1325: Women Count for Peace

Published: Monday, December 09, 2013

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) which focuses on Women, Peace and Security was adopted in 2000 after the Security Council heard the experiences and perspectives of women from conflict zones for the first time in a Security Council Open Session, after months of lobbying by women’s groups from around the world.

The women outlined their needs under the following thematic headings: the prevention of conflict; the protection of women and girls from gender based violence (GBV); the participation of women in leadership and decision-making roles, in particular women’s involvement in peace negotiations and agreements; and gender perspectives to be included in peace support operations and the implementation of programmes by the United Nations, CSOs and other peace building institutions.

This ground breaking resolution represents the first time the United Nations Security Council has officially endorsed the inclusion and active participation of civil society groups, notably women, in peace processes and peace talks. It calls for an end to impunity for conflict-related violence against women. Since the adoption of UNSCR 1325 in 2000, three further resolutions on women, peace and security have been passed, namely UNSCR 1820 (2008), UNSCR 1888 (2009) and UNSCR 1889 (2009). Resolution 1325 is rooted in the premise that women’s inclusion – their presence and participation in peace processes, their perspectives, and their contribution to the substance of talks – will improve the chance of attaining viable and sustainable peace.

The report can be viewed here