Women’s Recognition in Peacebuilding: Implementing Security Council Resolution 1325 in South Sudan

Abstract

The signing of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” in October 2000, marked the first time in the UN history that women’s role in maintaining peace and security was recognized by the Council. The resolution has been described as the most significant political success of women peace activists and a mile stone in women’s peace work. However, critics maintain that the talk of assuring women’s participation in peacebuilding most often remains political rhetoric with little impact on mainstream work. This study seeks to explore the gap between the rhetoric and the reality on the ground by looking at the implementation of SCR 1325 in regards to women’s participation in peacebuilding as well as to increase the understanding of why women are excluded in the peacebuilding process in South Sudan. To understand the prevailing challenges to include women in peacebuilding, this study looks on one hand at the critique on a policy level and on the other hand at the circumstances under which women live and work in South Sudan. South Sudan, a post-conflict country which gained independence on 9th of July 2011, has several challenges standing in the way of a realization of the message in the resolution. This research indentified five areas of concern including ‘political will to implement SCR 1325’, ‘gendered roles’, ‘awareness of SCR 1325’, ‘cultural and structural obstacles’ and ‘recognition of women in peacebuilding’. The study concludes on recommendations including using a comprehensive approach and adjusting efforts to implement SCR 1325 to South Sudan’s specific conditions. The message of SCR 1325 otherwise runs the risk of remaining political rhetoric without any sustainable impact on the society to the great loss of both South Sudanese women in particular and the country at large.