Constitution-reform processes provide states and citizens a rare opportunity to define a new vision for a country. They can chart a route out of conflict toward a more equitable and just society. But this bright horizon is too often unrealized, hampered by the fact that women make up only 19 percent of constituent assemblies in countries […]
At the 2018 Academy Awards, Oscar winner Frances McDormand explained in two words how movies can be more diverse: inclusion riders. These contractual provisions allow film industry leaders to demand a more representative cast and crew. This approach is one worth considering well outside of Hollywood—including in the context of ending war and building peace. […]
Another chemical weapons attack in Syria, a caravan of Central American migrants fleeing conflict — these stories not only dominate our news, but also reinforce existing American perceptions that conflict happens abroad, not here at home. Thanks to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Act, which Congress passed in October of last year, the United States is […]
By Nanako Tamaru Women’s participation in peace and security processes is vital for lasting peace. This message has been echoed again and again by the international community and expressed through UN Security Council Resolutions, the Sustainable Development Goals, and countless other declarations and strategic plans. Yet, despite this global consensus, women have remained marginalized in […]
A number of years ago, Ambassador Swanee Hunt was invited to speak at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda. The topic was women building peace in Africa, and women from all over the continent attended. She was invited to speak at the time about her involvement in the women’s movement here in the United States. “I […]
In 1994, Rwanda lost a huge portion of its male population when the ruling Hutu government murdered 500,000 to 1 million of its citizens, including an estimated 77 percent of the Tutsi population. The genocide left an enormous void, widened by the number of Rwandans who had fled or been imprisoned — and women stepped up […]
When social norms are upended by violence—including relations between women and men—constitution reform presents an opportunity to transform power dynamics in a society. Rewriting a country’s constitution is a frequent step on the path toward peace, and is a particularly important entry point for women to address their historic marginalization and have a say in […]
With International Women’s Day approaching on March 8th, it’s fitting to take note of one of the few hopeful moments in American politics this past year: The enactment of the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017 was a quiet bipartisan landmark, the culmination of more than two decades of relentless advocacy to involve women in decisions […]
Even as fighting rages in Eastern Ghouta, Syrians on different sides of the conflict are trying to come together to write a new constitution. The vast majority of those involved in these negotiations are men. But fresh research tells us why their chances of success will be far greater if the drafting process includes Syria’s […]
In the years after Rwanda’s genocide, how did women come to make up a large portion of the nation’s parliament? Author and activist Swanee Hunt says their women’s movement grew out of necessity. Hunt, a former ambassador and founding director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School, gives her Brief but […]
