Can women make the world more peaceful?

By Paulino Akoon Yel Dut

A genuine comprehensive analysis shows that involving women in peacebuilding increases the probability that violence will end in an easy manner. Hence we should thank God for giving us a decisive woman famously Hon Ajok Wol Atak who had taken her time and collecting youth from SSUF/A in order to the presidential amnesty and join the revitalized peace agreement.

I congratulate her for positive results and I appreciated the youth for answering her calls. What is much known about the victimisation like trafficking, but much is yet to be discovered about how women can be empowered in conflict settings to bridge the gap towards peace. I recently conducted research analysing female peacemaking in South Sudan and found that Hon Ajok Wol Atak Diing does hold a significant role in the internal peace process. However, this role is not always long-term, unless gender equality is institutionalised through quotas. A better understanding of how Hon Ajok Wol can transform conflict situations, and how to create space for them to do so, will be vital for the youth and other concerned future youth in the coming years.

The needs of women have not always been a focal point in conflict management and post-conflict reconstruction. Women have the potential to play a critical role in the peacebuilding process, as they use and manage land and other natural resources while meeting water, food and energy needs in households and communities. From this resolution, activists, academics, and policymakers began to address the specific “burden of war” women carry and how the international community could protect and empower them. Congratulation to the government of the Republic of South Sudan under capable president H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit for considering 25% in the country. Delegating Hon Ajok Wol to collects youth from SSUF/A and bring them back to the nation. It wasn’t simple to convince rebels and follows her. It was a brilliant contribution done by her (peace lover mother).

The recommendation for female leadership in the internal peace process gathered greater force after success stories of SSUF/A’s peace activism conducted in Khartoum, Sudan. It was conducted between her and rest for the purpose of bringing back sons to South Sudan. It was very magnificent work done by her and the government loyalists. Which is unforgettable in the history of the Republic of South country.

Advocates for greater female representation say that women are essential because they bring a more comprehensive peace plan to the negotiating table by addressing societal needs rather than solely focusing on what will make the warring parties happy. However, from my analysis of South Sudan internal Peace Agreements, a couple of key challenges emerged that determine the extent to which women are able to help the peace process. The results demonstrated that women do have a positive and significant impact on peace, as encouraging their participation increases the probability of violence ending within a year.

While these results do show the precedence of women in the peace process, it is the reconstruction process after the conflict that can be the most critical indicator of long-term peace. Institutionalising gender equality by ensuring female participation in the implementation of a peace plan and establishing gender electoral quotas can significantly increase the likelihood of peace lasting. For instance, implementing gender quotas for national legislatures could increase the probability of violence ending within a short period of time. These long-term policies empowering women to move past victimisation and into leadership positions can provide the keys to establishing a more peaceful society over time.

While quota policies requiring a certain number of women in peace processes can seemingly create stronger agreements, special attention needs to focus on the qualities of female participants that are truly pushing towards conflict resolution. At this point, female representation has often been regarded as a requirement to check off the long list of peace agreement measures. This focus on quantity rather than the quality of representation has been criticised by women’s groups, especially in policy development in the world. Current cases like South Sudan illustrate how local women desperately want to become more involved in the peace process but are sidelined by the warring parties. How might South Sudan’s recent recurrence to violence be resolved if women are granted greater access to the negotiating table and a developing peace plan? Identifying these barriers will be critical for increasing the participation of women in peacemaking and therefore increasing the probability of lasting peace.

The writer is Clinical Officer and Brig. General from SSUF/A Peace Wing living in Juba South Sudan. He can be reached [email protected].