Inside Geneva: Where Are Women's Voices in Peace Talks?

Host: Imogen Folks
Produced by: SWI swissinfo.ch
Release Date: March 18, 2025

Introduction

In the March 18, 2025 episode of Inside Geneva, host Imogen Folks delves into the crucial yet often overlooked role of women in peace talks, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention. Situated in the radio studio across from Switzerland's parliament, this episode commemorates International Women's Day by spotlighting the intersection of gender and security. Imogen engages with a panel of female experts to explore the barriers women face in peace negotiations and the transformative impact they can have when included.

Defining Women's Roles in Peace Processes

Deborah Schebler of Peace Women Across the Globe emphasizes the pervasive yet underrecognized involvement of women in peacebuilding efforts worldwide. She states:

“Women in peace and women in peace processes is actually a daily business... their contribution they are actually doing to peace is really recognized.”
[04:49]

Mahid Aslan, head of the specialist unit Women in the Swiss Armed Forces and Diversity, adds that women's participation in peacekeeping roles enriches negotiations:

“The contribution of women, even as peacekeepers, is a game changer... negotiations during this phase of rebuilding trust is much easier when there are mixed teams or women teams.”
[05:12]

Challenges to Women's Inclusion in Peace Talks

Despite their vital contributions, women frequently encounter significant obstacles in formal peace negotiations:

Mahid Aslan recounts the example of Sudanese women who, despite not being invited, attended peace talks in Geneva:

“A delegation of 15 Sudanese women... used that opportunity to lobby... and have managed that now there is a group established that will include women's and civil society's demands for future talks.”
[07:19]

Deborah Schebler critiques the superficial use of the term "peace," arguing that merely ceasing fire does not equate to genuine peace:

“Whenever these men use the word peace in order to say ceasefire, stop the guns. This is not peace.”
[15:30]

Impact of Exclusion: Beyond Ceasefires

Excluding women from peace processes leads to incomplete and unsustainable peace agreements:

Leandra Baez highlights that without addressing human rights and gender equality, ceasefires are fragile:

“We are not talking about justice for the 13,000 disappeared children... unless we include the protection of human rights in this conversation.”
[10:35]

Mahid Aslan warns that excluding women results in neglecting critical aspects of peace agreements, such as the protection of hospitals and schools:

“If armed forces are negotiating a ceasefire without women, they will forget to include that armed forces have to also not occupy anymore, for example, the hospitals and the schools.”
[25:58]

Systemic Barriers: Patriarchy and Power Dynamics

The rooted patriarchal structures within nation-states hinder the inclusion of women in peace processes:

Leandra Baez discusses how patriarchy exploits both male and female bodies, making it difficult to integrate women's perspectives:

“Nation states are built from a patriarchal root... it doesn't even cross their mind that politics and violence and resolutions is something that could involve women's perspectives.”
[19:55]

Deborah Schebler notes that peace negotiations often focus on short-term ceasefires rather than comprehensive peace, sidelining women's roles:

“Peace negotiations do no longer or they're faltering in thinking about comprehensive peace agreements... building peace.”
[22:18]

Positive Examples and Solutions

Despite the challenges, there are inspiring instances where women's involvement has led to more durable peace agreements:

Mahid Aslan cites the 2016 Colombian peace agreement as a model for incorporating gender provisions and diverse negotiators:

“The Colombian peace agreement... has many very interesting facets to it... how diverse also the various negotiators were and the civil society behind it.”
[33:54]

Leandra Baez emphasizes the importance of feminist movements in addressing imperial violence and promoting democratic reforms:

“Feminist movements taking up the light on imperial violence... is the small hope I am attaching to.”
[34:27]

Deborah Schebler underscores the resilience and resourcefulness of women working for peace, advocating for allyship and support:

“Women networks get together and be able to be solidary... create the soil for the agency of these women to create the support.”
[36:29]

Conclusion and Final Remarks

The episode concludes on an optimistic note, highlighting the ongoing efforts of women in peacebuilding and the necessity of broader support:

Deborah Schebler shares her hope rooted in women's solidarity and networks:

“We take our motivation on a daily basis from them... support these networks by saying... create the soil for the agency of these women.”
[37:41]

Host Imogen Folks encapsulates the discussion by acknowledging the critical need for women's voices in peace processes and encouraging listeners to advocate for their inclusion.

Key Takeaways

• Inclusion Matters: Women's participation in peace talks leads to more comprehensive and sustainable peace agreements.
• Systemic Barriers: Patriarchal structures and power dynamics continue to exclude women from formal negotiations.
• Positive Impact: Instances like the Colombian peace agreement demonstrate the benefits of gender-inclusive processes.
• Collective Effort: Allyship and support from broader society are essential to overcoming obstacles and amplifying women's voices in peacebuilding.

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