The UK has urged countries and UN agencies to give more women a meaningful role in peace talks and protect them from violence while they are on the frontline of negotiations, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the first UN Security Council resolution on women’s inclusion in peace and security

In a virtual address to the United Nations the UK Middle East Minister James Cleverly, said: “We know that when women have a seat at the table, peace negotiations are less likely to fail, which is why 20 years ago, every country at the UN pledged to increase their participation.

“Yet the proportion of women still hasn’t increased, and when women are included, they increasingly suffer threats against their lives,” he said.

“World leaders must now put words into action and follow the UK’s lead of protecting women on the frontline and lobbying for greater inclusion,” James noted.

According to research by UN Women and the Council on Foreign Relations, when women meaningfully participate in peace talks, the resulting agreement is 64% less likely to fail and 35% more likely to last at least 15 years. Yet between 1990 and 2017, women made up only 2% of mediators, 8% of negotiators, and 5% of witnesses and signatories in all major peace processes.

In the meeting, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also called for expedited empowerment and protection of women in conflict situations.

Ensuring that women play their full part in peace processes, he said, requires stronger partnerships between the United Nations, regional organizations, Member States and civil society, using all tools and innovative solutions. 

Meanwhile, UK said in a statement on Thursday that the country’s Minister Cleverly announced £1 million of new UK aid for the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (WMC) network, an independent group of 50 women mediators around the world, hosted by peacebuilding NGO Conciliation Resources.

According to the statement, The funding will provide women on the frontline of peace talks with training, mentoring, and resources for their participation in peacebuilding, and to lobby for greater inclusion of women at all levels of negotiations, including at the UN.

The UK also announced £250,000 of new aid funding to support research into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on women and girls living in fragile and conflict-affected states, such as Afghanistan and Nigeria, read the statement.

“The study will develop policy recommendations to ensure women and girls are better protected in future pandemics.”