Seven degrees of inclusion: Women's inclusion in peace processes in cases from the Maghreb and Middle-East

Digging into the case studies of 40 peace or political transition negotiations in civil wars termination from all around the world, including constitution making processes, the study found out that women represented one of the most included group, out of all represented minorities. Out of the 40 cases analyzed, 28 of them included women in one way or another. According to the figures, the number of women involved in the negotiation processes increased after the year 2000, suggesting the positive impact resulting from the adoption of UNSCR 1325. However, the presence of more women is not equal to meaningful participation. The question to be addressed should relate to women’s actual influence at the negotiation table, rather than their mere presence. There is evidence that when women’s groups manage to influence the process, the chances of an agreement being reached and implemented are higher. However, it is worth noting that this is a correlation, not a causality. The study will suggest 7 modes of inclusion and explore the women peacemakers program at Kroc Institute at University of San Diego and peacemakers in Syria.