Panel 1 from the Roundtable on Human Rights, Women,
Peace and Security at the University of Edinburgh, in Honour of
Madeleine Reese
Claire Duncanson (PIR) Gender and the political economy of peacebuilding
Abstract:
This paper argues that the WPS project, in order to be a truly potent
tool in transforming the global, regional, national and local dynamics
and inequalities underlying wars, and thus in building sustainable
peace, needs considerable strengthening and deepening. More
specifically, it needs to do more to address the political economy of
peacebuilding. The paper outlines the gendered nature of war economies,
the impact of current post-conflict reconstruction policies in
exacerbating gendered inequalities, and suggests what might be required
for a more transformative WPS project.
Christine Bell (Law) Peace Agreements: What is a gender perspective?
Abstract:
UNSC 1325 talks of peace negotiations and peace agreements needing to
adopt ‘a gender perspective’. This paper considers what constitutes a
‘gender perspective’ in a peace agreement, what we know about how
provisions on women get included in peace agreements, and what we know
about their implementation. The paper will present data from the new
Peace Agreement Access Tool (PA-X), a peace agreement database being
produced by the Political Settlements Research Programme, supported by
DFID and UN Women (www.politicalsettlements.org).
Gerhard Anders (International Development) Victims and perpetrators: Addressing gender-based violence in Africa
Abstract:
International criminal law has made considerable progress in addressing
gender-based violence. The many armed conflicts in Africa with
widespread and systematic sexual violence have been at the forefront of
these developments. After some hesitation the international criminal
tribunals have taken up the challenge to hold accountable the
perpetrators of gender-based violence. One of the principal aims of
their efforts has been the development of a global legal order. This
universalistic ambition of international criminal law has to be
considered in the context of another important objective. Prosecutors
and judges also want to give a voice to victims and mete out visible
justice on behalf of the victims. However, experiences of victims and
perpetrators are often highly ambivalent and blur these clearcut
boundaries. This raises the question whether these two goals of
international criminal justice can be reconciled.
Zoe Marks (Centre for African Studies) “Gender in Non-State Armed Groups”:
This
paper surveys existing research on women and men in armed groups, and
the gendered dimensions of their participation in war. I will explore
the intersections between critical feminist approaches and emerging
quantitative studies on the topic through the lens of my fieldwork with
women in Sierra Leone.