To create lasting peace, we need women’s voices. From conflict prevention and conflict resolution to reconciliation and economic recovery post-conflict, women’s meaningful participation in peace processes increases the likelihood that an agreement will last longer than 15 years by as much as 35 percent.
But women’s participation in peace processes goes beyond just representation and quotas. Meaningful participation means that women are at the table when negotiations are taking place, women’s interests and lived experiences are fully reflected in peace processes, and that women are equally considered in recovery efforts in the aftermath in conflict.
This year on 25 October, the UN Security Council convenes its annual Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security. This year’s theme “Promoting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Sustaining Peace through Women’s Political and Economic Empowerment” aims to prioritize these issues on the global agenda.
UN Women and partners will also organize a host of high-level events on the margins of the Open Debate in New York.