FROM GLOBAL PROMISE TO NATIONAL ACTION Advancing Women, Peace, and Security in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone Alexandra Amling & Marie O’Reilly FROM GLOBAL PROMISE TO NATIONAL ACTION Advancing Women, Peace, and Security in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone Lead Authors Alexandra Amling, Researcher on Women, Peace and Security, OEF Research Marie O’Reilly, Director of Research, Inclusive Security oefresearch.org inclusivesecurity.org OEF Research is a program of the One Earth Future Foundation. www.oneearthfuture.org http://dx.doi.org/10.18289/OEF.2016.010 Cover Images, clockwise from top left: Global Conversation on a post-2015 SDG Agenda in the DRC, photo by UNDP, Flickr. Professor Miriam Colonel Ferrer signs peace treaty between Philippine Government and MILF, photo by Presidential Photo Division via Getty Images. Billboard in Belgrade, photo by Alexandra Amling. Women gather at the YWCA in Freetown, photo by Alexandra Amling. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Contributing Authors: Emmicki Roos, Executive Director, 1325 Policy Group Brittany Persinger, Knowledge Management Associate, Inclusive Security Kelsey Coolidge, Research Assistant, OEF Research Design and Layout: Andrea Kuenker of One Earth Future Foundation The authors extend special thanks to Conor Seyle and Miki Jacević for their support and guidance throughout this project. We are particularly grateful to Anne-Marie Goetz for her thorough review of the report and constructive suggestions. We would also like to thank Marija Babović, Maja Bjeloš, Cecilia Dalupan, Odette Disu Mawete, Annie Matundu-Mbambi, Rosaline Mcarthy, Scheherazaide Pahm, Timo Mueller, Sonja Stojanović Gajić, Irene Santiago, and Tracie Ware for their extensive assistance during field trips in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone. Finally, we are grateful to the interviewees who took the time to share their insights and experiences with us, without whom this report would not have been possible. This study and report was supported by the One Earth Future Foundation and Inclusive Security. The views represented in this report represent those of the authors and not necessarily those of Inclusive Security or One Earth Future Foundation. © 2016 One Earth Future Foundation and Inclusive Security. From Global Promise to National Action | i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since 2010, conflict and displacement around the globe Resolution 1325 and is particularly significant in the aftermath have increased. Unlike traditional conflicts typified by of conflict, when there is a need to build trust between citizens inter-state military confrontations, today’s hybrid wars and the state and to increase communication around peace increasingly threaten civilians, and state-centric approaches and security issues. In particular, the involvement of civil to peacemaking frequently fall short. As new evidence links society organizations as intermediaries between citizens and women’s participation in a variety of peace and security political elites allows for increased participation by women, processes with greater likelihood of successful outcomes, who often face greater barriers to entry in other intermediary international frameworks for more inclusive approaches to structures such as political parties. building peace have advanced significantly. Less understood, however, is the role of more recent national initiatives in Despite these achievements during the development phase, making these global aspirations a reality. there were significant obstacles to implementation of the NAPs in each case. Structural gender discrimination consistently The number of countries creating national strategies to prevented states from meeting the objectives of their plans. advance women’s participation in peace and security NAPs were not flexible enough to adapt to new peace and processes has tripled from 18 to more than 60 since 2010. security challenges that emerged, such as Ebola in Sierra National action plans for implementing United Nations Leone or election-related violence in the Democratic Republic Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and of Congo. Those implementing the NAPs also frequently failed security were conceived to address the gap between to get beyond the national level to address provincial and prescriptive international frameworks and domestic realities. municipal priorities, or draw on local-level change-makers. In Nationally designed and owned, they reflect each country’s fact, in the implementation phase, all of the countries struggled particular security needs and priorities for peace. But how are with the key components associated with “high-impact” NAPs: they developed in practice, and what impact do they have? political will, coordination, financial support, and monitoring and evaluation of the results. This report explores these questions in four diverse conflict- affected and post-conflict contexts, with a particular focus on These obstacles are significant but not insurmountable. As the ways in which these plans influence collaboration between countries revise and renew their NAPs, and new countries the state and civil society. seek to create them, this report offers a number of avenues for advancing progress and deepening impact: The Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone all created national action plans (NAPs) in 2010 for 1. Address structural barriers to women’s participation in implementing Resolution 1325. They took distinct approaches peace and security processes in many ways, often related to their varied peace and security challenges, levels of gender equality, and geographic and 2. Create flexible plans that can adapt to new security socioeconomic status. Nonetheless, the commonalities that threats emerged across these cases, as well as particular insights from each, offer valuable lessons for those seeking to create or 3. Localize plans to address diverse priorities for peace strengthen NAPs in various contexts around the world. 4. Establish accurate cost estimates, and identify and In each country, the national action plan filled a gap in allocate sufficient funding in the NAP’s development domestic policy relating to women, peace, and security, phase and raised awareness of these issues among a variety of actors who design, influence, or implement peace and 5. Strengthen political will and coordination for security policies. In fact, the creation of each plan involved implementation a broadly inclusive process that drew input from a variety of government ministries, security sector actors, and civil society organizations. Interviewees consistently reported that this 6. Monitor, evaluate, and communicate results process increased collaboration and communication between civil society and the state on issues relating to peace and security, and women’s involvement in them. Indeed, this otherwise uncommon participatory policymaking has become standard practice for creating NAPs around the world. It brings to life the spirit of inclusion set forth in TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................i INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1 THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 1. Women, Peace, and Security in the DRC ............................................................................................9 2. The DRC National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security .........................................................13 3. Collaboration between Government and Civil Society .......................................................................18 4. Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward ..................................................................................19 THE PHILIPPINES 1. Women, Peace, and Security in the Philippines .................................................................................25 2. The Philippines National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security ..............................................29 3. Collaboration between Government and Civil Society .......................................................................33 4. Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward ..................................................................................35 SERBIA 1. Women, Peace, and Security in Serbia ...............................................................................................39 2. The Serbia National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security .....................................................42 3. Collaboration between Government and Civil Society .......................................................................47 4. Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward ..................................................................................47 SIERRA LEONE 1. Women, Peace, and Security in Sierra Leone .....................................................................................53 2. The Sierra Leone National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security ...........................................57 3. Collaboration between Government and Civil Society .......................................................................61 4. Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward ..................................................................................63 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................69