Women’s Inputs into Peacemaking and Peacebuilding Processes

Abstract

The ceasefire agreement signed in August 2006 between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army ended two decades of armed conflict. The efforts of many actors contributed to bringing fighting in northern Uganda to a close. The role of women in conflict resolution is often not publicly recognised or acknowledged, but in northern Uganda women have been important actors in peacemaking as well as peacebuilding processes. They have done so by organizing themselves into a civic force and assuming roles as advocates, negotiators and, most importantly, community peacemakers and peacebuilders. Remarkable contributions made by women to the peace process were during the stalemated Juba peace talks, when they arrived and presented the Peace Torch to representatives in the conflict, who on the occasion shook hands for the first time. Many informal peacebuilding initiatives were created by women that significantly responded to the problems of resettlement and reintegration of ex-combatants and children returning from captivity. This created an enabling environment for sustainable peace at the grass-roots level. Their initiatives and non-violent actions offer lessons for everyone trying to resolve civil conflicts in Africa.