Alert’s gender work

International Alert’s work on gender has evolved from our 1999 campaign, Women Building Peace: From the Village Council to the Negotiating Table which, with other organisations successfully advocated for the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, adopted in October 2000. SCR 1325 is a watershed political framework that emphasises the role of women and the need to integrate a gender perspective in all aspects of conflict prevention, resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict resolution.

We continue to monitor and advocate for the implementation of this groundbreaking resolution, and believe that there is still a need to promote and encourage women’s engagement in peace and security issues. At the same time, our gender work has shifted its focus from women to a more inclusive approach addressing both women, peace and security issues and the impact of conflict dynamics on men, women, boys and girls.

We view SCR 1325 as an entry point for working on issues related to gender and peacebuilding, not as an end in itself, and it is therefore only one of the tools that is relevant to ensuring that women and gender issues are a part of and engaged in efforts to support processes such as political participation, conflict prevention, access to justice and DDR.

Our work involves:

• Research with partners in conflict zones and academic institutions to develop a gender-based understanding and analysis of local contexts, issues and needs at practical and policy levels


• Making policy recommendations on key issues to policy makers, implementers and practitioners at national, regional and international levels


• Supporting local partners in conflict-affected regions to act as an advocacy bridge between policymakers and civil society organisations, fostering spaces for dialogue and effective communication of priorities between these diverse groups


• Capacity building for men and women so that they can effectively advocate for the integration of gender issues in peacebuilding and security processes at national, regional and international levels


• Providing specialist support and advice on gender issues to International Alert’s regional programmes in conflict zones and at national, regional and international policy levels


• Cross-regional, thematic research on the gender dimensions of specific peacebuilding issues such as security sector reform, political participation and gender-based violence

To find out more about this work , click on the links below:

Operationalising Security Council Resolution 1325 Policy and advocacy Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: A Toolkit for Advocacy and Action Publications

For more information contact Karen Barnes

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Last updated: February 2006