Context and Background

Since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, women’s inclusion in peace and security processes has been formally recognized as a global priority. Resolution 1325 marked the beginning of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, which calls for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, post-conflict reconstruction, and political transitions.

Yet, despite global and regional commitments and the efforts of countless women peace builders and advocates, the number of women included in formal peace processes remains notably low.
Between 1991 and 2011, women constituted just 2% of chief mediators, 4% of signatories and witnesses, and 9% of official negotiators. In 2022, their representation in UN-led peace processes fell to 16%, down from 23% in 2020.

In some of the most high-profile negotiations of the last decade, women were entirely absent from official delegations. Only one of the eighteen peace agreements signed in 2022 included a woman as signatory, and just a third included provisions addressing the rights and needs of women and girls.

This is not only a failure of representation; it is a failure of effectiveness. It is time to stop treating inclusion as a gesture and start treating it as a core strategy. The exclusion of women is a structural problem, and it demands a structural solution. We must go beyond merely giving women a seat at the table and begin redesigning the table itself. This means creating processes where women can participate meaningfully and influence decisions, from the early stages of negotiation to the long arc of implementation. The future of peace may depend on it.

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What to expect

This roundtable is a starting point. A space to share demands and shape new negotiation strategies in a male-dominated environment. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the roundtable offers a confidential space to reflect, connect, and shape a shared framework for future peace and conflict negotiations. Grounded in the dynamics of assertive and direct negotiation, we will:

• Explore increasing women’s impact in peace and security negotiation
• Co-create realistic solutions and concrete demands
• Share leadership experiences from diplomacy, business, and peacebuilding
• Explore how women navigate conflict by taking ownership, leveraging emotional intelligence, and leading with clarity
• Discuss strategic principles for women negotiating with men across sectors
• Shape a new, inclusive model of negotiation – one that reflects the realities and demands of today’s world

This is not a panel. It’s a conversation – intentional, strategic, and designed to move forward, together.

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Outcomes

Develop a shared framework for the process of future negotiations.

• Apply an assertive and direct negotiation approach.
• Draft a compelling post-event manifesto to articulate the community’s shared vision and values, serving as a tool for ongoing     engagement and outreach.
• Creation of cross-fertilization of opportunity & strengthen alliances among Geneva-based and global actors working at the     intersection of gender and peace, as well as public and private sectors.