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Gender and Peacebuilding Center

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Center Highlights

December 2011 | Event
Women Fighting for Peace in Iraq
The U.S. Institute of Peace facilitated a discussion that will feature two women NGO leaders from Iraq whose USIP-supported projects enable them to promote positive participatory roles for women as peacebuilders and provide mechanisms and strategies to combat discrimination and violence against women in Iraq.

November 2011 | Event
Haiti: Reconstruction and the Role of Women
A panel of distinguished experts discussed the situation of women in Haiti and their role in reconstruction.  The event featured a delegation of women leaders from Haiti and an exhibition of photos taken by Haitian women depicting their lives in the tent cities around Port-au-Prince.

Fall 2011 | Events
Women and War Series
With depth and complexity, the upcoming PBS five-part series, Women, War & Peace highlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, and Colombia to Liberia. It places women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security and reframes our understanding of modern warfare. The series spearheaded by Executive Producers Abigail E. Disney, Pamela Hogan, and Gini Reticker, is a co-production of THIRTEEN and Fork Films in association with WNET and ITVS for broadcast on PBS.

July 2011 | Event
Informal Markets and Peacebuilding in North Korea
On July 19, USIP held a full day conference that explored how informal markets have been expanding in North Korea and what role women play in these markets, while highlighting transformations inside North Korea that have significant implications for the regime and the United States' policy on North Korea. A group of Seoul-based North Korean defectors spoke at the conference and shared their unique experiences and operational insights from conducting business within the informal markets.

June 2011 | Event
Second Annual Conference: Preventing Violent Conflict
For this second annual conference on conflict prevention, USIP brought together experts and policymakers to discuss challenges and opportunities for conflict prevention around the world. In one of the breakout sessions, policymakers discussed women and conflict, and why gender analysis is a critical tool for conflict prevention and early warning systems.

May 2011 | Event
Women and Entrepreneurship and Rebuilding War-torn Communities
Violent wars disrupt the social fabric of communities and impose severe limitations for women’s economic access during and after conflict. Nevertheless, women entrepreneurs in war-torn societies are reshaping the business landscape and stretching beyond the micro-lending niche. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), hosted a public event focused on women and their understudied yet significant entrepreneurial activities underway in conflict and post-conflict societies. | Watch videos from this event.

May 2011 | Event

Women & War Book Launch and Symposium
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), Peace Research Institute-Oslo (PRIO), and Royal Norwegian Embassy hosted a book launch and international symposium on the next decade of UNSCR 1325 on the afternoon of May 5th and all day on May 6th. The symposium further examined the issues of women and war, power and protection in the 21st century, and explored the implementation of gender-sensitive policies in defense, diplomacy, development, and the role of documentary film, media and the arts in this endeavor. | Watch videos from the Women & War Symposium.

Spring 2011 | Resource
Why Women’s Involvement in Peacebuilding Matters
For the world to move forward on security issues in an effective manner, women will need to play a greater role in the process. This is not just a moral issue or question of equality; it is a matter of effectiveness and efficiency. As things stand now, we are losing half of the world’s creative potential by not including women in all aspects of global problem-solving. When it comes to settling conflicts, we know that there are many more approaches than simply picking up a gun and threatening our enemy. There are countless examples of women who have intervened in conflicts, but most of their stories have never been recorded, and their efforts are not counted. Read the full Foreign Service Journal article.

Spring 2011 | Resource
Women and War
Book by Kathleen Kuehnast, Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, and Helga Hernes, editors. In light of U.N. Resolution 1325 (which calls for women’s active participation in promoting peace and security and for greater efforts to protect women victimized by violence during and after conflict), this volume takes stock of the current state of knowledge on women, peace and security issues. It examines efforts to increase women’s participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction strategies, as well as better interventions to protect women from wartime sexual violence.

March 2011 | Resource
Best way to make peace out of war? Women.
In today’s dangerous and conflict-stricken world, more needs to be done so that women are protected in conflict, but also engaged and counted in post-conflict resolution, especially peace building. Including women in peace negotiations  is not just an issue of fairness or equity, but also of effectiveness and efficacy. Excluding women from the rebuilding process jeopardizes a society’s post-conflict recovery. Published by the Christian Science Monitor on March 8, 2011.

February 2011 | Event
Female Soldiers and DDR: Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Colombia
 How are the roles of "soldier" and "victim" defined by post-conflict programs? Most disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs are limited in the ways in which issues specific to female combatants are addressed. At this public event panelists examined the particular challenges faced by female ex-combatants in post-conflict environments, and ways in which reintegration agencies and post-conflict programs can integrate gender into their work. | Watch the video from this event.

January 2011 | Event
Mainstreaming Gender in the Military and Security Sector Reform: The Role of Civil Society
USIP in partnership with Partners for Democratic Change, co-hosted a public event on January 19th  highlighting the challenges faced by militaries in the 21st century with regards to the role of women in modern armed forces. Additionally, panelists discussed the role that civil society can play in security sector transformation, especially as it pertains to gender mainstreaming. | Watch videos of this event.

January 2011 | Resource
The Other Side of Gender: Including Masculinity Concerns in Conflict and Peacebuilding
The word gender is often used synonymously with reference to women. This limited approach overlooks the relational quality of gender and leaves out masculinity issues in analysis and research that can have important bearing on policy interventions.

January 2011 | Resource
Security After the Quake? Addressing Violence and Rape in Haiti
In the wake of Haiti’s disastrous earthquake, international organizations have begun to recognize gender-based violence as a significant area of concern, particularly within Port-au-Prince’s internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Grassroots organizations are working to reduce the incidence of gender-based violence and to establish local mechanisms for increasing security throughout Haiti’s tent encampments.

January 2011 | Resource
The Role of Women in Global Security
This report examines women’s roles in peacebuilding, postconflict reconstruction, and economic development. It draws on discussions at the conference on "The Role of  Women in Global Security," held in Copenhagen on October 29–30, 2010, and co-hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Denmark and the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

In partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Copenhagen, Denmark. Learn more about "The Role of Women in Global Security".

January 2011| Resource
UNSCR 1325 Tutorial
This tutorial provides a broad overview of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The tutorial draws on USIP’s public events, publications, and multimedia to provide concrete examples and incorporates links to outside resources for additional exploration into this topic. Read the Resolution 1325 Tutorial.

November 3-5, 2010 | Event
Women and War Conference
On November 3-5, 2010 the U.S. Institute of Peace and its partners hosted a three-day Women and War Conference focused on the varied experiences of women during wartime and how to make sustained progress toward international peace and security. The conference featured an extraordinary coalition of national and international participants, including U.N. and U.S. government officials, the international diplomatic communities, military personnel, academics, civil society leaders, and practitioners in the fields of security, development, and conflict resolution. | Watch videos of the Women and War Conference.

View the November 4 Photo Gallery full screen

 

Additional Information on UNSCR 1325 Strategies for Implementation 

See a comprehensive list of USIP’s gender related events and resources

Leadership

Kathleen Kuehnast
Director, Gender and Peacebuilding Center

The Gender and Peacebuilding Center of Innovation coordinates the gender-related work of the U.S. Institute of Peace, as well as collaborates with national and international organizations, governments, the military and civil society on concerns related to gender, conflict and peacebuilding.

First established as an Initiative in 2009, the Center reflects the Institute’s commitment to gender awareness in analytical and practitioner work on conflict and peacebuilding. Directed by Kathleen Kuehnast, the Gender and Peacebuilding Center aims to:

  • Convene global experts on gender, conflict, and peacebuilding to inform and expand critical understanding about gender impacts.
  • Contribute to policy change through analytical and practitioner work on gender, conflict, and peacebuilding.
  • Enhance the role of women in peacebuilding through education and training of both men and women.

Working Groups

U.S. Civil Society Working Group on the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
As experts working with women and other groups affected by conflict around the world, the U.S. Civil Society Working Group convened by the Gender and Peacebuilding Center is committed to assisting the U.S. Government craft an unparalleled innovative national action plan. To that end, the working group stands ready to consult, advise and inform as appropriate. The working group is also situated to support and facilitate efforts by the U.S. Government in seeking the critical inputs on the U.S. National Action Plan from civil society in countries affected by conflict.

Working Group on Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Afghan and Iraqi Women’s Programming
USIP’s Gender and Peacebuilding Center has brought together a community of practice that is examining the lessons learned from programs of support for women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Along with best practices derived from those programs, the objective is to strengthen the effectiveness of women’s programs. This working group consists of representatives of the US Government (USG), international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Allied Embassies, along with key members of Congress and their staff and members of the US Armed Forces.

Six working group discussions have been held to date. In May, 2011 participating USG offices and NGOs gathered at USIP to hold a preliminary discussion of lessons learned and best practices. In June, 2011 the working group met in the U.S. Congress’ Rayburn House Office Building, teaming up with members of the newly-formed Congressional Task Force on Afghan Women, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and sharing our preliminary findings with Congressional Staff.  And, in July, 2011 the working group held a discussion at Georgetown University with 13 Afghan women entrepreneurs brought to the US for training by the Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW). Since July 2011, USIP has hosted two additional working group meetings, October 6 and November 21, 2011, to review and further expand USIP’s report on lessons learned and best practices in Afghan and Iraqi women’s programming. On December 9, 2011 the working group hosted  two Iraqi USIP grantees and two US Army officers from the Afghanistan Female Engagement Team (FET). From these working group meetings, USIP’s Gender and Peacebuilding Center continues to glean best practices and lessons learned in Afghan and Iraqi women’s programming to develop a report that will enable international agencies and organizations to develop more effective programs, while setting the stage for a lessons learned global exchange with Afghan and Iraqi women leaders in Spring 2012. Watch for the report to posted here on this webpage!


Working Group on Simulation Development for Gender Awareness in Peace Support Operations
The objective of this working group is to strengthen technical, civil, and military institutional capacities to mainstream gender and women’s issues in training for peace support operations.  The U.S. Institute of Peace has hosted two meetings in collaboration with the Naval Warfare Development Command (NWDC-Norfolk, VA), Fork Films (NYC), International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), and the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg, NC.

In April, 2011 experts and interested partners gathered at USIP to provide inputs on the development of a gender simulation module for conflict resolution and peacebuilding that can be accessible via high-tech or low-tech platforms. From the April 2011, working meeting a White Paper was written by the NWDC with contributions from the working group to inform the development of a family of training simulations to advance gender awareness in multidimensional and multinational peace support operations (PSO). In July, 2011 the working group met to further discussions on collaboratively developing a “gender awareness simulation” and conduct a Gender Analysis in Peace Operations Training Simulation Pilot.

All working groups are moderated by Kathleen Kuehnast, Director of USIP's Gender and Peacebuilding Center. For inquiries about the working groups, please write gender@usip.org.

USIP's Work on Gender in the Middle East


Women and the Arab Spring
November 2011 | Congressional Testimony by Manal Omar

Manal Omar, director of Iran, Iraq and North Africa programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations committee on November 2, 2011, on the role of women in the Arab Spring, and more specifically, their role in Libya.

Muslim Women in the Push for Peace
August 2011 | Huffington Post Article on Manal Omar

USIP's Manal Omar reflects a tradition of women's participation in their communities as active leaders: as mothers, teachers, scholars, counselors and presidents of national organizations.

Women Peacemakers in Iraq
June 2011 | On the Issues by Maria Jessop and Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana

USIP’s Maria Jessop and Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana discuss the power of dialogue to bridge divides and the role of women peacemakers in Iraq in the context of a workshop for the women of USIP’s Network of Iraqi Facilitators (NIF) they conducted in May 2011.

Libyan Forces Use Rape as Weapon of War, Experts Say
June 2011 | News Feature by Gordon Lubold

While opposition fighters struggle to tip the balance against Libyan leader Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi’s forces, a growing number of women living in rebel strongholds are allegedly being raped by members of the Libyan military.

President Obama's Speech and Gender
May 2011 | On the Issues by Kathleen Kuehnast

Following President Obama's speech on the Middle East, USIP's Kathleen Kuehnast examines how gender plays an important role in peacemaking and prosperity, and the influential role women are playing in the Arab Spring.

Women and the Arab Spring
May 2011 | On the Issues by Mary Hope Schwoebel

Women's participation in the Arab Spring has been significant, but it remains to be seen, however, if their participation will result in increased opportunities for women in the public sphere when the dust settles. USIP’s Mary Hope Schwoebel discusses the opportunities and challenges for women in the Arab Spring.

Women and Rural Communities in Egypt
April 2011 | On the Issues by Manal Omar

Following longtime leader Hosni Mubarak’s departure, USIP’s Manal Omar traveled to Egypt in early April to assess how the recent turmoil there has impacted rural communities and women.

Women in Yemen's Protests
April 2011 | On the Issues by Mary Hope Schwoebel

Amid the upheavals in Yemen, USIP’s Mary Hope Schwoebel discusses the role of women in the political protests and how it is likely to affect their future status.

Additional Resources

Libya

Egypt

Syria

Yemen

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