On 23 November 2021, UNESCO’s General Conference declared the 28 January the International Day of Women in Multilateralism, that is cooperation between countries to address common global challenges.
The day recognises the key role women play in advancing human rights, peace and sustainability in the multilateral system.
Throughout history, according to GWL Voices, an organization of women leaders from all regions and backgrounds committed to building a gender-equal international system, only 7% of the 2,800 permanent representatives to the UN have been women. However, their voices were heard, and with those voices they changed the world.
Multilateralism and its crisis
Multilateralism may sound like a complicated concept, only used in the United Nations’ hallways, but it affects people’s lives on a daily basis. Multilateralism describes a system in which different countries come together to solve their shared problems, cooperating to address issues regarding politics, sustainability, and equality.
Cooperation, compromise and coordination are the foundations of multilateralism, a concept expanding beyond diplomacy. From international institutions to everyday life, multilateralism plays a role in many areas of the world. Health, safety and sustainability all rely on shared rules and standards developed through cooperation between countries in the 19th century. However, there is a catch.
These outdated dynamics are facing modern dilemmas and are struggling to respond to today’s challenges. International laws are changing, but multilateralism seems to be stuck in the past. This is evident in the stalled efforts to address the Israelo-Palestine conflict, with the stagnation of the UN Security council. Another example is the United States of America’s unilateral decision to introduce new tariffs: which effects not only the country itself but is also a threat to the global economy.
Women and their impact in peace-making
In a moment of crisis such as this, it might be the time to give women more opportunities to show how much they can contribute for this multilateral system. The positive impact that women have on peace treaties and agreements is often overlooked, even though it being fundamental.
When women participate in peace negotiations, they often prioritize women’s rights and the quality of peace – two factors that positively impact peace durability. A study conducted by the International Peace Institute found that the participation women in peace processes tends to promote the resolution of armed conflicts, while also providing important opportunities to implement meaningful reforms targeting institutions and structures that have been negatively affected by the conflict.
Women not only tend to peace more – while also making peace more durable –, but they also advocate for a better transition process for the post-war aftermath, focusing on rebuilding a better environment for the afflicted population.
The study also showed that in organized women’s groups involved in peace-making, not a single women’s group had a negative impact on a peace process The use of mobilised groups to help seal a peace deal , has often led the parties in conflict to reach an agreement. We have examples ranging from Liberia, where women mobilised to demand the signing of a peace agreement, to Northern Ireland.
All of this while advocating for women’s rights and gender equality agreements, like classifying sexual harassment as a criminal offence in Guatemala or including the freedom of marriage in the peace agreement in Burundi.
Filling the gap: more women in multilateralism
The gap between man and women in multilateralism was already a negative, but it becomes an absurdity when realizing that women actually make a positive impact on the peace agreements. Achieving gender parity is difficult and will take many years, but we cannot afford for things to remain the same or even become worse.
The impact that women have in politics and democracy needs to be recognised by the system and women need to be included in multilateralism more to overcome the current crisis.
A feminist approach to multilateralism is not an ideological choice, but a necessary step to build more inclusive, effective, and resilient systems of international cooperation.
