ACT for Conflict Resolution Holds Workshop on Women’s Roles in Peace Processes

ACT for Conflict Resolution held a workshop on Saturday, 13 December 2025, to discuss a comparative study on women’s roles in peace processes across selected international contexts, including Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Colombia. The workshop was attended by a group of Palestinian women actively engaged in community and civic work.

The workshop was based on a study prepared by researcher Hadeel Hussein and aimed to provide an in-depth comparative analysis of international experiences in which women played pivotal roles in peacebuilding processes. It examined the mechanisms that enabled women’s meaningful participation in negotiations and decision-making, whether within formal frameworks or through civil society, as well as the political, legal, and institutional structures that supported or constrained their engagement.

The study also explored the impact of women’s participation on advancing transitional justice, protecting victims’ rights, reforming the security and justice sectors, and promoting social justice. In addition, it presented practical, evidence-based recommendations grounded in comparative analysis, contributing to the strengthening of feminist peacebuilding approaches and enhancing women’s influence on public discourse and policy.

The workshop addressed the different stages of women’s participation in peace processes, beginning with the pre-negotiation phase and the roles women played in confronting conflict at both political and community levels. It then examined the negotiation phase, including women’s contributions to substantive discussions and the inclusion of women’s issues in peace agreements, and concluded with the implementation and post-agreement phase, considered the most critical stage for assessing the success or failure of peace processes and the extent of commitment to implementing provisions related to women’s rights.

The workshop provided an interactive dialogue space for exchanging experiences, analyzing lessons learned, and discussing factors that could be adapted and applied within the Palestinian context. This activity was conducted as part of the project “Empowering Women as Peacebuilders: Negotiation, Mediation, and Dialogue,” implemented by ACT for Conflict Resolution, with the aim of strengthening women’s presence as key actors in advancing just and sustainable peace processes.