UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” was regarded as a particular success for women’s organizations because it recognized the central role of women in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding for the first time. However, our work – in association with PWAG (PeaceWomen Across the Globe) – and other like-minded peace organizations on the implementation of Resolution 1325 shows that the number of women involved in peace negotiations is insufficient to be regarded as a measure of success. Furthermore, security is defined in too militaristic terms in the Resolution. The structural causes of gender-specific violence in wars and armed conflicts are not taken into account. Feminist peace policy, on the other hand, looks at the way patriarchal power relationships are structurally embedded. It is based on a broader understanding of security and addresses the causes of gender-specific violence.
Violence doesn’t decrease but increases
When men are militarized and armed, it reinforces violent tendencies and toxic male characteristics that are apparent in everyday life but particularly noticeable in times of war. The increasing focus on security, supposedly “to protect women”, misses the point from a feminist point of view. Despite the requirement under Resolution 1325 for women to be protected from gender-specific violence, this kind of violence actually increases in times of war: as a weapon, in the home, and in men’s language. These are facts that are barely considered during peace negotiations.
Even during armed conflicts and in the most adverse circumstances, women are concerned for their loved ones and for their community. However, their resilience and skills are not adequately considered in peace negotiations or post-conflict reconstruction. The voices of local women’s organizations and networks are ignored when decisions are being made about ending the war and rebuilding. Consequently, any investment is made not in much-needed gender-appropriate infrastructure (health, housing, education) but in profit-oriented and male-dominated sectors such as road-building and industry.
How Resolution 1325 is undermined
Peace policy currently focuses above all on militarization and security as a state of affairs that can be technically and militarily upgraded and taxed. This is accompanied by economic development driven by profit, particularly investment in arms companies, raw materials processing, and surveillance technologies. So, from the point of view of a feminist understanding of peace, the human rights-based UN Resolution is being undermined – at the expense of women, whose work as carers forms the foundation of a secure society.
Security through consistent demilitarization
An effective feminist peace policy would not be based on the idea that security can be created by building up military strength, militarizing and arming the population. Comprehensive security for all, especially women, requires consistent demilitarization and investment in social infrastructure. This is the way to counteract the inequality that is created by structural patriarchal power relationships and to bring about social transformation. If Resolution 1325 – which guarantees that women can participate in all political decision-making processes – is to be consistently implemented, their demands, needs and suggestions must be included. For as long as this is not the case, comprehensive peace can never be achieved.