The document proposes amending UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to impose gender quotas for women's participation in post-conflict governance. It argues that while UNSCR 1325 has increased awareness of women's issues in conflict zones, direct discrimination and barriers still limit women's influence. The proposal recommends tying UN funding to implementation of proportional representation of women in local, regional, and national governments during rebuilding. This would incentivize including women's economic and political empowerment at the grassroots level to address gender inequities in post-conflict states. While quotas face objections, evidence suggests they can increase women's political success when adopted in constitutions and electoral laws.

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Robert Neuman
CNCM620/GVPP497
Policy Brief
To: Mrs. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka- Executive Director- Under- Secretary-General of the
United Nations
From: Mrs. Louise Allen- Executive Coordinator- Non-Governmental-Organization Working
Group- NGOWG
Expansion of UNSCR 1325:
“Amending United Nations Security Resolution 1325”
Background:
A proposal tying increased quotas in legislature for women’s participation in post-
conflict governmental rebuilding process, as a method to facilitate greater participation of
women in local governments. The legacy of UNSCR 1325 after fifteen years has increased
awareness, offered support in the peacekeeping process in relation to abuses placed on women,
and children in conflict zones. Understanding the difficulties of rebuilding war-torn conflict
zones, how top-down placement and policy creation, offer little in changing local traditional
morals and gender engagement.
Understanding and recognizing point number one in UNSCR 1325 which: “Urges Member
States to ensure increased representation of women at all decision making levels in national,
regional, and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and
resolution of conflict.” The NGOWG would propose a proportional quota for involvement in
local, regional, and national, government elections, based off of percentage of women voters.
Increased voluntary participation in local political party membership, and in order to ensure this
imposed condition would be adopted early in the rebuilding process, portions of UN funding
would be offered to guarantee participation.
The purpose of imposing quotas is to ensure gender participation in governance when
women are given the opportunity to constitute a critical minority (30-40%) within the
membership body. Another purpose of imposing quotas whether it is as a candidate,
Parliamentary body, committee, or government agency, is to increase gender participation and
representation equality (Drude Dahlerup, 2009-Quota-Project). Although traditional barriers are
removed, and increased gender participation is facilitated, discrimination persists. Real equality
does not exist with the removal of traditional formal barriers. Direct discrimination, and hidden
barriers still prevent women from gaining political influence, and creating real change in the
post-conflict rebuilding process.

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Rational:
Understanding a top down approach of installing women into the decision making
process has offered limited success, when the inclusion of women into government was not
mandated. The UN ten year impact study of UNSCR 1325 has offered evidence quotas can
work: Women’s success in politics has been greater in the countries where quotas or reserved
seats for women have been adopted in the constitution, electoral law and/or the rules governing
political parties (Ten year Impact Study of Resolution 1325- 4.2.2-Acheivements and
Challenges, 2010).
Inclusion does not ensure success, but funding tied to bottom-up measures of economic
empowerment of women at the local level, and would provide incentives for local leaders to
listen, seeking out organized economic, and political women’s groups. Quotas represent a change
in public equality policies, from “equal opportunities” to “equality of results” (Dahlerup-2009).
The merits of continued research in the areas of political gender equality, exploring the
effectiveness of quotas is not the purpose of this proposal.
The use of quotas, and the influence of Resolution 1325 continue to raise awareness of
gender inequity, but the results have shown more research is needed. The emphasis towards
proportional representation by gender appears to offer concrete evidence of improvement in not
only women’s rights, but human rights as well. This is why proposed changes to UNSCR 1325
would provide continued incentives necessary to improve and facilitate continued change. The
current language of Resolution 1325 “Urges” member states to improve gender equality, and
participation in governance. Imposing certain qualifications as a condition to receiving aide, and
tying funding to gender equality in the political process would provide change at the local,
regional, and national levels.
Concerns:
After fifteen years there are only 43 countries with National Action Plans offering
implementation of SCR 1325 (Iknowpolitics.org-2015). There are two major questions
concerning SCR 1325: has Resolution 1325 in its current form made any tangible effects outside
of identification and awareness? Violence, and sexual abuse are still major factors in conflict
zones as a measure to fragment society. Why do women continue to be under-represented at the
table during peace talks and the rebuilding process? There continues to be disengagement from
senior policy makers, and the involvement of gender concerns within the policy making process.

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When attempting to create gender quotas, states are faced several pros and cons in
implementation, according to QuotaProject.org (Dahlerup, 2009).
Cons:
 Quotas are against the principle of equal opportunity for all, since women
are given preference over men.
 Quotas are undemocratic, because voters should be able to decide who is
elected.
 Quotas imply that politicians are elected because of their gender, not
because of their qualifications and that more qualified candidates are
pushed aside.
 Many women do not want to get elected just because they are women.
 Introducing quotas creates significant conflicts within the party
organization.
 Quotas violate the principles of liberal democracy.
Pros:
 Quotas for women do not discriminate, but compensate for actual barriers
that prevent women from their fair share of the political seats.
 Quotas imply that there are several women together in a committee or
assembly, thus minimizing the stress often experienced by the token
women.
 Women have the right as citizens to equal representation.
 Women's experiences are needed in political life.
 Election is about representation, not educational qualifications.
 Women are just as qualified as men, but women's qualifications are
downgraded and minimized in a male-dominated political system.
 It is in fact the political parties that control the nominations, not primarily
the voters who decide who gets elected; therefore quotas are not violations
of voters' rights.
 Introducing quotas may cause conflicts, but may be only temporarily.
 Quotas can contribute to a process of democratization by making the
nomination process more transparent and formalized.

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Proposals:
 Impose a quota system in the rebuilding process ensuring increased women participation
in government and the day to day governance of post-conflict regions.
 Place economic conditions for implementation of proportional involvement of women in
local, regional, and national governance.
 Focus on a bottom-up economic empowerment of women creating increased
opportunities for gender based micro businesses, and enterprise zones.
In providing aid conditionality, as a means to increase gender equality, and participation
in post conflict state building. A coordinated effort to limit outside means to gain support,
because enforcement could prove to be difficult. The United Nations would have to provide
smart sanctions, and ensure measures did not increase the hardships faced by vulnerable
groups when rebuilding societies. Providing gender quota’s in the post-conflict rebuilding
process, and adding provisions ensuring participation to financial supports. This measure
would increase and empower women’s participation in post-conflict governance. As part of
the rebuilding process, stress the importance of proportional gender representation in
national, regional, and local governance. Although constitutional measures, might prove
difficult to implement, nationally. Voluntary proportional changes in local political parties,
constitutions, party membership, rules, and procedures which nominate candidates to include
more women is possible. Effective implementation of legal gender quotas depends upon
multiple factors; how the legal mechanisms, and supports are established. The levels of
gender quota specified by law, gender ranking, open, or closed party lists, and the penalties
for failing to comply. These policies are least effective when offered as simply symbolic
(Pippa Norris, Harvard 2011).
The increased representation in governance by women would be assisted by offering
increased funding in the rebuilding process. Funds need to create increased opportunities for
women at every level of government. Newly created grants for local political parties who
voluntarily implement greater equality in local parties and fund campaigns based off of
increased gender participation. In offering increased funding to political parties who
volunteer to increase gender participation there also must be accountability, and measures in
place to avoid token membership. The inclusion of gender based economic opportunity
grants would increase women’s involvement in local economies. This involvement would
increase women’s power, and influence within the local community.

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Conclusion:
As the transition from post-conflict to the rebuilding process of good governance, the
inclusion of gender equality, does not ensure the rights and needs of women are going to be
addressed. The only way the demands of women for participation, representation,
accountability, and the political freedoms men enjoy, is through involvement. But increasing
women participants in governance alone will ensure gender equality in governments. Gender
responsiveness when addressing the needs, and priorities of women will improve the
conditions, welfare, livelihood, and citizenship rights required for total participation at all
levels of society (UNWomen, October 2012). This includes grassroots efforts at a local level,
and through governance and legislation.

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