The Foreign Service Journal, April 2011

40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 reaucrats, media gatekeepers and others about UNSCR 1325. Too many stakeholders and power brokers know too little about its meaning and implied obligations. This void is increasingly filled by women in civil society organi- zations. They have done so in part with increased training in communications, networking and analysis. Large gaps remain, but are gradually being filled, not least with sophisticated analyses of the conflicts, post-conflict needs and local problem-solv- ing. Demands for action and participation have been less successful, but it is well established by social science re- search that the kinds of activities women have undertaken can change the political dynamics in a country and glob- ally over a number of years, especially in those societies with democratic cultures. So the disappointing perform- ance of national and international actors to date might seem less so if one takes a longer view: progress is being made as a result of pressure from civil society for new norms and proposals for concrete action. In this way, the on-the-ground activism reinforces the salience of UNSCR 1325, and the resolution legitimates such activism. There are a number of striking anecdotes about women seizing the initiative — the now-legendary 2003 protests in Monrovia and Accra that literally cor- nered negotiators and pressed them to conclude a peace agreement for Liberia, for example. But what is most impressive is how pervasive such ac- tivism is, not only in the six places we studied but much more broadly. Not least of these achievements are the creation and building of sizable organizations that often are international in scope, are broadly inclusive within so- cieties across ethnic and religious lines, and are firmly dedicated to human security principles, including — but not limited to — the objectives of UNSCR 1325. Going Forward The U.S. government can move the agenda forward in a number of ways, not only by actions and words coming from the top, but by supporting local efforts around the world. Political pressure, particularly in countries that are recipients of U.S. assistance, should be consistently ap- plied. Leading by example — appointing high-level female en- voys who specifically promote 1325 values in peace processes —would further the cause of in- tegrating women into security matters as much as any single set of actions. Aid and other forms of assis- tance to the local organizations that are the most capable and in- volved will not only materially help them, but also send a strong signal of American support. In this, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other gov- ernment donors need to streamline their application pro- cedures to make the relatively small funds that can make a difference available to these groups, for whom the bu- reaucratic requirements of applying for funds are often a back-breaking burden. Perhaps most important, where the United States is in- volved in any phase of peace processes — negotiations, implementation of accords or post-conflict peacebuilding — it can insist on a higher representation of women, pro- tection of women in the often-violent aftermath of formal conflict, and the inclusion of gender perspectives on the provision of security, reconstruction, demobilization, and the other phases of bringing and enforcing peace. This re- quires the Foreign Service to make UNSCR 1325 com- mitments a priority, mainstreaming them through USAID and the multilateral agencies where U.S. influence is po- tent. Global leadership from the United States is essential to realizing the promise of the resolution. This is an area where U.S. diplomacy and insistence on high U.N. per- formance can make a real difference in achieving sus- tainable and just peace processes. The failure rate of peace accords and post-conflict mis- sions is truly alarming. The international community needs to rethink how these complex and costly endeavors are conceived, implemented, understood and maintained. Until 2000, with the passage of UNSCR 1325, the role of women and gender perspectives in achieving security was largely ignored. A decade on, the resolution’s ideas and practices remain underutilized. It’s high time to see the value for all of us in embracing and realizing this poten- tial. n F O C U S The Foreign Service needs to make UNSCR 1325 commitments a priority, mainstreaming them through USAID and the multilateral agencies where U.S. influence is potent.