Technical ReportPDF Available

From the ground up Women's roles in local peacebuilding in Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sierra Leone

September 2012

DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.17216.43525

Affiliation: ActionAid, Womankind, IDS

Project: gender and security

Authors:

Catherine Müller

Social Development Direct, London, UK

Patricia Justino

United Nations University (UNU)

Barriers to women's participation in peacebuilding

…

Figures - uploaded by Catherine Müller

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Content uploaded by Catherine Müller

Content may be subject to copyright.

From the ground up

Women’s roles in local peacebuilding

in Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal,

Pakistan and Sierra Leone

Cover image: Young women at an ActionAid rally in

Nepal dance to a song encouraging women to

challenge gender-based violence

Brian Sokol/ActionAid

The photographs used in this report are for illustrative

purposes only and do not depict any women who

participated in this research, unless explicitly specified

The report was proofread by Chandani Thapa,

and Print.

This report was researched and written by Ivan Cardona, Patricia Justino, Becky

Mitchell and Catherine Müller of the Conflict, Violence and Development Cluster

at the Institute of Development Studies.

Research in Afghanistan was carried out by Mairi MacRae of Womankind

Worldwide. Research in Pakistan was carried out by Awam Dost Foundation, and

Azhar Lashari of ActionAid. The production of the research report was managed

by Rachel Fox and Lee Webster, and the report was edited by Sharon Smee.

September 2012

The views expressed in this report are the responsibility of the authors alone, as

well as all errors and omissions.

1From the ground up

Acknowledgements

ActionAid’s International Emergencies and Crises Team and Womankind Worldwide

initiated and funded this research, and many people have given their time and

expertise. Without the support of ActionAid and Womankind staff, their partners and

the women and men building peace across Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan and

Sierra Leone, this research would not have been possible.

Particular thanks go to Ahmed Khan, Airlie Taylor, Aisha Kamara, Arthur Butler, Azhar

Lashari, Bandana Rana, Bijay Kumar, Bimal Phnuyal, Birendra Budha, Birkha Budha,

Breshna Ashoorzada, Carol Angir, Caroline Poschl, Catherine Klirodotakou, Christiana

S. Abu-Iqpawoh, Chue Roberts, Cintia Lavandera, David Payne, Dr Bashir Noori, Dr

Latifa Majidi, Dr. Attiqullah Rezai, Durga Sob, Elizabeth Gbah, Emily Esplen, Estella

Nelson, Evelyn Weeks, Fahim Barialai, Gajendra Chaudhari, Hamid Haidary, Hannah

Koroma, Hauwa Karim, Hidayatullah Omari, Imranul Haque, Jemal Ahmed, Joanna

Wheeler, Jumaboy Shomurodov, Kate Carroll, Kopila Rijal, Korto Williams, Leah Berry,

Lee Webster, Leeda Yaqoobi, Lucia Fry, Mairi MacRae, Marion Clarke, Maryam

Rahmani, Masouda Sulaimankhil, Mirzo Ali, Mohamed Sillah, Mohammed Kaba,

Mohammed Mumtaz, Moira O’Leary, Momoh Lukulley, Mona Sherpa, Nahakul Thapa,

Nirmala Mahartara, Pradeep Bhattarai, PV Krishnan, Rachel Carter, Rachel Fox,

Ramona Vijeyarasa, Rampati Chaudhari, Renu Sijapati, Sama Sandy, Samira Hamidi,

Sangya Shrestha, Sarah Jackson, Sayni Choudhary, Selay Ghaffar, Shraddha Shah,

Sriramappa Gonchikara, Sumeena Vaidya Malla, Sunita Gurung, Sylvester Williams,

Tilak Chaudhari, Uzma Tahir, Zahid Khan, Zohra Moosa, Zynab Binta Senesie.

2From the ground up

Acronyms

Foreword

Executive Summary

1. Introduction

2. Background to this study

2.1 Conceptual framework

2.2 Methodology

2.3 Existing evidence – women, peace and conflict

3. Country contexts

3.1 Afghanistan

3.2 Liberia

3.3 Nepal

3.4 Pakistan

3.5 Sierra Leone

4. What is peace?

5. Barriers to women’s participation in peacebuilding

5.1 Patriarchal norms and attitudes

5.2 Violence against women

5.3 Economic instability and caring responsibilities

5.4 Inequality in education

5.5 Devaluing women’s role as peacebuilders

5.6 Sustainability of support for women’s organisations

6. Women building peace

6.1 Building peace in families and across communities

6.2 Collectively organising for peace

6.3 The post-conflict window of opportunity

7. The missing link – local to national

7.1 The disconnect between local peacebuilding and national processes

7.2 From one drop it becomes a river – the bottom-up approach

8. Supporting women – what works?

8.1 Long-term support and investment

8.2 Empowering women through access to justice

8.3 Creating safe space for women’s participation

8.4 Changing attitudes towards peace and valuing women’s contribution

8.5 Recognising the diversity of women’s experiences

9. Conclusions and recommendations

References

Appendix: list of interviews and focus group discussions

Afterword

Contents

3Peace Begins at Home

ADF Awam Dost Foundation

AWID The Association for Women’s Rights in Development

AWRC Afghan Women’s Resource Centre

BCD Boat for Community Development

CDC Community Development Council

COME-SL Community Organisation for Mobilisation and

Empowerment – Sierra Leone

CSO Civil Society Organisation

FEDO Feminist Dalit Organisation

FGDs Focus group discussions

GLCS Graceland Counselling Services

LIWOMAC Liberia Women Media Action Committee

LWI Liberian Women’s Initiative

MAM Mahila Adhikar Manch

MARWOPNET Mano River Union Women for Peace Network

MSWGCA Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s

Affairs, Sierra Leone

NAP National Action Plan

NGO Non-governmental organisation

PAT Paiman Alumni Trust

PEAD Peace Education and Development Foundation

SEED Society for Environmental Education Development

UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution

VAW Violence against women

WAPPDCA Women's Alliance for Peace, Power, Democracy and

Constituent Assembly

WAVES Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society

WHR Women for Human Rights

ZWUC Zwedru Women United for Change

Acronyms

4From the ground up

This important report showcases the voices and work of a

large but forgotten group of women - those working

locally, wherever they are, to rebuild society after war and

lead their communities to peace.

From Nepal to Liberia, from Pakistan to Sierra Leone and

Afghanistan, a common thread of peace pulls women

together, and compels them to act at local level for a just

and equal future.

The experiences of women in Nepal mirror those of our

sisters across the world. Despite their contribution and rich experiences in

building peace, women have been left out of peace negotiations and sidelined

from decisions about the future of our country and communities. The barriers

against women's participation persist - patriarchal attitudes, lack of security, lack

of access to justice and support mechanisms. Continued violence against women,

as well as the failure to address abuses committed during conflict, are key

factors underlying a feeling of injustice and tension in local communities.

Yet, against the odds, women overcome these and bravely step out into view to

demand change. In Nepal during the drafting of the National Action Plan on

UNSCR 1325, local women put aside their ethnic and political differences, and

instead focused on the root causes of the conflict, and how they could tackle the

associated grievances and discrimination. Women at local level, often previously

confined to a domestic role within the home, have found strength in each other

as they publicly demand justice and inclusion.

Against this backdrop I'm proud to introduce this report, and make a plea to the

international community to put women at the heart of peace. Learning from

and supporting the work of women's organisations, who are at the frontline of

building peace at local level, is a crucial part of a future where peace can

prosper, not for just half the population, but for everyone.

Bandana Rana,

Executive Chair, Saathi and member of UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory

Group, Nepal

Foreword

“Supporting

the work of

women's

organisations...

at the frontline

of building

peace at local

level, is a crucial

part of a future

where peace

can prosper“

5From the ground up

“For generations, women have served as

peace educators, both in their families

and in their societies. They have proved

instrumental in building bridges rather

than walls.“1

Despite the increased international

attention to women’s participation in

peacebuilding, the achievements and

challenges facing women building peace at

the local level have been largely

overlooked. This study addresses some of

these gaps by providing qualitative

evidence on the roles of women in local

peacebuilding in five countries:

Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan and

Sierra Leone and examining how women,

supported by women’s rights organisations,

are building peace in their communities.

The research found many contextual

differences between the communities and

countries visited, including the degree of

displacement and mobility restrictions as a

result of conflict as well as differing levels

of external involvement in peace processes

and post-conflict recovery. However, it also

uncovered important commonalities across

the countries which provide clear guidance

on how women’s rights and their

peacebuilding efforts can be supported in

conflict-affected communities.

The meaning of peace

“Peace means different things to women

and men because of their unique

experiences as a result of the war, and as

a result of how society is structured.

Peace to women means putting food on

the table, economic empowerment,

access to healthcare and education, and

that we can speak up against abuse in

the home. There is violence in the home,

but too often women are silent, that is

not peace.“

– Estella Nelson, Founder and President

of Liberia Women Media Action

Committee (LIWOMAC)

This research found that women are more

likely than men to adopt a broad definition

of peace which includes the household level

and focuses on the attainment of individual

rights and freedoms such as education,

healthcare and freedom from violence. In

contrast, men have a greater tendency to

associate peace with the absence of formal

conflict and the stability of formal

structures such as governance and

infrastructure.

Barriers to women’s

participation in peacebuilding

“We hear that we don’t have women

who are sufficiently educated to take

part in peacebuilding. Yet we see men

taking part who are neither educated nor

care about peace. Women don’t need to

be educated to know how war affects

them, and to know what they want from

peace.“

– Selay Ghaffar, Director of Humanitarian

Assistance for Women and Children of

Afghanistan (HAWCA)

This research has revealed that women face

multiple barriers as they attempt to build

peace in their communities including the

following:

a) Restrictive social norms and attitudes

that reinforce traditional gender roles,

making it difficult for women to participate

safely and meaningfully in peacebuilding.

b) Violence against women and girls, fuelled

by the long-term impact of conflict and

militarisation, impacts on women’s freedom

to participate in peacebuilding activities.

Women face intimidation and threats to

their safety when they try to take active roles

Executive summary

1. Former UN Secretary-General

Kofi Annan, Open Session of

the UN Security Council Debate

on Women, Peace and Security,

New York, 24 October 2000.

“Peace means

different

things to

women and

men because

of their

unique

experiences as

a result of the

war, and as a

result of how

society is

structured“

6From the ground up

in their communities. Access to justice also

remains a significant challenge for survivors

of violence against women and girls.

c) Poverty and economic inequality also

inhibits women’s involvement in

peacebuilding activities. Women report that

they are unable to engage in peacebuilding

activities because of the double burden of

their domestic roles and income-generation

activities as well as a lack of control over

household income.

“Women need economic empowerment,

they need to be independent. If they

have to work on the farm or other

activities to feed their children they don’t

have time to be active... You cannot be

part of training or activities if you don’t

have food to leave for the children. You

need a livelihood, a better income.“

– Female key informant, Community A,

Liberia

d) Inequality in access to education for

women and resulting low levels of literacy

were identified in many communities as

barriers to women’s active participation in

peacebuilding. However, it was also noted

that women have many skills in conflict

resolution and peacebuilding that do not

necessarily require high levels of education.

e) Women often de-value their role as

peacebuilders, and despite their

achievements, women do not necessarily

recognise the important role they play in

building peace. They tend to focus much

See also Balchin, C., 2011

“Women need

economic

empowerment,

they need to be

independent“

35 From the ground up

in public. In Nepal, it was also recognised

that the economic situation of households

can hold back women’s participation in

peacebuilding. The multiple burden of

caring for children and households, as well

as contributing to income generation, leaves

limited time for engagement. Women are

not able to take time away from income-

generating activities and therefore cannot

join initiatives that do not immediately and

directly benefit their families.

“In many community programmes

women cannot participate, for example

in training because they have to work; if

an organisation gives the opportunity

they are happy, but trainings such as

awareness raising are not worth the time

because they have to work to feed their

families and there’s no return on these

trainings.“

– Officials’ Focus Group, Community B,

Nepal

Significantly, whilst men in the Sierra Leone

communities tended to recognise the

importance of women’s economic

contribution, this does not signal a shift in

roles and responsibilities, as women are

expected to combine duties in the home

with income generation. The research

highlighted numerous cases of husbands in

Sierra Leone leaving their wives and

neglecting children, and the precarious

situation of widows. Women emphasised

that they need to know that they can be

involved in leadership and simultaneously

that their families will be secure and

provided for.

“If [women] have means to make money,

they can use the profits to solve

problems in their community. For

example, if a sister [meaning one of the

women] gets sick, they can take her to

the hospital.“

– Women Focus Group, Community A,

Sierra Leone

Poverty was viewed as not only inhibiting

involvement in peacebuilding activities but

also the achievement of peace in families

and communities. For example, community

members in Sierra Leone see the availability

of food as a condition of peace within

households. Women in Liberia also

recognised a lack of income as a barrier to

peace itself. Both study communities

identified a lack of jobs, training and

income generation as a barrier to achieving

peace. This was particularly pronounced in

Community B, where a lack of income-

generating opportunities not only for

women but also for young men,

particularly those who have been soldiers,

is considered to be one of the main reasons

for conflict amongst community members.

While a lack of jobs is also an issue for

women in Community A, they feel that

they have some opportunities for income

generation through the training they

receive from NGOs.

“The multiple

burden of

caring for

children and

households, as

well as

contributing

to income

generation,

leaves limited

time for

engagement“

Right: Women from Dim

Dim [meaning

“togetherness“] women’s

group in Sierra Leone,

work on a community

garden project which

provides them with skills

and a reliable income.

Aubrey Wade/ActionAid

36 From the ground up

5.4 Inequality in education

“We hear that we don’t have women

who are sufficiently educated to take

part in peacebuilding. Yet we see men

taking part who are neither educated

nor care about peace. Women don’t

need to be educated to know how war

affects them, and to know what they

want from peace.“

– Selay Ghaffar, Director, Humanitarian

Assistance for Women and Children of

Afghanistan

Women’s lack of access to education and

low levels of literacy were identified in many

communities as barriers to women’s active

participation in peacebuilding. In Nepal,

both women and men in communities A and

B asserted the belief that women are not

knowledgeable enough to participate in

decision making. Limited education, which

disproportionately affects older women, was

also noted as a reason for women to feel

they were unable to contribute.

Organisations in Pakistan also identified

inequality in education as a major challenge

to their programmes, both in terms of

literacy and a lack of awareness of women’s

right to participate in peacebuilding

activities. In Sierra Leone, low self-esteem,

coupled with intimidation by men, is

recognised as limiting women’s involvement

in peacebuilding, and illiteracy and a lack of

education are cited as the main reasons for

low confidence. As a result, women do not

stand for leadership positions at local level,

and during elections they report often

voting for men.

“[A main obstacle is] lack of education of

women and a low literacy rate among

women. They might have competencies

but lack confidence to come forward.“

– Key Informant, Ministry of Social

Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs

(MSWGCA), Sierra Leone

In the Afghanistan study communities, men

and boys tended to focus more on women’s

illiteracy as a barrier to being involved in

higher-level decision making. While women

and girls also recognised inequality in access

to education as a barrier, with specific

examples of families forbidding girls from

attending higher education, they also

recognised that they had many skills that

are useful for conflict resolution and

peacebuilding that do not necessarily

require high levels of education.

“Before joining FEDO, I was limited to

just household work. Now I have

boosted my confidence, and acquired

knowledge and education. I realised that

I needed to be more educated so that I

could motivate and help other women,

so I re-joined school and continued onto

“We hear that

we don’t have

women who

are sufficiently

educated to

take part in

peacebuilding.

Yet we see

men taking

part who are

neither

educated nor

care about

peace“

Above: Afghanistan

Sandra Calligaro/Womankind

37 From the ground up

higher education. I also became District

President of FEDO, and was approached

by the Nepali Congress Party to get

involved after they saw my work with

Dalit women. My ambition is to be a

political leader and a role model for the

Dalit community.’

– Pabitra Bishwokarma, FEDO President

for Makhanpur District, Nepal

5.5 Devaluing women’s role as

peacebuilders

“Women can’t contribute to big issues –

but men can. Men are the ones who

participate in these discussions.“

– Women focus group, Community C,

Afghanistan

Despite their peacebuilding achievements

(discussed in section 6), women in the

research sites do not necessarily recognise

the important role they play in building

peace. For example, in Afghanistan when

asked to identify key players in the

community who build peace, no women

identified themselves or their

groups/networks. They focused much more

on the importance of state actors

(government) and traditional leaders as the

key actors in peacebuilding. When

prompted women did talk about activities

they are doing to promote peace and to

prevent and resolve conflict in their

communities. For example, through the

ActionAid Paralegal Project, women

paralegals are establishing community

groups and providing support to women

survivors of violence.79 However women’s

current or potential role in peacebuilding

was downplayed by both women and men.

In Nepal, there was also a contrast between

what women view as their limited

contribution to peace, and their actual

participation in peacebuilding forums, forest

user groups80, paralegal committees, civil

society groups, and Mahila Adhikar Manch.81

In both study communities in Sierra Leone,

women also do not regard themselves as

‘peacebuilders’. They see peace as being

achieved by the authorities that have

traditionally been engaged in conflict

resolution and mediation, including town

and section chiefs and religious leaders.

However, after training and sensitisation on

women’s rights and access to justice, the

‘Mamy Queen’ (traditional women’s leader

in the community) and Women’s Chairlady

(leader of a women’s group or forum) in

each community was also recognised as

forming part of these official structures.

In Pakistan, due to the patriarchal structure

of Pakistani society, women have never been

part of major decision making and formal

peacebuilding efforts. Organisations

advocating for women’s involvement face

great challenges explaining to women that

they have the right and capacity to

contribute to decision-making structures,

and that their perspective might be missing

if they do not participate. Some

organisations interviewed felt this was not

affected by socio-economic standing and

formal education as even educated women

rarely challenge their roles within their

families and are deeply set in cultural

traditions which restrict women’s

participation in non-family related activities.

Specific support and training on women’s

rights and the links between gender

equality and peacebuilding can make a

difference. For example, in Afghanistan, in

Community B, where training has not

focused on women’s participation in

peacebuilding, both male and female

Community Development Councils (CDCs)

concentrated on projects such as

construction, road building and income

generation where women’s involvement

was limited. In contrast, where there has

been specific support and training on the

links between gender equality and

peacebuilding (with both men and women

in the community) such as in Communities A

and C, there is a marked difference in

women’s confidence about being involved

in conflict resolution and mediation and

more support from men for women’s

participation in decision making.

5.6 Sustainability of support for

women’s organisations

Organisations working to support women

in peacebuilding activities also face barriers

which impact on the sustainability of their

work with the communities in various

countries. All the local NGOs and CSOs met

79. ActionAid 2011, p.8.

80. Forest user groups are

committees of community

members that manage local

forests in Nepal.

81. Nationwide rural women's

network, which translates to

English as women’s rights

forum: for more information,

see www.nwrf.org.np (accessed

23/08/2012).

“Specific

support and

training on

women’s

rights and the

links between

gender

equality and

peacebuilding

can make a

difference“

38 From the ground up

by the researchers are entirely dependent

on external funding. The funding they

receive tends to be short term in nature and

restricted to specific project areas, such as

livelihood training or counselling. The local

organisations struggle to set their own

agendas, and are often influenced by the

funding preferences of donors. For

example, several of the local organisations

that participated in the research identified

a need to engage in income-generating

activities, including skills training and

education, but they have been unable to

obtain funding for this.

Organisations in Nepal also noted

challenges, particularly with regard to

accessing funding, which impacts on the

geographical reach of their work and the

number of activities they can support. Funds

to cover women’s loss of earning during

activities are limited or unavailable, which

can make it difficult for women living in

poverty to attend. In Pakistan, local

organisations also described the lack of

resources and capacities available to

support their existing work. In Sierra Leone,

local NGOs, including women’s rights

organisations, identified severe challenges

particularly in terms of capacity and

resources. For example, they explain

funding is never enough to combine

training and awareness activities with

livelihood support initiatives. According to

representatives of local organisations, the

limited access to funding is in part due to

increased direct budgetary support to

central and local government.

Inadequate infrastructure also hinders the

work of organisations, particularly within

remote communities. In Liberia,

respondents noted that the severe lack of

national infrastructure and wide

geographical spread of communities are the

biggest barriers for local organisations in

reaching women in remote areas. This

includes not only roads and transport

infrastructure but also health services and

schools. Organisations in Sierra Leone

stated that this often means that remote

communities will remain outside projects’

target populations. One female focus group

participant in Nepal explained, “When

facilities are provided that is when there is

peace. We had no access to roads and

couldn’t go anywhere when it rained. Now

there are roads and we can go places even

in the rainy season.“

“Inadequate

infrastructure

also hinders

the work of

organisations,

particularly

within remote

communities“

Above: Women's group

taking part in a project to

support reintegration

and resettlement of

women and girls affected

by conflict in Gbarpolu

County, Liberia

ActionAid

39 From the ground up

“For generations, women have served as

peace educators, both in their families

and in their societies. They have proved

instrumental in building bridges rather

than walls.“82

The skills of women as mediators, decision

makers within the home and their

experiences building trust and dialogue in

their families and communities are

frequently dismissed as irrelevant or not

sufficiently valued by national governments,

the international community or by women

themselves. Yet this research demonstrates

that at the local level women continue to

build peace within their homes and

communities and to come together

collectively to create change.

6.1 Building peace in families

and across communities

“... Even during the war [women] were

the ones that initiated peace. Even now,

they are the ones holding the topic.“

– Hannah Koroma, WAVES, Sierra Leone

Despite the fact that many women tended

not to describe themselves as

‘peacebuilders’, female respondents across

communities and countries described the

importance of their role building peace

within their own families. In Afghanistan,

mediation and building peace within homes

and families is described by women as the

‘easy’ and ‘natural’ place to start, and

supported by gender norms and traditions,

particularly in relation to raising children.

Women’s conflict mediation in the domestic

sphere is also recognised by male members

of the community. As the Secretary of the

High Level Peace Council in Afghanistan

described:

“Society is men and women both, so with

every process – social and cultural – we have

to consider them both... You can see

women’s role in peace as described in Islam.

Women’s role is related to men and the

family... My main message for my sisters is

to teach their sons how to speak and

behave. Women have to raise sons to raise

their consciousness about peace.“

In Nepal, women explain that what they

refer to as ‘quarrels and disputes’ are

typically solved by eight to ten male elders

and/or educated people gathering to

discuss the issues. Traditionally, women,

who have largely not accessed formal

education, do not have a decision-making

role within these meetings. Thus, many

women see their role as contributing to

future peace through educating their

children: “We are hoping that there will be

peace and law and order in the community

but directly we have not done anything as

such, except for educating our kids which

we think is a big responsibility.“ – Female

key informant, Community A, Nepal.

Despite the barriers to participation that

face women in Pakistan, they are

nevertheless involved in promoting peace

and social cohesion. Women in the

community resolve family disputes and

prevent conflict and are, at times, successful

in persuading men to refrain from resorting

to violence. As one male focus group

participant described, “Most of the women

try to dissuade their male relatives from

taking part in violent action and

provocative activities. They effectively solve

family disputes.“ However, the role of

women is largely restricted to the

household, with communication and

relationships restricted to close relatives.

“Men resort to collective action for

example, rallies, strikes, sit-ins whereas

women’s role is limited to their

household and women and children of

their neighbourhoods. Women play

6. Women building peace

82. Former UN Secretary

General Kofi Annan, Open

Session of the UN Security

Council on Women, Peace and

Security, New York, 24 October

2000.

“This research

demonstrates

that at the

local level

women

continue to

build peace

within their

homes and

communities

and to come

together

collectively to

create

change“

40 From the ground up

effective roles in psychological

rehabilitation and in cooling the

sentiments of their male counterparts.

Women’s potential is not adequately

exploited. They have limited outreach

due to economic deprivation, political

powerlessness and social seclusion.“

– Male key informant, Pakistan

In Sierra Leone, women’s lack of recognition

of their role as ‘peacebuilders’ contrasts

with their acknowledgment of the vital role

they play for the community, particularly in

relation to their responsibilities for raising,

educating and providing for children.

Women highlight the positive impacts on

peace from their involvement in income-

generating activities, such as gardening and

farming, which contributes to economic

stability in the household. They also

recognise their role in easing physical and

psychological traumas. As a female teacher

explained, “A woman is a strong leader in

the house and she is the one who finds new

ways to earn a livelihood.“ – Female

teacher, Community A, Sierra Leone

Afghanistan: Addressing violence against women and girls

Women and girls in Community A highlighted how extended conflict had led to

normalisation of violence, increasing violence against women and the disruption of

peace in their community. The Afghan Women’s Resource Centre, supported by

Womankind, has built a safe women-only space providing a range of activities

including literacy classes, a basic gym, English and computer short courses, tailoring,

awareness-raising and agriculture and kitchen gardening workshops. They have also

facilitated the creation of women and girls’ committees which decide on the focus of

future projects. Because of their work, they have also seen a large increase in the

number of women coming to them for support in cases of VAW.

“Membership has greatly increased now and more and more families are allowing

their girls to attend the centre. We’ve never had any security problems here. A

survey that we did shows that it is really essential to have these centres and is

important for people to come and share their experiences and ideas.“

– Head of Centre for women, Community A

“Women’s

potential is not

adequately

exploited.

They have

limited

outreach due

to economic

deprivation,

political

powerlessness

and social

seclusion“

Above: Afghanistan

Womankind

41 From the ground up

6.2 Collectively organising for

peace

“In a patriarchal society, it is extremely

difficult for women to be heard, so it is

important that women come together.

Unless they act together, no one is going

to hear them. They find security and

strength in each other’s’ experiences.“

– Bandana Rana, Executive Chair, Saathi

and member of UN Women Global Civil

Society Advisory Group, Nepal

Some of the most important advances in

women’s rights – including for example

UNSCR 13253, various legal reforms in all

countries that expand women’s rights, and

institutions such as UN Women – have been

secured through the efforts of international

and national women’s movements. This

research has revealed that women’s

peacebuilding efforts at the local level are

no different – with women and girls

organising themselves collectively to

achieve change.

A key characteristic of women’s

involvement in peacebuilding in

Afghanistan is that women and girls

organise themselves collectively. Not only

does this give them more influence and

impact, but it also offers a greater degree

of protection and support. Safe women-

only spaces are vital for allowing women

and girls to meet and organise. Across the

Afghanistan communities, this research

found that men are much less likely than

women to form groups. Where men do act

collectively, this is through more formal

systems such as jirgas.83

Women in both communities in Liberia have

also organised themselves collectively and

formed support networks at the local level.

They explain that when someone has a

problem, everybody has a problem. This has

helped them to overcome obstacles created

by patriarchal norms and values, to create

spaces where they can be heard, settle

disputes, address unjust treatment of

children, propose initiatives for community

development and to seek justice for

survivors of violence and sexual abuse. In

contrast, men usually go individually to the

clan chief or local officials to solve their

disputes as they can be heard without the

need to be organised or supported by other

Liberia: Women supporting women can lead to change

For women in Community A, peace means not only physical security, but also being

able to educate the next generation. Decision making in the community had

traditionally been dominated by men, including the school Parent and Teacher

Association (PTA), but through awareness-building, the women began to realise their

right to participate. The school building in the community had fallen into disrepair

and was no longer safe to be used by the children. The local women’s rights forum

identified the PTA elections as an opportunity for change, and organised to support

and elect a new PTA leader. Maima, a woman from the local community, was elected

as chair of the previously all-male PTA.

Having identified a well-functioning school as the key to the success of girls in the

community, Maima took action to begin the rebuilding process. The PTA subsequently

secured assistance from the Ministry of Education, as well as local and international aid

organisations, to begin the construction of a new school, and a plan was put in place to

improve the overall quality of education provided and to ensure that girls continue their

schooling.

With the support of the women’s forum, the community has taken a big step towards

the peace that they have identified. As Maima explained:

“It is through the women’s forum that I am now serving as the PTA chairperson. It

was the women who gave me the support. Someone came and told us that the

men were going to have the PTA election but there is no woman candidate. So the

women stood and said we are going to bring somebody. And so it was through the

women’s forum that I succeeded. They pushed me and gave me support.“

83. Jirga, meaning ‘council’ in

Pashto, is an assembly of elders

under the traditional

governance system of

Afghanistan, with wide-ranging

powers to take decisions,

impose law and provide justice

in all spheres of life. Jirga can

be at the village level up to the

national level.

“

In a

patriarchal

society, it is

extremely

difficult for

women to be

heard, so it is

important that

women come

together“

42 From the ground up

Sierra Leone: Women’s rights awareness and self-confidence

Martha is a young woman in Community A, who is currently teaching grades 1 to 4.

She is also a member of the ‘Saturday’ group, a facilitator of the STAR circle, the

secretary of the women’s forum, and the ‘chairlady’ of the nutrition group. The

confidence gained through training and her position within different women’s groups

in the community helped her to assume the role of teacher for young children (before

her there was no teacher) and make clear and positive impacts on the welfare of the

community as a whole.

“... I went to school and got to Grade 5, but I was not able to take my exams

because my family could not afford it. I was given away for marriage and had six

children. My husband works away as a miner and so when I did not receive money

from him I had to sell Fufu [local alcohol made from Cassava] to make money. I

suffered a lot. But through ActionAid I learned about my rights... The community

decided they wanted a female teacher and nominated me. I was taken to the school

as a teacher and now I am a female mentor for the children, which builds my

confidence and their confidence. Seeing a woman standing in front of them makes

them feel more able to talk in public.“

“Seeing a

woman

standing in

front of them

makes them

feel more able

to talk in

public“

Below: Sierra Leone

Womankind

43 From the ground up

men. According to a male member of the

Catholic Justice and Peace Commission,

“Women build peace among themselves.

They mediate and solve disputes at the

community level. Most men solve conflicts

at ‘chief’ level.“ For women to be heard by

clan chiefs and local officials, they must gain

the support of other women, or have

contacts with local authority figures. All

focus group respondents reported the

presence of women’s groups that solve

disputes as a positive force that helps to

maintain peace. Where an NGO was

present, the group has been able to achieve

further impacts through mediation training

and implementation of complementary

projects such as livelihoods training. Yet

even where no NGO was present, or that

presence had been very limited, women had

still found ways to come together and

collectively work towards peace.

This practical approach to peacebuilding is

also evident in the women’s influencing of

the local community police force. The local

community police force was previously

made up of men, which made reporting of

rape and domestic violence very difficult

for women. The women’s forum influenced

the community police force to form a

female unit.

In Sierra Leone, traditional customs and

laws act against the equal involvement of

women in formal decision making at both

national and local levels. However, women

in the communities in Bo have challenged

this by creating informal spaces for

collective organisation. Spaces set up with

support from ActionAid and its partners

include ‘women’s forums’84, safe spaces that

facilitate support to women in the

community providing mediation to families,

referral pathways in cases of violence, and

are involved in farming and petty trading;

mothers’ clubs that work with teachers to

promote school attendance of children and

are also involved in the cleaning and

sanitation of the town; STAR circles85 that

include reproductive health education

especially relating to HIV and AIDS as well

adult literacy classes.

“Anything that happens, as women, we

talk about it in our spaces, the women’s

forum, STAR circle, mothers’ club... We

meet every Saturday and with

contributions from the members we

provide micro-credit to our members, and

also invest in educating children from

poor families, and address other needs.“

– Women Focus Group, Community A,

Sierra Leone

The existence of spaces to discuss their

issues and support each other has had

significant impacts on the daily lives of

women, particularly in terms of increased

awareness of gender-based violence,

women’s rights monitoring and the

education of girls. This has positive effects

such as the creation of cooperative

livelihoods schemes, or the promotion of

women into leadership roles within the

community.

Nepal: Women supporting women to access entitlements

An important issue for conflict survivors, and particularly widows, is the government

relief packages offered to women widowed through conflict. In order to receive these

payments forms have to be filled out – something many women need help with due to

high levels of illiteracy. Women for Human Rights (WHR), Society for Environmental

Education Development (SEED), Boat for Community Development (BCD) and other

women’s rights groups supported women through this process.

In Community A, one widow, aged 23 with three children, was denied payment from

the government because another woman from the same village had the same name

and had already claimed widow’s compensation. With the support from the Mahila

Adhikar Manch (women’s rights forum) and SEED in the form of advice and assistance

with paperwork, she proved that she was a different individual and managed to secure

the relief package, which enabled her to send her children to school. In Community B,

women help one another to gain citizenship and access compensation: “Some women

had no citizenship and when their husbands were killed in the war they were left with

nothing. We helped them.“ – Female Key Informant, Community B, Nepal

84. Women’s forums set up

with support from ActionAid

Sierra Leone and its partners are

known as ‘uman tinap tranga

wan’, meaning ‘women stand

up strong’.

85. An ActionAid participatory

method to engage people and

communities affected by HIV

and AIDS, which empowers

communities to discuss issues

affecting them and collectively

come up with actions to

address these issues.

“Women build

peace among

themselves.

They mediate

and solve

disputes at the

community

level. Most

men solve

conflicts at

‘chief’ level“

44 From the ground up

Increases in confidence and awareness of

their rights reduces women’s dependence

on men for solving disputes, as they now

consult the Chairlady before taking cases to

the Chief. For example, in inheritance cases

women are now claiming property and

assets that they are entitled to by law.

Gladys, the women’s forum leader in

Community A describes how awareness of

her rights empowered her to reclaim her

property: “Previously we had no rights, but

now we are involved in decision making.

Previously, as a woman, if you weren’t

married, they would drive you out of your

home. Now women can have a share in

family assets. Now, even though I don't

have a husband, I'm sitting in my father's

house and know I cannot be driven out...

This is peace for me.“

In Nepal, the various forums and groups

that women have collectively participated

in have achieved notable results.

Peacebuilding forums support conflict

survivors to access their rights, run

communication and decision-making

training for both men and women in the

communities, and work on cases of

domestic violence. The women’s rights

groups support women whose parents were

killed to acquire citizenship. Citizenship for

women in Nepal is accrued through male

relatives, and is one of the requirements for

access to public resources such as

compensation for conflict survivors. The

paralegal committee provides legal support

so that women are aware of their legal

rights when they experience violence, abuse

and discrimination.

Women’s groups are also active in

supporting village development. In one of

the villages supported by SEED, the

organisation helped to form a women’s

group that successfully pressurised an

electricity office to provide electricity. The

government had collected fees for

electricity, but the village had not been

connected to the supply. The other villagers,

once very sceptical about the women’s

group, are now turning towards them for

help if they face problems.

In Pakistan, the role of women is largely

restricted to the household, with

communication and relationships restricted

to close relatives, which makes collective

organising more difficult. However, many of

the women in the focus groups had

participated in activities organised by the

Awam Dost Foundation (ADF), such as

workshops on human rights, dialogues on

peace, and theatre performances. Some

women are members of a theatre group

and some are part of organisations which

focus on women’s rights and activities for

the promotion of tolerance. While still

seeing their role as largely restricted to the

family/household, women also report

Men’s voices on women’s involvement in local peacebuilding in Bhakkar, Pakistan

“Presently women’s role is limited to the households where their persuasion works

wonders in resolving disputes. There is need for their organised work at a wider

level. Women are good at reconciliation.“ – Young Men focus group

“Whenever allowed, women have proved to be more efficient than men in

persuading the parties to the conflict to discuss the issues and solutions. Men

easily flare up at such occasions usually spoiling the effort by resorting to violent

argument.“ – Men focus group

“Women’s role at community level, although desired, is not as profound as it

should be. They are however effectively taking part in reconciliation at the family

level. People are receptive to their taking part in conflict resolution. They should

come forward for intervening at the wider community level.“ – Male key

informant

“Women need to be organised to play a meaningful social role. It is in fact the

need of the hour.“ – Male key informant

“Women need

to be

organised to

play a

meaningful

social role. It is

in fact the

need of the

hour“

45 From the ground up

taking the opportunity to talk among

gatherings of women and children about

tolerance, and trying to influence other

women to persuade their male relatives to

refrain from violence. According to the

respondents, many family disputes are

settled by women’s interventions. One

respondent highlighted how a feud in a

neighbouring village was resolved by

women who organised collectively, and

mobilised residents of the neighbouring

area to intervene and reconcile the dispute

through setting in motion the traditional

reconciliatory mechanism known as satth.

Interestingly, some of the participants in the

girls’ focus group in the Pakistan

community perceived that individual

women’s social work is not approved of, but

that collective efforts by women’s groups

and organisations are welcomed by the

community. One of the key informants

observed that “people at large are

receptive to the idea of women’s collective

effort. Initiative is lacking.“ This is an

interesting perspective to take further in

future works by local NGOs and CSOs active

in these areas. This is supported by the

views of male research participants which

indicate they would like to see women’s

involvement in conflict resolution and

peacebuilding on a wider level.

6.3 The post-conflict window of

opportunity

While there is evidence in this research that

in many study communities, women’s rights

have regressed in the aftermath of conflict,

it also appears that the post-conflict period

has given women space to organise

collectively and to assert their power in

decision making. Many women speak of a

new confidence. This is particularly the case

in Liberia, where women describe a new

standing for women in the post-conflict

period. They are proud that they overcame

adversity, and have continued to speak out

and assert the decision-making power

(where possible) that they carved out

during the conflict period. The women

started this change themselves, with and

without the intervention of external actors,

but they feel that they need support to

further these changes, to empower

themselves and their daughters for the

future. Importantly, this was observed both

in a community with direct support from

NGOs as well as in a community with no

direct support:

“So, after they came back [from refugee

camps in Côte d'Ivoire] they built a

house: the women have decided to come

together and contribute. From the farm

they put together yellow rice [to sell]

and were able to construct a house for

“The post-

conflict period

has given

women space

to organise

collectively

and to assert

their power in

decision

making“

Above: Women engage

in activities to mark

World AIDS Day, Nepal.

Brian Sokol/ActionAid

46 From the ground up

the women to meet. During the war the

women are most vulnerable; the women

are the ones that usually suffer... So they

decided to construct a place for the

women to meet and discuss ‘what can

we do so that we have peace? What shall

we do so that war cannot come in here

again?’ So, they came together and

decided to call their children, both boys

and girls, to talk to them that if there is

war, if there is anything that would bring

destruction to this town they shouldn’t

partake.“

– Women focus group, Community B,

Liberia

There was also evidence across other

countries of how the transformation of

gender roles during conflict as well as the

post-conflict recovery work of external

organisations has led to the emergence of

women leaders. For example, in

Afghanistan, women, at great personal risk,

ran clandestine literacy courses for girls

during the Taliban rule. These women have

emerged as leaders in their communities

during the post-Taliban period and provide

support and safe spaces for other women to

become literate and independent within

the constraints of the conservative society in

which they live.

External organisations working to respond

to post-conflict issues have also increased

women’s empowerment. As one female

key informant in Community A, Nepal

remarked, “SEED helped in the beginning.

They encouraged them [women] and said

they cannot confine themselves inside the

household and cry and lament about what

they went through. But instead come out

and fight for your rights, and find a way to

find peace.“ Community members and

staff of larger organisations in Nepal

reported that many groups have formed

over recent years and women are more

empowered in terms of raising their voices

and exhibiting knowledge about political

processes and rights.

“Ten or fifteen years ago, women were

illiterate and unknowing of their rights,

and didn’t participate so actively. It is not

like that now [...] Slowly, there is an

increase in men listening to women’s

voices, in families and the community.“

– Male key informant, Community B, Nepal

“Slowly, there

is an increase

in men

listening to

women’s

voices, in

families and

the

community“

Above: Women in Grand

Cape Mount county,

Liberia, take part in an

ActionAid project

training peer educators

in peacebuilding skills.

Anastasia Taylor Lind/ActionAid

47 From the ground up

“Once I was in a community talking to

women, and they said “What do we care

about the UN? Why does it matter to

us?“ Water was scarce in that community,

and one woman said to me, ‘Take this

bucket of water – you can wash your

feet with it, or you can use it intelligently

and start from your head and wash your

whole body.’ That reminds me why we

need to join the dots and lobby at all

levels...“

– Bandana Rana, Executive Chair, Saathi

and member of UN Women Global Civil

Society Advisory Group, Nepal

7.1 The disconnect between local

peacebuilding and national

processes

“Yes, the government has a national

action plan on 1325 and 1820, to ensure

women’s participation. But it is not rolled

out at local level, and does not address

discrimination in the community. It needs

to include marginalised groups, including

Dalit women.“

– Renu Sijapati, Project Coordinator, FEDO.

Across the study communities, participants

expressed concern at the disconnect

between national peace and decision-

making processes and the community.

Central government and associated

politicians and political parties were not

seen as contributing to local level peace by

the majority of respondents. In some

circumstances, their actions were even

associated with the creation of local

conflicts and local discontent with the

broader political system. In Nepal and Sierra

Leone, in particular, opposing political

parties were reported to have threatened

local populations if they did not vote for

them. In Afghanistan it was noted that the

sense of insecurity based on confusion

about what is going on at the national and

international levels acts as a barrier to

women’s active participation in

peacebuilding in the community. As a

women’s rights activist explained: “There

are many people who do not know a single

thing that is happening at the national level

in Afghanistan. This creates an image – the

situation is bad, the project failed, these

people are leaving us so let’s be prepared.

Maybe it means other groups will be

coming back – like the Taliban.“

Remote geographic location and

technology barriers also contribute to this

disconnect. In Liberia, the representatives of

the different communities highlighted how

difficult it has been to accomplish change

particularly in remote rural areas. They feel

a disconnect between their community and

national decision-making processes and

state that large groups of people are

completely left out of all development and

decision-making processes as a result of

their geographic locations. “In villages

there is no help, no access to resources and

nowhere to go or migrate. And no

communication, no access to information.“

– Retha Kar, National Rural Women of

Liberia, Grand Gedeh branch

Across the communities, there are clearly

few spaces for the voices of those working

for peace within their communities to have

dialogue with decision makers. Even

peacebuilding mechanisms at the district

level in Afghanistan such as District Peace

Councils (where it is stipulated that there

should be at least two women participating

per Council)86 are not well known. In all of

the research communities in Afghanistan,

no one mentioned the District Peace

Councils in discussions as a key stakeholder,

even when prompted. There is increasing

frustration that it is ‘the same people’

7. The missing link –

local to national

86. Interview with the Secretary

of the High Level Peace Council,

Prof. Aminiddin Muzafary.

“There are

clearly few

spaces for the

voices of those

working for

peace within

their

communities

to have

dialogue with

decision

makers“

48 From the ground up

speaking to each other about the issues at

the national level while paying little

attention to what is needed at the

community level or how to build peace at

all levels in Afghanistan. As a representative

at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs

described, “All the people at the national

peace council are not related to the

community... We also have a lot of expert

people – religious people, etc. But if

members of councils are chosen from the

community then this process will be better.“

The women who participated in this study

in Sierra Leone also did not see links

between their own peacebuilding activities

at the community level and national level

activities. They perceived big differences

between themselves and urban women,

particularly in terms of education, causing

the rural women to feel less able to

contribute. Despite national-level

organisations and networks increasingly

collaborating with each other in advocacy

work, there is often a disconnect with the

concerns of rural women, as noted by

women’s activists and leaders of national

organisations. Further, even if changes in

practices and legislation are achieved at the

national level, their effectiveness depends

on implementation at the local level, a

factor often forgotten. As Bondu Manyeh,

Graceland Counselling Service (GLCS)

National Coordinator, describes, introducing

a mechanism at the national level does not

mean it is implemented at the local level:

“People talk about the 30% quota as if it

were happening but it is not. We need to

think first about issues like girls leaving

school early due to forced marriage or

teenage pregnancy.“

National and regional organisations in

Liberia also discuss the difficulties of

connecting their work between the local

and national processes. The issues facing

areas far from the capital are very different

from those seen in Monrovia. Local

residents feel that politicians visit them only

during election times, make empty promises

and then leave, never to return. During a

discussion in Monrovia with representatives

from NGOs and the Liberian Government,

the attendees agreed on several key points.

Firstly, that women’s roles are crucial in

peacebuilding and in governing the

country; secondly that the link between

grassroots work and national-level work is

vital for achieving sustainable peace; and

thirdly, that at this point in time, the link is

not functioning as it should or could. This

concern at the disconnect between the

national and local agendas for peace was

evident in all the study communities.

Local to National – Women need to come together to ensure a voice in formal

decision making

Women’s involvement in formal politics both at local and national levels remains

extremely limited and difficult. Female respondents in Nepal note that women who

aim for positions of power (for instance, a chairperson) struggle against men who do

not want to give up power, while a lack of women voting in elections means that

women candidates do not have a strong female voting mass behind them, which

compounds the problem. A similar issue was noted in Liberia:

“…Whether they were candidates or whether they were voters…we have not, as

a body of women managed to generalise the support of women across the

country so that we can be one block. There are lots of reasons why we have not

managed to do that. I am hoping that between now and 2014 and 2017, we can

amend some of the wrongs and see how we can have one loud voice. Because I

think it’s only when we can become one concerted voice that some of the things

we hope to see as women will be done. If you realised, we lost votes. There were

women candidates in the race and almost all of them lost their seats…“ – Female

Interviewee, interview conducted by LIWOMAC following elections in Liberia.

“If members

of councils are

chosen from

the

community

then this

process will be

better“

49 From the ground up

7.2 From one drop it becomes a

river – the bottom-up approach

“At the national level it’s the same

people all the time. We need to start at

the community because we’re not

changing anything at the moment.“

– Maryam Rahmani, AWRC, Afghanistan

A large number of research participants

across the study communities agreed on the

need for a bottom-up approach to

peacebuilding with peace built from the

individual, to the household, to the

community level, before it can be achieved

nationally (see Figure 3). In Afghanistan,

community members expressed their belief

that peacebuilding from the grassroots

upwards is just as important as top-down

national and international approaches.

While different groups and communities

vary in their suggestions of ‘who’ is most

important in maintaining peace at the

community level, all (both women and men)

talk about the importance of the individual

and the family unit. As an old Afghan

saying notes – setting an individual example

is vital: “From one drop it becomes a river.“

The potential impact of community peace

initiatives on wider regional peace was also

identified by local community members. In

Sierra Leone, participants mentioned how

they are building links with neighbouring

communities. For instance, as the hospital in

Community A is used by members of nearby

communities, Community A use it to transfer

their knowledge of women’s rights, access

to justice for cases of domestic violence and

sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy, to

other women. Similarly, in the Afghan study

areas, community members (both women

and men) see that their community can be

an example to other communities. In

Community C, where ActionAid and its

partners have been supporting a

peacebuilding project, villagers say that

other villages nearby had seen the

Individual

Fig 3: The bottom-up approach to peacebuilding

Local

Family National

50 From the ground up

Nepal: Mahila Adhikar Manch – bringing the local to the national

Mahila Adhikar Manch (MAM) is a women’s network active in 28 districts in Nepal

with around 36,000 members, working on issues such as violence against women,

harmful traditional practices, and women’s right to land. It also engages in

campaigning and policy advocacy at the community and national level. Two key

informants mentioned that if cases such as violence or discrimination against women

are reported, members coordinate and work together. One example is the successful

lobbying of the judicial system by MAM to investigate the murder of a woman by her

husband and mother-in-law. Women from across Nepal joined and lobbied through

protests and strikes for an investigation and legal prosecution.

MAM was also actively involved in drafting women’s rights provisions for inclusion in

the new constitution. They first met in local communities and then put a 16-point

demand plan together and handed it over to elected representatives for discussion in

the assembly. One of their points, the need to abolish the age limit applied to war

widow’s pensions, has been successfully considered and enacted along with the

Supreme Court’s verdict. The influence of local women in this process is also

recognised by members of national organisations in Kathmandu, who see it as a very

good example of the women’s movement working together.

Below: Women in Nepal

take part in a rally during

the 16 days of activism

against gender violence.

Brian Sokol/ActionAid

51 From the ground up

difference created by peacebuilding

interventions and wanted to emulate this in

their own community. As a male focus group

participant explained, “If one village sees us

with peace they think that this is also

possible for them – it will have impacts at

district and provincial level.“

NGOs, and in particular networks, are seen

as the key connector between local-level

peace processes and priorities and the

national level. For instance, the National

Rural Women of Liberia is a vital link

between local and national processes and

provides annual reports of the work of rural

women to the Ministry of Gender and

Development. In Nepal, many local

organisations such as the paralegal

committees, Mahila Adhikar Manch and

civil society groups are working together

with support from district-level

organisations, such as SEED and BCD, and

national-level organisations such as FEDO,

WHR and Saathi. This allows for important

issues for women to be made public on a

larger scale, putting pressure on the

government and institutions nationwide.

Saathi’s National Network against Domestic

Violence is a good example. In Pakistan,

institutions such as PEAD and PAT also have

a large, co-ordinated programme of work

with wide geographical coverage. Some of

the focus group participants felt that this

approach is more successful than the efforts

of smaller isolated organisations and

individuals, and should be replicated:

“Many journalists, writers, lawyers and

sportsmen work for propagating peace at

the individual level and among their limited

personal circles of influence. Collective or

organised effort is lacking.“ – Male key

informant, Pakistan

Creating change at the local level to

influence regional and national peace

processes requires sustained support and

long-term investment. For example, in the

Afghanistan study communities where

there has been longer-term support, there

have been opportunities to build on

women’s roles as mediators in the

community to enable broader participation

in public and political life. This bottom-up

approach builds women’s capacity in local

governance which can lead to women’s

participation at regional and national levels.

Leadership – from the village to the parliament

Afghan Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC) has been supporting the creation of

women’s committees in local communities around Afghanistan, where it is still rare

to encounter women in decision-making positions.

“We are working at the village level so that we can promote leadership at the

community level, for instance, by bringing women to the Community

Development Council (CDC) elections. Mostly when you see CDCs, women are not

in high decision-making positions. There are female CDCs but the decision makers

are still the male CDCs who lead the Council. Women are not the director; they are

the secretary or assistant. We want to first bring them to that level of director, the

real leadership position, at the community level. Then they can go to provincial

level elections.“ – Maryam Rahmani, AWRC

Eight years ago, AWRC supported a number of women to be involved in committees

– two of whom became committee leaders. Soon after this, AWRC supported these

two women to become committee leaders at the district level. Following their

experience and the increased access to politics that this gave them, they ran for

election in parliament. They were both MPs in the previous parliament.

“If one village

sees us with

peace they

think that this

is also possible

for them – it

will have

impacts at

district and

provincial

level“

52 From the ground up

This research found that the work of local

NGOs and women’s rights organisations is

recognised and valued by people across

communities. These organisations become

the focal point of support for excluded and

marginalised women, who struggle to get

attention and support from formal state

institutions. Support from NGOs and

international donors has been important in

enabling local organisations and

communities in turn to support women’s

participation in peacebuilding. This section

explores the work of these organisations –

the impact they are having in the

community and what is working to

empower women as peacebuilders at the

local level.

8.1 Long-term support and

investment

Peacebuilding requires long-term support

and funding. As participants in Liberia

described, changing structural and cultural

barriers that have existed for generations at

the local level is a gradual process that takes

time and persistence. Yet funding for

women’s participation in peacebuilding is

frequently inadequate and not sufficiently

long term. In Afghanistan, women’s rights

organisations that were interviewed as part

of this research describe limited resources

and support for peacebuilding work, which

they know requires intensive community

engagement over long periods of time.

Afghan communities express frustration

with short-term funding, particularly for

peacebuilding work at the community level.

Organisations that have been able to make

a long-term commitment to a community

gain respect from the local people. In Nepal,

SEED has supported the development and

strengthening of women’s civil society in

Community A and is described as gaining

loyalty from the people due its long-term

commitment. As a female key informant in

Community A described: When the conflict

just ended, SEED came here and they have

not left ever since. They are still working

here. It has been a long time. But the other

organisations, they came in asked questions

and took pictures and things like that, but

they did not return with more help. It has

only been SEED that has been consistent.“

8. Supporting women –

what works?

Nepal: Long-term support for women’s involvement in peacebuilding

SEED was founded in 2001 with a focus on peacebuilding and governance activities

in Village Development Committees (VDCs). The formal partnership with ActionAid

was established in 2004, with its focus including women’s empowerment,

awareness raising and scholarship programs. Since 2008, SEED has focused on

education, health, food security and women’s rights, aiming to support the social,

political and economic development of the community, focusing on the most

deprived and marginalised, through awareness-raising, advocacy and skills

development. SEED has seen some success: four out of nine local council members

are women, women have become more active members in community groups and

are gaining elected positions such as the chair of school management committees

or community forest groups, and the school enrolment rate of girls has risen to

around 90%.

“Peacebuilding

requires long-

term support

and funding“

53 From the ground up

8.2 Empowering women through

access to justice

“I’m proudest of solving conflict cases –

particularly domestic violence cases

where, as a group, we have held

husbands to account and let them know

they cannot get away with it. They know

that we will take it further, even to

court.“

– Head of women’s Peace Council,

Afghanistan, Community C.

Many of the organisations interviewed in

this research recognised the importance of

access to justice for women in building

peace and the empowerment of women

through increased awareness of their

rights and participation in justice

structures.

In Liberia, supported by ActionAid and its

partners and the Catholic Justice and Peace

Commission, community members in

Community A have received mediation

training as an alternative to the

traditionally male-dominated mechanism of

solving conflict through the clan chief or

local officials. This training also includes

education around women’s rights and laws

aimed at protecting women from violence.

The key difference between this approach

and the traditional community methods of

solving disputes is that the mediators are

trained to tell people when they can solve

their case through dialogue (small disputes)

and when they need to go directly to police

or courts (criminal cases, including domestic

violence cases). A woman mediator says, “It

is the training that I got from ActionAid

that made me have confidence,“ and feels

that she can now speak and participate in

any activities. “Before it was only the

elderly and town chief who would decide

on all the cases and on who was doing

wrong and right, now it is the mediation

group.“

The women in Community A, as well as the

local organisations interviewed, state that

women are now reporting more crimes to

the police and courts with the support of

local women’s groups (including ZWUC – see

box). Women report that they have

successfully mediated family disputes, both

in collaboration with and independently

from existing traditional dispute resolution

processes. They have also (in a small number

of cases) supported women to report rape

to the police, with at least one successful

prosecution. Men are also increasingly

recognising the skills of women as

mediators.

“If a woman came to solve a dispute

between two men, the men would listen.

She would have learned the skills

through the mediation training.“

– Female key informant, Liberia

Organisations in Sierra Leone are also

working to support women’s access to

justice. WAVES and COME-SL are both

grassroots organisations in Bo working to

end violence against women and support

women’s property rights..

“Women have greater difficulties as they

face increased barriers in both local and

magistrate courts due to discrimination,

lack of information and lower

educational levels. To engage women in

peacebuilding we need to promote access

to justice“.

– Sama Sandy, COME-SL, Bo

A property rights case in Community B

highlights how the support of an

organisation (in this case WAVES) can

empower women to assert their rights. After

the death in the village of a man who had

Nepal: Consortium for Women’s Rights (CWR), a partner of ActionAid, started

working in 2010. The team, consisting of mainly women lawyers and some men,

provides litigation of women’s legal rights cases (for example, family matters, divorce

cases, etc.), legal counselling through a hotline service, support for the registration of

cases with the police, and help with fact-finding at the community level, as well as

mediation. They also link their work to policy advocacy at national level, and have

filed a public interest litigation against some harmful traditional practices.

“To engage

women in

peacebuilding

we need to

promote

access to

justice“

54 From the ground up

two wives, his brother took over his estate.

The two women challenged him and took

the case to the chief: “They decided the case

in favour of the women but the brother did

not accept it. The women referred the case

[to WAVES], they came and ruled also in

favour of the women. The brother now has

accepted to give back the house, but still

hasn’t given over the other assets back to

the wives, such as the mobile phone,

personal items and the loan book (the

husband had been a lender and many owed

him money). We are calling WAVES back to

deal with this case.“ – Women Focus Group,

Community B

Access to justice also requires providing

support and safety for survivors of violence

against women (VAW). Many organisations

that contributed to this research are

working to support VAW survivors as well as

to tackle VAW as a fundamental barrier to

peace (see boxes on Saathi and Graceland

Counselling Services).

8.3 Creating safe space for

women’s participation

Organisations can help facilitate space for

women to engage in peacebuilding in the

local community and build on the safe

spaces women already create for

Zwedru Women United for Change (ZWUC) was founded in 2009 to help meet the

needs of women in the community. The founders are a group of local women who

noted the inequalities in the living standards between men and women and wanted

change. They work towards peace in the community through counselling for women

living with mental health problems and HIV, livelihood training, including soap-

making and tailoring, and delivering access to justice training, with support from

ActionAid. Other support came from UNHCR and USAID. Despite their success in a

number of areas, they are still confronted by obstacles including a lack of long-term

financial support, logistical difficulties such as transportation, childcare and lack of

support from men within the community.

Community Organisation for Mobilisation and Empowerment (COME-SL) is a civil

society organisation working to end violence against women and support women’s

property rights in Bo District, Sierra Leone. Their DFID-funded work in partnership

with ActionAid promotes the access of women to formal and informal justice systems.

They also conduct research on negative traditional laws and advocate on national

policies related to women’s rights. In Community A activities have involved: the

provision of a legal retainer for women survivors of violence; community-based legal

aid clinics; sensitisation using social drama; training of women and traditional

authorities on key women’s human rights instruments; economic empowerment

initiatives for women; research on customary laws and their effects on women’s access

to justice.

Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES) is a grassroots

women’s rights organisation based in Bo, working in rural, marginalised

communities in Sierra Leone to support women and girl survivors of violence.

Supported by Womankind, they have implemented activities related to education

and awareness-raising on women’s rights, training on gender laws, support

(counselling, accompaniment to report) to women and girl survivors of violence, and

advocacy on women’s rights issues such as forced marriage, women’s land rights and

domestic violence. They also work with men and male leaders to promote behaviour

change and recruit male allies in tackling violence against women.

55 From the ground up

themselves. For example, the creation of a

formal mechanism for women’s

participation can provide an entry point and

give women a safe space to consider their

needs and priorities.

Creating space for women peacebuilders is

not just about formal mechanisms, but also

about the need for safe and secure spaces

for women to collectively organise for

peace. In Pakistan, support for women’s

participation in peacebuilding is limited by

the restrictions on women’s movement. The

Awam Dost Foundation (ADF – see box)

supports a number of activities, including

women’s theatre groups and cultural

events, which have been successful in

bringing together large crowds of people

of different faiths and backgrounds. These

cultural events provide a positive

atmosphere for community members to

interact, and to promote tolerance among

different religious, social and ethnic

groups. Based on the success of existing

activities, some of the women in the

community point out the need for more

collective and organised efforts. Another

organisation in Pakistan, PEAD used focus

group discussions and meetings with

women and religious leaders as a space to

raise awareness about gender-sensitive

issues and to promote women’s

empowerment.

Women’s groups that have been formed for

other purposes can also serve as a safe space

for generating awareness around gender

equality and peacebuilding issues (see box

on Tremit Saanjh).

In Afghanistan, Community Development

Councils (CDCs) were promoted by various

NGOs under the National Solidarity

Programme run by the Ministry of Rural

Rehabilitation and Development, and as an

implementing partner ActionAid has

facilitated the formation of over 450 CDCs in

four different provinces, and promoted

women-only CDCs to enable women’s

participation in a women-only setting. While

women have been involved in the national

programme, this research found (see section

5.5) that CDCs tended to focus on

development and governance projects, and

there is a need as well as scope for more

targeted support to ensure such spaces can

help bring about transformative outcomes

for women.

8.4 Changing attitudes towards

peace and valuing women’s

contribution

“I was a housewife before I joined FEDO

and now I am a social activist and am

confident to talk about myself.“

– Pabitra Bishwokarma, FEDO, Nepal

Saathi (meaning ‘friend’ in Nepali) was established in 1992 to tackle the challenges

facing women in Nepal. They work to eradicate violence against women and children,

both through providing services to survivors and through advocacy at the national

level. Saathi was the first organisation to open a shelter for survivors of VAW in 1995

and they now run four shelters across the country. They work with women survivors

of VAW, trafficked women, conflict-affected women and women affected by HIV and

AIDS, and are a partner of Womankind.

Graceland Counselling Services (GLCS) has been providing counselling, psychological

support and life skills training for women and girl survivors of violence and conflict, to

promote their successful re-integration in communities. They have directly reached

more than 4,000 young women and girls in different parts of Sierra Leone. They

recently started the implementation of a project aimed at increasing protection,

empowerment and support to women survivors of violence, in partnership with

Womankind.

“These

cultural events

provide a

positive

atmosphere

for community

members to

interact, and

to promote

tolerance

among

different

religious,

social and

ethnic groups “

56 From the ground up

Afghanistan: Peace Committees challenging discrimination

In Community C in Afghanistan, ActionAid and its partners have worked with local

jirgas and supported the creation of Peace Committees. The men’s Peace Committee

includes members from the jirga. They have also created a separate women’s Peace

Committee which works closely with the men’s Peace Committee. ActionAid and its

partners have provided training and support to the committees – including training

on conflict mediation, legislation, rights awareness, gender equality and the formal

justice system. The men and women’s Peace Committees have also been supported to

work together in decision making. These committees are now the forum for the

community to take their grievances to and have the authority to mediate conflict

without taking it to the jirga, which often discriminate against women and in some

cases condone and promote violence against women. Across four provinces in

Afghanistan, ActionAid and its partners supported the establishment of 180 Peace

Committees, and nearly 40% of the members are women. The project therefore

helped move women from their traditional role to a more visible institutionalized

structure.

Blue Veins was formed in 1999 to promote the rights of women in the Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. Their main areas of operation are education,

health and human rights. Despite the difficult circumstances and threats to their

security, they have carried out various projects dealing with issues such as violence

against women, maternal health and peacebuilding, and actively work on women’s

rights and gender equality. In response to the 2010 floods in Pakistan, in

partnership with ActionAid Blue Veins ran a women’s mobilisation project, forming

Multi-Purpose Coordination Committees of 8-10 women. Awareness raising and

capacity building sessions were conducted on gender issues, violence and human

rights, and representatives of the committees successfully lobbied the Provincial

Disaster Management Authority to establish a gender cell to address women’s

issues.87

Tremit Saanjh is an organisation of rural women established in 2008 in some of the

villages of the two union councils of Bhakkar District where Awam Dost Foundation

is active. The primary aim of Tremit Saanjh was to eradicate illiteracy among

women from the excluded segments of society. Using its rural literacy centres as

spring boards, the organisation has expanded its area of activism to awareness-

raising about women and child rights, organising collective action for increased

wages of women field workers, arranging legal aid for the survivors of VAW and a

host of other activities. The organisation presently has 27 village-based units with a

total membership of about 250 women.

87. ActionAid Pakistan, 2010

“Across four

provinces in

Afghanistan,

ActionAid and

its partners

supported the

establishment

of 180 Peace

Committees,

and nearly

40% of the

members are

women“

57 From the ground up

As discussed earlier in this report, gender-

responsive peacebuilding also involves the

prevention of violence against women and

the recognition of women’s rights in the

household and in the community. This

involves awareness raising of the different

impacts of conflict on women and a

broader understanding of ‘peace’ at the

local level. For example, in Afghanistan,

work by ActionAid and its partners with

local peace committees in Community A has

involved training for both men and women

on gender equality and women’s rights,

including a gendered analysis of ‘peace’

and ‘conflict’. The involvement of women

in the Peace Committees has meant that

their decision making is more equitable and

has led to women’s peace priorities and

needs beginning to be addressed. For

example, both Peace Committees talked

about trying to address issues of domestic

violence by intervening in family disputes

or for women to seek justice through the

formal justice system.

Media is used by organisations as an

important tool to educate local

communities about women’s rights and the

important role women can play in

peacebuilding. LIWOMAC (see box) is a

media development organisation dedicated

to the promotion of women’s rights in

Liberia. As Estella Nelson, Founder and

President of LIWOMAC, explains, “We use

radio to educate, sensitise and raise

awareness amongst women at local level of

their rights. We have clubs at local level

who listen to the radio programmes and

use them as a platform for discussion and

promoting women’s rights at local level. We

encourage women to think about how they

themselves can work together for peace.

We get to a stage where we say, you

understand the issues, and now you need to

speak up about them.“

Participation but is it meaningful?

“How we can define women’s role? Their representation in decision-making level

is a still question mark for us. It is not only patriarchal, but it is also the political

agenda.“ – Kopila Rijal, WHR, Nepal

Women must not just be represented in decision-making processes, but also must be

actively involved and influence processes through their participation. For example,

although women have been included in the High Level Peace Council in

Afghanistan, as Shalah Farid, Lecturer at Kabul University and women’s rights

activist explains, there is little opportunity for them to meaningfully participate: “In

the High Level Peace Council there are only nine women – they don’t have real

power and time to engage in a real peace process. They are just symbolic. People

use security as a way of denying women the right to participate. Also people are

saying that women cannot keep secrets so we cannot involve them in confidential

discussions.“

Quotas can provide an important entry point. However, they must be coupled with

strategies to target the root causes of gender inequality to result in meaningful

participation. According to key informants in Kathmandu, despite a 33% quota for

women to participate in all governmental bodies, meaningful participation of

women to influence decision making is still nominal, even in local Peace

Committees. Women who are active in policy-making belong to political parties and

candidates are generally confined to parties’ programmes and priorities, which

frequently do not prioritise women’s rights. Political parties are also accused of

fulfilling their quota requirements by allowing women to be candidates only in

areas where they know they will not be elected to office. In Sierra Leone, it was also

indicated by respondents that even when women have achieved leadership

positions, they are not always representing women’s rights issues, because their

commitment to the political party must be prioritised.

“Women must

not just be

represented in

decision-

making

processes, but

also must be

actively

involved and

influence

processes

through their

participation “

58 From the ground up

In Pakistan, the use of the media is

increasing as a tool to reach out to women

in the community. For example, Paiman

Alumni Trust (PAT) run the ‘Let’s Live in

Peace’ programme. This programme works

to build the capacity of youth, women, and

government agencies and departments

around conflict transformation,

peacebuilding, conflict management and

social cohesion at community and district

levels. They use talk shows on regional

television to show the impact of conflict

and extremism on women, as well as their

role in addressing these issues. This is

particularly important given women’s low

levels of movement outside the home.

It is important to also note that all of the

NGOs and CSOs approached during the

research discussed the importance of

including men and male leaders in

programmes to advance women’s rights

and empowerment, so that men can see

the positive impacts of women’s

involvement in peacebuilding and can

contribute to building peace that responds

to women’s rights. There is evidence that

programmes on women’s empowerment

that target men and boys are effective

when they explicitly focus on transforming

unequal power relations between women

and men, including promoting alternative

notions of masculinity.88 Conversely

programmes targeting men and boys that

are less accountable to women and girls

risk reinforcing women’s inequality.89 It was

also recognised by research participants

that women-only spaces and activities

remain crucial for programmes to increase

women’s empowerment and that involving

men in projects should in no way

compromise this.

8.5 Recognising the diversity of

women’s experiences

Women in post-conflict countries are not a

homogenous group. Widows, ex-

combatants, survivors of sexual violence,

displaced women, women living with HIV

Liberia Women Media Action Committee (LIWOMAC), a partner of Womankind, is a

media development organisation dedicated to the promotion of women’s rights and

development in Liberia. LIWOMAC’s central philosophy is that respect for and protection

of women’s rights are critical to peace and development. They train grassroots women in

rights awareness, work to make the media a more gender-sensitive platform for

promoting peace, and train journalists in women’s rights to increase coverage and

ensure accurate reporting of issues important to women. LIWOMC is training 200 men

and women as ‘Community Peace Actors’ to help drive a peaceful election process. In

2010, LIWOMAC led the hosting of the First National Conference on Advancing Women

in the Media.

Awam Dost Foundation (ADF), supported by ActionAid Pakistan, carried out a range of

peace-promoting activities, including sensitising people on the issues of peace and

social harmony and dialogues with different sect members in order to link with people

at the grassroots level and to decrease estrangement across communities. Aman Mela

(Peace Carnival) was used to launch a peace campaign aimed at spreading the message

to the public at large through songs, poems, skits, banners and brief speeches and a

poetry recital session. Further, an alliance of like-minded civil society organisations was

formed to coordinate work and resolve common issues of peace. This alliance held

meetings with influential politicians, elders and religious leaders, disseminated

booklets and poster stickers, organised peace rallies, speech and essay competitions for

girls and boys, and women’s theatre group performances. The inclusion of the media

was ensured at each of the activities and at different stages of their work.

“Women-only

spaces and

activities

remain crucial

for

programmes

to increase

women's

empowerment“

88. World Health Organisation,

2007, see

http://www.who.int/gender/doc

uments/Engaging_men_boys.pd

f (accessed 23/08/12).

89. International Rescue

Committee, 2009

59 From the ground up

and AIDS or disabilities all face unique

challenges and require different approaches

to enable their participation in

peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.

Successful support for women’s

participation in peacebuilding requires

recognition of the diverse needs, priorities

and experiences of women. For example, a

range of organisations in Nepal work to

support different marginalised groups of

women.

In Nepal, Dalit women were particularly

vulnerable during conflict and yet they have

been excluded from formal peace

processes.90 As Asha, a Dalit woman

described, “Although Nepali law grants me

equality, in reality I still face double

discrimination as a result of my caste and

my gender.“ The Feminist Dalit

Organisation (FEDO) works to tackle

discrimination and empower Dalit women

throughout Nepal (see box). As a member

of FEDO explained: “I first learnt about

FEDO, the Feminist Dalit Organisation,

when I heard the National President talking

about it on the radio. FEDO has changed my

life. Before I joined I was shy and could not

introduce myself, but they have given me

training to build my confidence. Now I can

go to the municipality and talk to people

about my rights and those of other Dalit

women.“

Madhesi and Muslim women were also

excluded from local peace processes in

Nepal. For example, village reconciliation

committees were formed following the

conflict and Madhesi and Muslim women

were excluded from these forums by their

own communities. The Fatima Foundation91

is working to ensure these women are

included in peace processes and have a say

in their local communities. BCD (see box) has

focussed on the empowerment of the

Kamaiya people.92

Women for Human Rights (WHR) is another

organisation working to support a

vulnerable group of women in Nepal –

widows (see box). Meena, a member of

WHR describes, “WHR has increased my self-

confidence a lot. I used to be afraid to go

out and talk to people, but now I go to

women’s groups to share experiences and

comfort each other. Since I have been in

Kathmandu, I have seen people from all

over Nepal in the same situation as me and

now I believe that widows can achieve just

as much as married women.“

Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) was founded in 1994 by a group of Dalit women

and is a leading Dalit women’s rights organisation in Nepal. FEDO works to achieve

equity for Dalit women who face caste, gender and class based discrimination

throughout Nepal. Supported by Womankind, they have been working on a project

to increase local women’s participation in peacebuilding and democratic processes in

four of the districts most affected by conflict. FEDO works to establish Dalit women’s

groups, pressure groups and awareness groups at the Village Development

Committee and District levels and to support Dalit women’s access to justice, develop

skills and income-generation activities and participate in local governance.

90. Feminist Dalit Organisation,

2010

91.

http://www.mamacash.org/pag

e.php?id=2844 (accessed

20/08/12)

92. Kamaiya people were

bonded labourers, bound by the

debts of their ancestors. While

they were declared free by the

Nepalese government in 2000

following a powerful

movement, many became

homeless when their landlords

evicted them, and continue to

live in poverty and exclusion.

See

http://www.actionaid.org/nepal/

stories/secure-housing-nepals-

kamaiya (accessed 03/09/12)

Boat for Community Development (BCD) started working in 1994 with an objective

to end bonded labour and the abuse of farmers by landlords. Over the years, BCD

has carried out many different projects in areas such as education for older women,

income-generating programmes, and empowerment of Kamaiya people. ActionAid’s

partnership with BCD began in 2004, and has been focused on education

programmes, including a training institute for Kamaiya people. BCD also engages

community mobilisers who have conducted awareness campaigns about women's

rights and peace. They discuss women's rights and land ownership, and undertake

advocacy work on behalf of women.

“Since I have

been in

Kathmandu,

I have seen

people from

all over Nepal

in the same

situation as

me and now

I believe that

widows can

achieve just

as much as

married

women“

60 From the ground up

Women for Human Rights (WHR), established in 1994, is a national non-governmental

organisation working for the human rights of widows in Nepal. It works in 73 districts

and 1,050 VDCs, and has over 84,000 members. One of their work programmes is

Chhahari, a shelter that provides skills training to widows, and establishes links with

other NGOs and organisations. This programme is funded by Womankind. WHR also

holds weekly social mobilisation classes on the rights of widows; networks with local

stakeholders; supports awareness-raising campaigns such as street drama and

publications on the issues facing widows and supports widows to bring VAW and

cases of property-right violations to local authorities.

Below: Nepal

Womankind

61 From the ground up

This study was conducted in five countries –

Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan and

Sierra Leone, representing a range of

different conflict contexts. The research

found many contextual differences between

the communities and countries visited

including the impact of conflict on

individuals and communities. For example,

in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the conflict

resulted in a high level of mobility and

displacement, and therefore the presence of

high numbers of refugees. In Nepal, on the

other hand, individuals were temporarily

displaced to take part in forced political

rallies but were able to return home

comparatively quickly. However, there has

been a high level of internal and external

migration since the conflict. In Pakistan,

none of the focus group participants were

affected by displacement, but men and

women experience considerable mobility

restrictions due to current insecurities. The

mobility of women in Afghanistan also

continues to be affected by insecurity.

Another noteworthy difference is the extent

to which NGOs, the United Nations, and

other international actors were involved in

conflict resolution, in national peace

processes and in the post-conflict recovery

phase. Of all the countries visited, Liberia

and Afghanistan have experienced the

highest level of external involvement.

While there is evidence that in many study

communities women’s rights have regressed

in the aftermath of conflict, it also appears

that the post-conflict period has given

women space to organise collectively and to

assert their power in decision making. One

of the most striking examples is the position

and attitude of Liberian women compared

to other countries visited, including

neighbouring Sierra Leone. Liberian women

describe a new standing for women in the

post-conflict period and are more confident

and outspoken about their rights, their

desire for change, and their contribution to

peacebuilding. However, despite differences

in its manifestation, the research also

evidenced an increase in women's agency

across all five countries, with palpable

effects for the women, their families and

communities. A clear relationship was

found between increasing women’s

awareness of rights and confidence, and

their involvement in peacebuilding

activities, especially in communities with

broader and more sustained interventions.

Despite contextual differences, this research

uncovered important commonalities across

the countries, which provide clear guidance

on how women’s rights and their

peacebuilding efforts can be supported in

conflict-affected and post-conflict countries.

These similarities have been explored

throughout this report and include the

broader meaning which women attribute to

peace, the common obstacles women face

as peacebuilders at the local level, the

disconnect between local and national

processes, and the work by women’s

organisations which is making a difference

to women’s participation in local peace

processes and therefore building

sustainable peace.

As this study illustrates, the barriers to

participation in peacebuilding which

women face contrast with the very active

roles women assume within their families to

build trust and dialogue, solve disputes,

ensure that their children are formally

educated (where possible), and counsel

their children not to engage in violence.

These important actions are frequently

dismissed as irrelevant or are not sufficiently

valued by national governments, the

9. Conclusion

“The post-

conflict period

has given

women space

to organise

collectively

and to assert

their power in

decision

making“

62 From the ground up

international community or by women

themselves. Yet many researchers have

shown that peace starts with families, the

way men and women relate to each other,

and how children are educated.93 Cultural

and economic barriers considerably hinder

the roles of women as peacebuilders

outside their families but changes in norms

and power relations within families may be

just as important to maintaining local

peace. There is a need for more rigorous

evidence on how conflict transforms family

lives and how these changes may (or may

not) contribute towards the sustainability of

peace in post-conflict settings.

The vital roles that women play as

peacebuilders at the local level indicate that

the meaningful participation of women in

political structures can have significant

positive consequences for peace and

stability at a wider level. Given the findings

of this research that women are

instrumental as peacebuilders within their

families and their communities, an ideal

gender-responsive approach to

peacebuilding should recognise the

importance of gender equality for

sustainable peace, support the important

roles that women undertake within their

families and communities as peacebuilders

and bring these skills, experiences and

priorities to the regional, and national and

international levels.

93. Pearce 2006, 2007;

UNESCO 2011.

94. Report of the Secretary-

General on Women’s

Participation in Peacebuilding: 7

point action plan, 2010.

“Just and

sustainable

peace... begins

with coherent

policy“

63 From the ground up

Just and sustainable peace, which includes meaningful participation of women and

inclusion of women’s rights, begins with coherent policy. All development, defence and

diplomatic policy should have clear, strategic commitment to women’s rights and gender

equality including measures to promote women’s participation. Women’s rights and gender

equality should be recognised in all peace processes, agreements and transitional

governance structures, and policy on conflict should incorporate views and lessons from

women building peace at the local level.

To achieve this all national governments should develop and implement a National Action

Plan on UNSCR 1325 in consultation with women’s rights organisations at local, regional

and national levels, and with adequate resourcing, clear indicators and a robust

monitoring and evaluation plan.

To ensure a durable and just peace, national and international peace processes must

include women as decision-makers, and reflect the priorities and views of women building

peace at local levels including the views of women from ethnic minority groups, widows,

ex-combatants, survivors of sexual violence, displaced women, women living with HIV and

AIDS and disabled women. Furthermore, all communiqués, declarations and agreements

resulting from national or international peace processes should have dedicated

commitments to women’s rights and gender equality.

As a starting point to achieve this, a minimum of 30% representation should be

guaranteed for women and women’s rights organisations in all local, national and

international peace negotiation processes.

Women's rights organisations are at the forefront of innovative peacebuilding work at a

local level. For them to reach their potential, this work needs to be adequately and

sustainably funded. Furthermore, all funding to peacebuilding initiatives should demand

demonstrable women’s rights outcomes, including support for women's economic

empowerment which enables their participation in peacebuilding processes.

In line with the United Nations target,94 a minimum of 15% of all funds in support of

peacebuilding should be dedicated to activities whose principal objective is to address

women’s specific needs, advance gender equality or empower women.

Violence against women and girls is a pervasive element of conflict, and continues long after

the laying down of arms. It is both a gross violation of women's human rights and a key

barrier to their participation in peacebuilding and public life, and to building sustainable

peace. Women need law enforcement and formal judicial mechanisms to be accessible and

fair. In addition, no peace processes, whether at the national or the community level, should

result in impunity for serious violations of human rights such as violence against women.

All peacebuilding policy, funding or activity should contain a gendered risk analysis, and

include targeted action and ring-fenced financing, to tackle violence against women and

girls as a key barrier to peace.

In order for women’s efforts in local peacebuilding to be effective, national policies and

infrastructure must ensure women’s rights and participation. Gender discrimination must

be eliminated and women’s rights promoted and protected in all public infrastructure

and institutions including those in the legal and justice, healthcare, transport and

education systems.

Strategic partnerships between women’s rights organisations and women in political parties,

parliament and government should be promoted. Gender discrimination must be addressed

at each stage of the political process including in citizenship, electoral registration and

election processes. Voter registration drives and political education campaigns should be

targeted at women, particularly those in remote communities.

In order to achieve this, all national governments should ratify without reservation and

implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women,

as well as relevant regional treaties, paying particular attention to institutional reform.

Provide long term

support and funding

to women’s

peacebuilding

Tackle violence

against women

and girls

Build an enabling

environment for

women’s

peacebuilding

Develop and

implement concrete,

coherent policy

commitments

Recommendations

Ensure women’s

participation in

peace processes

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