Making women’s voices heard in peacebuilding and development

This project supporting women peacebuilders follows on from a programme in which Alert supported a number of women’s groups in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution mandates greater protection of women in conflict situations, particularly through the greater participation of women in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

International Alert is supporting women to increase their influence in peacebuilding within the framework of Burundi’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). Women’s organisations will ensure that women’s roles and concerns are central to the PRS process while securing national reconciliation as a key component of poverty reduction strategies. This will be achieved by supporting women’s organisations to advocate at the national level for the definition of a gender- and conflict-sensitive PRS, and through support for continuous monitoring of the process in collaboration with women in grassroots community organisations.

The project works to strengthen communication and dialogue among women at all levels of society. One aspect of this process will link women community members with members of civil society organisations. A second is to strengthen dialogue between women at the community level and their elected representatives at the national level. These dedicated fora for communication legitimise women’s perspectives and ensure they are acted on by leaders.

Alert and its partner women’s organisations will continue to contribute towards consolidating peace and preventing future conflicts in communities where reintegration has not yet taken place and mistrust still reigns, leading an approach to reconciliation based on a programme of dialogue, training and practical activities at the community level.