Women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice: Advancing gender equality and building sustainable peace

This detailed research paper and synthesized policy brief explore what women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice means and “looks like” in policy and practice. The publications focus specifically on women and addressing the unique barriers to women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice processes as a result of gender-based discrimination.

These publications review the current policy framework and assertions for women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice and highlight critical gaps between policy and practice. The research paper and policy brief suggest a definition for women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice, as well as typologies of women stakeholders and roles that women play within transitional justice.

The research paper and policy brief also examine series of lessons for advancing women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice based on past experience. The publications argue that transitional justice needs to re-imagine “change models” and acceptable “outcome domains”. They also suggests “benchmarks” for what women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice would ideally look like, if it is to contribute in some way towards gender transformative outcomes.

Lastly, the publications recommend several adjustments for UN policy and programming—both in general and in relation to the updating of the UN Secretary-General’s 2010 Guidance Note on transitional justice—to better promote women’s meaningful participation in transitional justice.