L’ESSENTIEL I LO IMPORTANTE WHAT MATTERS
There is Something Missing from the African Peace Process: Women NANCY KAYMAR STAFFORD
Malgré quelques femmes notables chefs d’État et de gouvernement, le besoin de plus de femmes dans le leadership en Afrique demeure. S’il est un domaine dans lequel l’implication des femmes reste déficiente c’est celui des négociations pour les processus de paix sur le continent. Cet article explore ce sujet à la lumière des conventions pertinentes et exhorte à ce que l’implication des femmes dans les processus de paix devienne une réalité immédiate et non une aspiration à long terme.
A pesar de que en África algunas mujeres se destacan como
jefas de estado y de gobierno, la necesidad de incrementar la presencia de las mujeres en puestos de liderazgo sigue existiendo. Uno de los ámbitos en el que la participación de las mujeres sigue siendo especialmente deficiente en el continente es en las negociaciones de procesos de paz. Este artículo explora este tema a la luz de las convenciones aplicables e insta a que la presencia de las mujeres en este tipo procesos se convierta en una realidad inmediata y no en una aspiración a largo plazo.
The masculine narrative has guided the development of the African continent. From the colonialization of Africa by Europeans in the 15th century through the independence of African nations in the mid-20th century, men have dominated the political, social, and economic discourse and decision making. Despite women achieving a handful of presidencies on the African continent,1 an historical social construct that favors males, based on the assumption that they are superior or inherent leaders, leaves little room for women at the table. However, leadership at the top level is not enough. There is a need for women across the spectrum of decision-making. According to noted national security expert Joan Johnson-Freese, “there’s a 20 per cent increase in the
1. See, e.g., Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia (2018-present), Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, Prime minister of Gabon (2020-present), Dogbé Tomegah, Prime Minister of Togo (2020-present), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006-2018), Joyce Hilda Banda, President of Malawi (2012-2014), Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (2015-2018).
12 ❘ JURISTE INTERNATIONAL ❘ 3 2021 ■
probability of a peace agreement lasting at least two years and a 35 percent increase in the probability of that peace agreement lasting 15 years if women are at the negotiating table”.2 Notwithstanding this, there continues to be a dearth of women present during peacemaking and peacekeeping activities. This is especially true when we are speaking about peace processes in Africa. The United Nations (UN) and other regional and international organizations have been unable to rectify this situation. There are two reasons for this. First, it is not a real priority on the international agenda, despite all the postulating and platitudes surrounding the issue. Second, the efforts to address bringing women to the table have been mired by using a “kitchen sink” approach. That is, trying to solve all issues related to women, peace, and security in the same effort. This is no longer acceptable. The status quo of men as the leaders of peace prevention, peacemaking, and peacekeeping must be abolished. The pace of change has been too slow. It has been 20 years since UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (on women, peace, and security) was passed, and the needle has barely moved. The status quo is simply not acceptable.
African Women in Leadership Prior to colonialism, many African women had leadership roles in their communities. They may not have had the ultimate power in a village, but they were important members of the family unit and the society. This may be traced to tribal traditions. Regardless of their precolonialism societal roles or political activities, women’s abilities were usually ignored by the colonial authorities, who turned to the men when establishing local government and leadership posts. During colonialism, women worked in subsistence farming, while men engaged in wage labor or worked in the cash crop sector. Thus, the genders experienced colonialism differently, with the men obtaining a greater ability for economic advancement. This discrimination against women
2. Bhardwaj, Gitika and Joan Johnson-Freese, “20 Years Promoting Women in Peace and Security”, Chatham House, 6 March 2020, available at: https://chathamhouse.org/2020/03/20-years-promoting-womenpeace-and-security (viewed 1 December 2020).
