Advancing Women’s Participation in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

The post-conflict transition period offers a critical window of opportunity to mainstream gender in four areas of post-conflict reconstruction: governance and political systems, economic recovery and environmental sustainability, justice and the rule of law, and security sector reform.

The joint report, commissioned by the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations,  highlights effective strategies and entry points to ensure women’s meaningful participation as decision-makers, implementers, and beneficiaries of post-conflict reconstruction.

A UN Action Plan offers priority actions and specific recommendations to advance these goals.

• Promote women’s equal participation in peace negotiations and in all levels of post-conflict governance
• Support women’s civil society and grassroots initiatives
• Prioritize climate adaptation and gender inclusion simultaneously
• Bolster women in economic recovery and community-driven development
• Prevent and respond to violence against women
• Invest in grassroots justice actors in post-conflict settings
• Appoint gender advisors and ensure gender parity in truth commissions
• Increase women’s participation in the security sector
• Enhance the effectiveness, coherence, and predictability of UN support
• Build trust between security providers and local communities and engage male allies