She Stands for Peace

In this episode of She Stands for Peace, we turn our attention to peace agreements, asking how we can meaningfully promote women's inclusion and address the barriers faced by women and local civil society in peace negotiations. Despite a reported decline in women's participation in UN-led peace processes from 23% in 2020 to 19% in 2021, there are notable examples of progress, such as the gender provisions in the Lo Nuer-Dinka Bomule Action for Peace Agreement in South Sudan.

We hear from Dr. Koiti Emily, who shares her experiences as a youth representative in the IGAD High-Level Revitalization Forum and emphasizes the importance of youth and women's representation in peace processes. Additionally, Carol Baudouin, Security Sector Reform Chief at MINUSCA, discusses making women's participation a prerequisite in peace negotiations. Halal Al Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), provides insights into the consequences of excluding gender from peace processes, drawing on the situation in Sudan. She highlights that neglecting women's roles and experiences leads to alienation and perpetuates cycles of conflict.