Introduction
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) remains a pervasive issue in post-conflict societies, where the breakdown of social structures and the legacies of war exacerbate vulnerabilities, particularly for women and girls. The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, initiated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, provides a critical framework for addressing these challenges by prioritising women’s participation in peacebuilding and protection from violence. This essay proposes a policy to combat SGBV in post-conflict contexts, drawing on the principles of the WPS agenda. It outlines strategies for prevention, protection, and prosecution, suggests methods for monitoring and evaluation, and discusses mechanisms to ensure women’s active involvement in decision-making processes. By integrating global best practices and context-specific approaches, the policy aims to foster sustainable peace while addressing the root causes and consequences of SGBV.
Policy Framework: Core Strategies Reflecting the WPS Agenda
The proposed policy is structured around three core strategies aligned with the WPS agenda’s pillars of participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery. First, prevention focuses on addressing the structural inequalities that perpetuate SGBV. This includes educational campaigns to challenge gender norms and stereotypes that normalise violence, as well as economic empowerment programmes to reduce women’s dependency on potentially abusive environments. For instance, in Rwanda post-1994 genocide, community-based initiatives have successfully engaged men and boys in anti-violence education, reducing rates of domestic abuse (Debusscher and Ansoms, 2013).
Second, protection involves establishing safe spaces and legal mechanisms to shield survivors from further harm. Safe houses and mobile health clinics, staffed by trained personnel sensitive to gender issues, are essential in post-conflict zones where infrastructure is often destroyed. Furthermore, aligning with the WPS agenda’s protection pillar, the policy advocates for the integration of gender-sensitive training for peacekeeping forces to ensure they are equipped to respond to SGBV incidents effectively. The deployment of female peacekeepers, as seen in Liberia, has been shown to increase reporting of SGBV by creating a more approachable presence (Karim and Beardsley, 2016).
Third, prosecution and accountability are critical to breaking cycles of impunity. The policy proposes the establishment of specialised courts or tribunals to handle SGBV cases, ensuring survivors have access to justice without fear of stigma or retaliation. Drawing from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which prosecuted sexual violence as a crime against humanity, hybrid legal systems combining international and local frameworks can be effective in post-conflict settings (Nowrojee, 2005). These strategies collectively aim to address both immediate needs and systemic issues, embodying the WPS agenda’s holistic approach.
Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms
To ensure the policy’s effectiveness, robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms are essential. A mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data, will be employed to assess outcomes. Quantitative indicators include the number of reported SGBV cases, conviction rates in specialised courts, and the percentage of women accessing safe spaces or economic programmes. These metrics provide a measurable baseline to track progress over time. For instance, a decline in reported cases might indicate either successful prevention or underreporting, necessitating further investigation.
Qualitative methods, such as focus group discussions and survivor testimonies, will capture the lived experiences of those affected by SGBV, offering deeper insight into the policy’s impact on community attitudes and survivor empowerment. Independent evaluations by international bodies, such as UN Women, can provide an objective perspective, ensuring accountability. Regular reporting—quarterly at the local level and annually at the national level—will facilitate timely adjustments to the policy. Importantly, M&E processes must involve local women’s organisations to ensure that data collection and analysis reflect community-specific realities (True, 2012). While these mechanisms are resource-intensive, they are crucial for identifying gaps and scaling successful interventions.
Ensuring Women’s Active Involvement in Decision-Making
Central to the WPS agenda is the principle of participation, which underscores the need for women to be active decision-makers in policies that affect them. This policy proposes mandatory quotas for women’s representation in all policy design, implementation, and evaluation committees, ensuring at least 40% female participation to foster meaningful input rather than tokenism. Indeed, evidence from post-conflict settings like Sierra Leone demonstrates that women’s involvement in peace processes leads to more inclusive and sustainable outcomes (Porter, 2007).
Additionally, the policy will establish community-based women’s councils to act as consultative bodies, providing a platform for grassroots voices to influence national strategies. These councils will receive capacity-building training to enhance women’s skills in advocacy and leadership, addressing historical barriers to participation such as lack of education or cultural norms. Partnerships with local and international NGOs will facilitate these initiatives, ensuring resources and expertise are available. However, challenges remain, as entrenched patriarchal attitudes may resist women’s inclusion, necessitating long-term cultural change efforts alongside immediate structural reforms.
Moreover, women’s involvement must extend to M&E processes. By training women as data collectors and analysts, the policy not only builds local capacity but also ensures that gender-specific concerns are prioritised in assessments. This participatory approach aligns with the WPS agenda’s emphasis on empowerment and counters the risk of policy being designed paternalistically, without regard for those it aims to serve (Gibbings, 2011).
Challenges and Limitations
While the proposed policy is comprehensive, several challenges must be acknowledged. Resource constraints in post-conflict societies often limit the implementation of ambitious programmes, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is weakest. Additionally, cultural resistance to gender equality initiatives may undermine prevention and participation efforts, requiring sustained dialogue with traditional leaders. The risk of underreporting SGBV also complicates M&E, as stigma or fear of reprisal may suppress data. These limitations highlight the need for flexibility and context-specific adaptations, as well as international support to bridge funding gaps. Despite these hurdles, the policy’s alignment with the WPS agenda provides a strong foundation for incremental progress.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay has outlined a policy to address SGBV in post-conflict societies, grounded in the principles of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. Through strategies focused on prevention, protection, and prosecution, the policy tackles both the symptoms and root causes of violence. Robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, ensure accountability and adaptability. Crucially, by mandating women’s participation at every stage—from design to evaluation—the policy upholds the WPS commitment to empowerment and inclusion. While challenges such as resource limitations and cultural barriers persist, the proposed framework offers a practical starting point for fostering safer, more equitable post-conflict societies. Future efforts should focus on securing sustained funding and fostering partnerships to scale successful interventions, ensuring that the fight against SGBV remains a priority in peacebuilding agendas.
References
- Debusscher, P. and Ansoms, A. (2013) Gender Equality Policies in Rwanda: Public Relations or Real Transformations? Development and Change, 44(5), pp. 1111-1134.
- Gibbings, S. L. (2011) No Angry Women at the United Nations: Political Dreams and the Cultural Politics of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 13(4), pp. 522-538.
- Karim, S. and Beardsley, K. (2016) Explaining Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peacekeeping Missions: The Role of Female Peacekeepers and Gender Equality in Contributing Countries. Journal of Peace Research, 53(1), pp. 100-115.
- Nowrojee, B. (2005) Making the Invisible War Crime Visible: Post-Conflict Justice for Sierra Leone’s Rape Victims. Harvard Human Rights Journal, 18, pp. 85-105.
- Porter, E. (2007) Peacebuilding: Women in International Perspective. Routledge.
- True, J. (2012) The Political Economy of Violence Against Women. Oxford University Press.
