(En)gendering the Negotiation Table: Investigating the Determinants of Women's Substantive Inclusion in Formal Peace Processes Open Access
Carroll, Lucy (Spring 2024)
Abstract
In 2000, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), formally acknowledging the indispensable role of women’s full and equal participation in conflict resolution, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and in post-conflict reconstruction. While policy reports have consistently integrated recommendations aligned with the tenets outlined in UNSCR 1325, recent scholarly endeavors have aimed to empirically assess the impacts of women's presence at negotiation tables. Despite this progression, there remains a gap in understanding the determinants of substantive, or meaningful, inclusion of women in Track 1 peace processes, wherein their voices significantly influence outcomes. This study addresses this gap by assessing variation in women's substantive inclusion in formal peace negotiations and testing potential determinants of this outcome. By investigating why substantive inclusion occurs in some cases but not others, this research aims to inform policy recommendations on inclusive peace and security efforts. Recognizing the complexity of measuring substantive inclusion, this thesis offers a novel operationalization and coding process to categorize different levels of substantive inclusion, labeled “hollow inclusion,” “symbolic inclusion,” and “substantive inclusion,” thereby refining existing definitions of the concept. Additionally, it quantitatively and qualitatively tests mechanisms essential for women's meaningful inclusion, including the capacity of women’s civil society networks, women’s political participation, and the presence of U.N. bodies in peace processes.
My findings across methods reveal a positive correlation between the presence of U.N. bodies and women's substantive inclusion in peace negotiations, which I argue might be attributed to increased international focus and targeted support for meaningful inclusion. While the relationship between women's political and civil society participation and substantive inclusion shows mixed results, my case study analyses suggest a pattern of synergistic interactions between women’s civil society organizations and UN bodies operating together to ensure women’s substantive inclusion into formal negotiations. Overall, this study contributes methodologically by refining the operationalization of substantive inclusion and empirically by uncovering insights into the factors driving women's meaningful participation in formal peace negotiations.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORY
Track 1 And Track 2
Women’s Impact On Formal Peace Processes
Understanding Inclusion
Civil Society And The Inclusion-Effectivness Dilemma
Measuring Substantive Inclusion
International Intervention And Third Parties In Mediation
Women’s Political Participation
RESEARCH DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE
Operationalizing Substantive Inclusion
Summary of Partial Correlation Test Results:
Summary of Regression Results:
Discussion of Findings:
RESEARCH DESIGN: QUALITATIVE
Comparative Analysis and Case Selection
Case Study 1: Libya, The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (2020)
Background
Coordinating a Critical Mass: The LWPP and Women Political Activists
Symbolic or Substantive: The Role of UNSMIL during the LPDF
A Milestone for Inclusion? The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum
Case Study 2: Israel And Palestine, The Madrid Peace Conference (1991)
Background:
Ashrawi’s Roots: Palestinian Women from the First Intifada to Madrid
Diplomacy on Unequal Grounds
The Madrid Peace Conference: Inclusion or Exception?
Case Study 3: Burundi, Arusha Peace And Reconciliation Agreement (2000)
Background
Burundi Women Building Grassroots Momentum
A “Turning Point:” UNIFEM and The All-Party Burundi Women’s Conference
The Arusha Process: A Step Towards Inclusive Peace?
CROSS-CASE EXAMINATION:
CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS:
References
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