re-
consider sexual violence – a clear tors or delegates would be a useful spectively in Uganda, South Africa,
gender issue – as a relevant priori- practice. In fact, this has proven to Eritrea and Guatemala. The group
ty for the talks. To discuss the issue be one of the most efficient ways of advisors was not part of any ne-

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