Women and conflict

Abstract

Women have played, and continue to play, a variety of roles in contemporary armed conflict. They have also been disproportionately impacted by conflict, whether through sexual violence and other war crimes, forced displacement, the denial of basic services, or the breakdown in communal solidarity. This panel will discuss both how women are being affected by contemporary conflict, and how women might make a greater contribution to conflict resolution and peacebuilding. In so doing, it will discuss the impact of Security Council Resolution 1325, passed in the year 2000, which was the first to link women’s experiences of conflict to the international peace and security agenda. It will also reflect on the progress made in elevating women to strategic leadership roles in international and regional peace and security organisations.