Women, Peace and Security:What is the way forward for gender work in

post-conflict and transitional settings?

Roundtable, ODI, 21st May 2014, 10.00 to 4.30

Held at ODI’s offices, 203 Blackfriar’s Road, London. For directions, please visit: http://www.odi.org.uk/about/contact-details

Background

There is growing momentum within the international community to better support gender work in post-conflict and transition settings. This is reflected by the cumulative body of international norms and commitments relation to women, peace and security, (e.g. UNSCR 1325 and associat-ed resolutions) and policy documents (OECD-DAC Policy Guidance on gender and statebuilding) to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in processes of peace and state-building.

Supporting women in post-conflict and transitional settings is a fundamentally political objective. Peacebuilding and statebuilding are multidimensional and complex processes that can offer op-portunities to renegotiate and transform the terms and quality of state–society relations, includ-ing ensuring more inclusive, participatory, responsive and accountable engagement (DFID, 2010; OECD-DAC, 2011). They are processes in which the political settlement (the underlying rules of social, political and economic engagement) is in flux and potentially subject to redefinition and renegotiation. Such contexts can offer specific opportunities to establish and/or strengthen arrangements and state institutions to incorporate stakeholders who have not traditionally had any voice, including women. However, gender hierarchies are resilient and difficult to shift in practice. They are also deeply political, and reform efforts often face entrenched resistance.

This workshop brings together policy makers, programmers and researchers to discuss the find-ings from recent ODI work and, drawing on the expertise of participants, to discuss the chal-lenges faced and the opportunities for forging a way forward for gender-responsive policy and programming in post-conflict and transitional settings.

10.00 - 10.15: Tea, coffee

10.15 - 10.30: Welcome, introduction and objectives

Pilar Domingo and Rebecca Holmes, ODI

10.30 - 12.30: Session 1

Chair: Alina Rocha Menocal, ODI

Women’s participation and international engagement in post-conflict and transition settings: ways of working

There are renewed levels of interest and engagement by the international community to ensure that post-conflict political and institutional processes which define the terms of the post-conflict political settlement reflect women’s experience of conflict. Ensuring the political participation of women in shaping outcomes of peace processes and political transition is an explicit objective of the international community under UNSCR 1325, but the practice is less encouraging.

This first session will discuss political ways of working in international efforts to better enhance women’s voice and leadership in post-conflict settings.

10.30 -11.30

• “Political opportunities and challenges of translating international policy into practice on support to women’s political voice and agency in post-conflict and transitional setting” Pilar Domingo (ODI)

• “Working politically to make change happen: the case of Kosovo” Marta Foresti (ODI)• “Civil society and women’s movements: the case of Syria” Doreen Khoury, Middle East Liai-

son Officer, Hivos International, Beirut• “Reflections on gender interventions in Afghanistan” Anna Larson (independent consultant)

Discussant: Mark Segal, DFID

11.30 - 12.30: Discussion

12.30 -1.30: Lunch

1.30 - 2.30: Session 2

Chair: Mareike Schomerus, LSE

Gender-responsive programming in practice

Despite the acknowledgement of the importance of promoting gender-responsive approaches in post-conflict and transitional settings, we still know very little about i) what works to sub-stantively integrate gender in post-conflict and transitional processes, ii) how gender responsive approaches specifically contribute to peacebuilding and statebuilding objectives; and iii) the ap-propriate research methodologies for generating an understanding of gender in these contexts.

1.30-2.30

• “Policy and practice in support to basic service delivery/economic livelihoods” Rebecca Holmes (ODI)

• “Post-conflict constitutional reform and gender equality” Georgina Waylen (University of Manchester)

• “Conflict and peace: the practice of integrating gender into peacebuilding efforts” Judy El-Bushra (independent consultant)

• “Challenges for understanding gender in basic services and statebuilding: what do we know and how do we measure it?” Rachel Slater (ODI)

Discussants: Liz Fajber, DFID; Sanne Tielemans (Conciliation Resources)

3.30 - 3.45: Coffee break

3.45 - 4.30: Open discussion

Participants will be asked to reflect on the following issues through an open, but structured con-versation facilitated by Rachel Slater

• Dealing with crisis conditions• Connecting community level to national level dynamics • Siloed sectoral approaches within donor organisations

Selection of relevant ODI outputs include:

Abu Hamad, B. and Pavanello, S. (2012) ‘Transforming Cash Transfers: Beneficiary and commu-nity perspectives on the Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme.’ London: ODI

Abu Hamad, B., Jones, N., Pavanello, S. and Shaheen, M. (2013) ‘Beneficiary and community perspectives on the Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme.’ London: ODI

Domingo, P., Holmes, R., Rocha Menocal, A. and Jones, N. (2013) ‘Assessment of the Evidence of the Links between Gender Equality, Peacebuilding and Statebuilding: Literature Review’. Lon-don: Overseas Development Institute.

Domingo, P. O’Neil, T. and Foresti, M. (2014) ‘Women’s participation in peace and security: normative ends, political means’ ODI Briefing paper

Domingo, P. O’Neil, T. and Foresti, M. (2013) ‘The Contribution of UN Women to Increasing Women’s Leadership and Participation in Peace and Security and in Humanitarian Response: Synthesis Report.’ New York: UN Women.

Domingo, P., Foresti, M. and O’Neil, T., et al. (2012) ‘Joint evaluation of UN Women/UNDP Support to Women’s Political Participation in sub-Saharan Africa: Synthesis Report.’ New York: UN Women.

Jones, N. and Shaheen, M. (2012) ‘Transforming Cash Transfers: Beneficiary and community perspectives on the Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme.’ London: ODI

Holmes, R. (2014 forthcoming) ‘Gender-Responsive Budgeting in Fragile and Conflict Affected States: A Review’ London: Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium: Evidence Paper

Holmes, R. and Bhuvanendra, D. (2014) ‘Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in humanitarian crises’ Humanitarian Practice Network: Network Paper

Holmes, R. and Bhuvanendra, D. (2014) ‘Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts: Mapping and analysing the evidence and identifying the gaps’ Humani-tarian Practice Network: Network Paper

Humanitarian Practice Network, Humanitarian Exchange 60 (2014): Gender-based violence in emergencies

SLRC (draft - forthcoming) ‘Surveying livelihoods, service delivery and governance in conflict: Gender synthesis’ London: Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium

Chambers, Vikki (draft – forthcoming) ‘Women’s empowerment in Tunisia’ DPS case study

O’Neil, T, Valters, C. and P. Domingo (forthcoming, ‘Understanding progress in women’s em-powerment’ DPS working paper

Selection of relevant resources from participating organisations:

Castillejo, Clare (2011) ‘Building a state that works for women: integrating gender into post-con-flict state building.’ Spain, FRIDE

Conciliation Resources, ‘Legitimacy and peace processes: from coercion to consent’ (2014), Ac-cord Issue 25: an international review of peace initiatives

Conciliation Resources, ‘Women Building Peace’ (2013), Accord Insight: an international review of peace initiatives

El-Bushra, J. (2012) Gender in peacebuilding: taking stock. London, International Alert

El-Bushra, J., Naujoks, J. and Myrttinen, H. (2014) Re-Negotiating The “Ideal’ Society”: Gen-der relations in the wake of conflict and displacement in Uganda London, International Alert:

Myrtinnen, H., Naujoks, J. and El-Bushra, J. (2014) Rethinking gender in peacebuilding London, International Alert

OECD (2013) Gender and Statebuilding in Fragile and Conflict-affected States

O’Neil, T, Valters, C. and P. Domingo (forthcoming, ‘Understanding progress in women’s em-powerment’ DPS working paper

Saferworld (2014) Gender-sensitive resource pack, based on our community security work in Nepal

Saferworld and Conciliation Resources (2014) Gender, violence and peace: a post-2015 agenda

Saferworld (2013) ‘It’s dangerous to be the first’: Security barriers to women’s public participa-tion in Egypt, Libya and Yemen

UN Women (2012), UN Women Sourcebook on Women, Peace and Security