Center for Gender and Peacebuilding

2012-2013 | National Peace Essay Contest
Gender, War and Peacebuilding
Each year USIP holds a National Peace Essay Contest (NPEC) for high school students based on the premise that questions about peace, justice, freedom, and security are vital to civic education. Each year over thousand students submit entries to the essay contest while thousands more participate in related writing and other classroom exercises in high schools around the country.

This year's essay contest highlights the importance of analyzing the role of gender in both understanding the impacts of war and the efforts to build peace. Learn more about the contest and application procedures for the USIP National Peace Essay Contest

July 2012 | Event
Peace Through Business Training Summit
In collaboration with the Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), USIP co-hosted a two-day training summit for women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda who participated in PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS. This international program provides meaningful business training and education as well as important mentoring for women business owners from post-conflict countries. Their last six weeks of the program is spent in the United States. With the understanding that economically stable societies have a much greater capacity for peace, USIP is active in supporting women in economic and peacebuilding activities. Learn more about USIP's Center for Sustainable Economies and IEEW’s PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS. 

July 2012 | Course
Pilot: Gender and Peacebuilding Course
This course provided participants with an introduction and overview of internationally recognized gender and peacebuilding issues and terms, frameworks, foundational principles, and practices. It addressed key questions like: How is conflict different for women and men? Why is “gender” not a synonym for women? How does the understanding of gender role expectations assist in the analysis of conflict resolution? Learn more about USIP's course on gender and peacebuilding.

June 2012 | Event
Expert Dialogue on Women and Peacebuilding
Afghan and Iraqi women leaders met in Istanbul to map out practical steps forward for women in their own transitional countries. This first-of-its-kind dialogue is breaking down mutual stereotypes between Afghan and Iraqi women. Together both groups of women leaders express their concerns about the negative trends for women in North Africa, and want to offer their lessons learned from years of conflict and transition. Learn more about the outcomes of USIP's expert dialogue on women and peacebuilding.

June 2012 | Publication
Sexual Violence and Justice in Postconflict Peru
Wartime sexual violence is rooted in preconflict inequalities and also perpetuates peacetime violence, as the case of Peru shows. Peru can begin to break this cycle of violence by treating rape in war as a crime against humanity.

June 2012 | Event
Women Leading Change in Transitioning Societies
The U.S. Institute of Peace, in collaboration with Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, explored the kinds of leadership that are most effective in societies undergoing upheaval and/or transition. Women leaders from Liberia, Pakistan, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Samoa and Mexico offered compelling accounts of their innovative leadership approaches in two sessions at USIP on June 5. These women, who have just been recognized as the 2012 honorees of the annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, are leading change in their transitioning societies through civil society, political activities, and private business.

May 2012 | Resource
Moving Forward with the Legal Empowerment of Women in Pakistan
There are a variety of contexts in which the empowerment of women in Pakistan can be considered, but none is more critical than law: How women’s legal rights are framed is fundamental to considering how best to advance women’s empowerment. After situating women’s legal rights in Pakistan, this Special Report reviews key features of recent legislation affecting women’s rights, explores the controversies surrounding this legislation, and elaborates on ongoing challenges to develop further legislation, particularly in light of opposition from Islamist groups.

May 2012 | Event
SAVING FACE - A Special Screening and Conversation with Oscar-Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
USIP hosted a special screening of the Oscar-winning documentary “Saving Face,” followed by a conversation with filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the documentary, and more broadly on the state of Pakistan’s women and how acid attack violence presents an opportunity for a greater role for women in addressing Pakistan’s challenges. Read how film shows the importance of confronting human rights abuses in Pakistan.

May 2012 | Event
Innovative Economic Partnerships with Women in Post-Conflict Transition
USIP’s Center for Gender and Peacebuilding, in collaboration with Kate Spade New York and Women for Women International, hosted a panel discussion to explore the impact of private business and civil society partnerships on women's empowerment in the post-conflict contexts of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Rwanda.

April 2012 | Event
Women, Peace and Technology
USIP’s senior program officer in the Rule of Law Center, Vivienne O’Connor, was invited by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson to deliver the keynote address at “Women, Technology, & Peacebuilding” conference in Dallas.  The theme of this year’s conference, organized by Congresswoman Johnson, was “Technology and Peacebuilding.” O’Connor discussed the USIP-sponsored International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL), a global, online community of practice comprised of some 1,900 rule of law practitioners from 80 countries and 300 organizations. Learn more about INPROL.

April 2012 | Event
Briefing with the Hope Fellows from Kosovo
The U.S. Institute of Peace hosted eight Hope Fellows from Kosovo to discuss their efforts for increasing the economic empowerment and political participation of women. The Hope Fellowship was established by the National Albanian American Council (NAAC) to strengthen the role of women in policy and decision-making in the Balkans.

April 2012 | Event
Roundtable with Pakistani Women Leaders
The U.S. Institute of Peace co-hosted a coaltion of Pakistani women leaders with the Institute for Inclusive Security to discuss women's role in security and stability in Pakistan, highlighting the challenges they face in confronting extremism and what reform efforts they have undertaken. The coalition also discussed extremism in the media, education, and the religious sector. Read more about this coalition of Pakistani women and their visit to USIP.

• Read an article by the Huffington Post on "Pakistani Women Unite to Battle Religious Extremism"
• NPR wrote "Pakistani Moms Keep Sons From Being Radicalized"
• Read a piece by The News on "Pakistani women peace delegation in USA"

April 2012 | Event
Meeting with Women Members of the Afghan High Peace Council
The U.S. Institute of Peace hosted two women members of the Afghan High Peace Council in an off-the-record conversation about the status of women in Afghanistan.

March 2012 | Event
Meeting Recipients of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award
The U.S. Institute of Peace hosted two recipients of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award in an off-the-record conversation to discuss their innovative efforts to empower women and change societal perceptions of the role of women in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

March 2012 | Resource
Lessons from Women’s Programs in Afghanistan and Iraq
Despite years of efforts aimed at expanding women’s rights and opportunities in Iraq and Afghanistan, women in these countries face major obstacles in consolidating post-conflict gains. Recognizing that women’s empowerment contributes significantly to peace and stability, USIP convened experts to assess what has been learned from women’s programming in Afghanistan and Iraq, and what are the best practices for the way forward. Special Report by Kathleen Kuehnast, Manal Omar, Steven E. Steiner, and Hodei Sultan.

March 2012 | Event
Who Owns the Syrian Revolution?
As the Syrian uprising enters its second year, uncertainty about the challenges confronting women and minorities looms especially large.  Women have played a critical role throughout the uprising, with activists like Suhair al-Attasi, Razan Zaitouneh, and others emerging as leaders of protest and resistance to the Assad regime.  Yet their contributions have often been overshadowed. Questions persist about whether women’s concerns and perspectives will be fully addressed, either in the current uprising or in a potential post-Assad Syria. How can Syrian women ensure that their voices are heard as the revolution unfolds and a new Syria takes shape?

February 2012 | Event
Women, Peace and Security in Afghanistan: Prospects on the Way Forward
The Embassy of Finland and USIP hosted a panel discussion titled "Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan: Prospects on the Way Forward." The discussion offered a timely follow-up to the International Afghanistan Conference held in Bonn in December 2011. The panelists representing the governments of Afghanistan, Finland and the United States, as well as Afghan civil society examined ways to better ensure an active role for women in the current peace processes and reconstruction efforts.

January 2012 | Event
Pakistani Peacemakers: The Challenges for Civil Society Actors
The U.S. Institute of Peace, in collaboration with the Institute of Inclusive Security, hosted a panel of experts to examine the ways in which diverse civil society actors, including youth and women, as well as the media, religion and business communities, confront real conflicts with collaborative problem-solving approaches.

January 2012 | Resource
Haitian Women: The Centerposts of Reconstructing Haiti
Despite years of efforts aimed at expanding women’s rightsSince Haiti’s devastating January 2010 earthquake, women have played a vital role in their country’s response to the catastrophe. This Peace Brief, by USIP's Robert Maguire, discusses the pivotal roles women are playing in matters of family, education, health, commerce and the economy, and agriculture.

December 2011 | Resource
Gender and Statebuilding in South Sudan
The report is based on field research in Juba in February 2011 as well as previous and follow-up research by the author. It examines the risks and opportunities associated with gender and state building in South Sudan, analyzes priorities that South Sudanese women interviewees identified, and recommends ways to make the new state responsive to and reflective of the needs of all South Sudanese women and men.

December 2011 | Event
Women Fighting for Peace in Iraq
The U.S. Institute of Peace facilitated a discussion that featured two women NGO leaders from Iraq whose USIP-supported projects enable them to promote positive participatory roles for women as peacebuilders and provide mechanisms and strategies to combat discrimination and violence against women in Iraq.

November 2011 | Event
Haiti: Reconstruction and the Role of Women
A panel of distinguished experts discussed the situation of women in Haiti and their role in reconstruction.  The event featured a delegation of women leaders from Haiti and an exhibition of photos taken by Haitian women depicting their lives in the tent cities around Port-au-Prince.

• View this exhibition of photos now!
• Watch the video recording of this event
• Read remarks by Danielle Saint-Lôt 

Fall 2011 | Events
Women and War Series
With depth and complexity, the upcoming PBS five-part series, Women, War & Peace highlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, and Colombia to Liberia. It places women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security and reframes our understanding of modern warfare. The series spearheaded by Executive Producers Abigail E. Disney, Pamela Hogan, and Gini Reticker, is a co-production of THIRTEEN and Fork Films in association with WNET and ITVS for broadcast on PBS.

• September 13, 2011 – Liberian Women Peacemakers, Panel Discussion and Film
  Location: Congressional Visitors Center Theater
  Time: 6:00 - 7:45pm

• October 5, 2011 – Dilemma of Peace for Afghanistan Women, Panel Discussion and Film
  Location: Congressional Visitors Center Theater
  Time: 6:00 - 8:00pm
• October 25, 2011 – Global Security: Through a Bosnian Lens with Amb. Swanee Hunt & Deputy Administrator Steinberg, Panel Discussion and Film
  Location: U.S. Institute of Peace
  Time: 3:00 - 5:30pm with reception to follow

July 2011 | Event
Informal Markets and Peacebuilding in North Korea
On July 19, USIP held a full day conference that explored how informal markets have been expanding in North Korea and what role women play in these markets, while highlighting transformations inside North Korea that have significant implications for the regime and the United States' policy on North Korea. A group of Seoul-based North Korean defectors spoke at the conference and shared their unique experiences and operational insights from conducting business within the informal markets.

June 2011 | Event
Second Annual Conference: Preventing Violent Conflict
For this second annual conference on conflict prevention, USIP brought together experts and policymakers to discuss challenges and opportunities for conflict prevention around the world. In one of the breakout sessions, policymakers discussed women and conflict, and why gender analysis is a critical tool for conflict prevention and early warning systems.

May 2011 | Event
Women and Entrepreneurship and Rebuilding War-torn Communities
Violent wars disrupt the social fabric of communities and impose severe limitations for women’s economic access during and after conflict. Nevertheless, women entrepreneurs in war-torn societies are reshaping the business landscape and stretching beyond the micro-lending niche. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), hosted a public event focused on women and their understudied yet significant entrepreneurial activities underway in conflict and post-conflict societies. | Watch videos from this event.

May 2011 | Event

Women & War Book Launch and Symposium
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), Peace Research Institute-Oslo (PRIO), and Royal Norwegian Embassy hosted a book launch and international symposium on the next decade of UNSCR 1325 on the afternoon of May 5th and all day on May 6th. The symposium further examined the issues of women and war, power and protection in the 21st century, and explored the implementation of gender-sensitive policies in defense, diplomacy, development, and the role of documentary film, media and the arts in this endeavor. | Watch videos from the Women & War Symposium.

Spring 2011 | Resource
Why Women’s Involvement in Peacebuilding Matters
For the world to move forward on security issues in an effective manner, women will need to play a greater role in the process. This is not just a moral issue or question of equality; it is a matter of effectiveness and efficiency. As things stand now, we are losing half of the world’s creative potential by not including women in all aspects of global problem-solving. When it comes to settling conflicts, we know that there are many more approaches than simply picking up a gun and threatening our enemy. There are countless examples of women who have intervened in conflicts, but most of their stories have never been recorded, and their efforts are not counted. Read the full Foreign Service Journal article.

Spring 2011 | Resource
Women and War
Book by Kathleen Kuehnast, Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, and Helga Hernes, editors. In light of U.N. Resolution 1325 (which calls for women’s active participation in promoting peace and security and for greater efforts to protect women victimized by violence during and after conflict), this volume takes stock of the current state of knowledge on women, peace and security issues. It examines efforts to increase women’s participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction strategies, as well as better interventions to protect women from wartime sexual violence.

March 2011 | Resource
Best way to make peace out of war? Women.
In today’s dangerous and conflict-stricken world, more needs to be done so that women are protected in conflict, but also engaged and counted in post-conflict resolution, especially peace building. Including women in peace negotiations  is not just an issue of fairness or equity, but also of effectiveness and efficacy. Excluding women from the rebuilding process jeopardizes a society’s post-conflict recovery. Published by the Christian Science Monitor on March 8, 2011.

February 2011 | Event
Female Soldiers and DDR: Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Colombia
How are the roles of "soldier" and "victim" defined by post-conflict programs? Most disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs are limited in the ways in which issues specific to female combatants are addressed. At this public event panelists examined the particular challenges faced by female ex-combatants in post-conflict environments, and ways in which reintegration agencies and post-conflict programs can integrate gender into their work. | Watch the video from this event.

January 2011 | Event
Mainstreaming Gender in the Military and Security Sector Reform: The Role of Civil Society
USIP in partnership with Partners for Democratic Change, co-hosted a public event on January 19th  highlighting the challenges faced by militaries in the 21st century with regards to the role of women in modern armed forces. Additionally, panelists discussed the role that civil society can play in security sector transformation, especially as it pertains to gender mainstreaming. | Watch videos of this event.

January 2011 | Resource
The Other Side of Gender: Including Masculinity Concerns in Conflict and Peacebuilding
The word gender is often used synonymously with reference to women. This limited approach overlooks the relational quality of gender and leaves out masculinity issues in analysis and research that can have important bearing on policy interventions.

January 2011 | Resource
Security After the Quake? Addressing Violence and Rape in Haiti
In the wake of Haiti’s disastrous earthquake, international organizations have begun to recognize gender-based violence as a significant area of concern, particularly within Port-au-Prince’s internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Grassroots organizations are working to reduce the incidence of gender-based violence and to establish local mechanisms for increasing security throughout Haiti’s tent encampments.

January 2011 | Resource
The Role of Women in Global Security
This report examines women’s roles in peacebuilding, postconflict reconstruction, and economic development. It draws on discussions at the conference on "The Role of  Women in Global Security," held in Copenhagen on October 29–30, 2010, and co-hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Denmark and the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

In partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Copenhagen, Denmark. Learn more about "The Role of Women in Global Security".

January 2011| Resource
UNSCR 1325 Tutorial
This tutorial provides a broad overview of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The tutorial draws on USIP’s public events, publications, and multimedia to provide concrete examples and incorporates links to outside resources for additional exploration into this topic. Read the Resolution 1325 Tutorial.

November 3-5, 2010 | Event
Women and War Conference
On November 3-5, 2010 the U.S. Institute of Peace and its partners hosted a three-day Women and War Conference focused on the varied experiences of women during wartime and how to make sustained progress toward international peace and security. The conference featured an extraordinary coalition of national and international participants, including U.N. and U.S. government officials, the international diplomatic communities, military personnel, academics, civil society leaders, and practitioners in the fields of security, development, and conflict resolution. | Watch videos of the Women and War Conference.

View the November 4 Photo Gallery full screen

Additional Information on UNSCR 1325 Strategies for Implementation 

See a comprehensive list of USIP’s gender related events and resources