Opinion>>UNSCR 1325, 10 years on


First published: 2010-10-28

This October, women's organisations, donors and UN agencies across the globe are buzzing with events to mark the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000 and to reflect on its achievements. Alice Kerr-Wilson assesses its impact.

With its genesis firmly rooted in women's activism, the resolution was groundbreaking then, representing the efforts of a tripartite partnership between UN agencies, member states and women's civil society. It created commitments on women's participation in all stages of peacebuilding, protection for women and girls in situations of armed conflict and reaffirmed existing international law. A decade later, while much has been achieved, the facts surrounding sexual violence in conflict and the actual representation of women in peace processes remain alarming.

There is no doubt that the resolution has created a space for dialogue and debate around the extent to which women are able to influence conflict, peace and security issues. It has provided women's advocates with a solid framework through which to hold the UN Security Council and member states to account on their obligations outlined in the resolution. UNSCR1325 has also paved the way for over 20 country level National Action Plans on women, peace and security and further UN Security Council resolutions on sexual violence in conflict (1820) and the adoption of monitoring mechanisms for Resolutions 1325 and 1820 (Resolutions 1888 and 1889). The appointment of a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict would not have been possible without UNSCRs 1325 and, then 1820. At the country level, the resolution has been translated into over 100 languages, enabling women to use it to advocate with armed groups, UN representatives and government officials.

Yet, despite these achievements, women continue to be significantly under-represented in peace processes, continue to be largely ignored during reconstruction and continue to be raped and displaced during armed conflict, with little protection from peacekeepers. According to a recent UNIFEM report, Women's Participation in Peace Negotiations: Connections between Presence and Influence, on a sample of peace processes, only 2% of signatories, 3% of mediators and less than 8% of those at negotiation tables were women .

These numbers are shocking, indicating that women play almost a negligible formal role in deciding the future of their countries. The statistics on sexual violence in conflict are equally appalling. Thanks to much-publicised reports, we know that there has been widespread sexual violence in the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur and Uganda; all of which have taken place after the adoption of UNSCR 1325. It is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier, according to Gen. Patrick Cammaert, former UN Peacekeeping Operation commander in DR Congo. Margot Wallstrom, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, has said that even the body of a dead rat has more value than the body of a woman in DR Congo.

UNSCR 1325 itself did not create an accountability mechanism and so it has been extremely difficult to track progress. Women's advocates across the globe have, therefore, welcomed the introduction of indicators this year as an attempt to rectify this gap. Is it too late? It remains to be seen whether in 10 years time the legacy of these indicators will mean that women's security is protected and they are safe enough to play broad and far reaching roles in deciding in the peaceful futures of their countries.

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