Beyond Rhetoric to Practice: A Review of Women’s Place Within the African Peace and Security Architecture

The literature on women and peace-building assert that conflicts are a trigger to women. Being designated as the main victim of the conflict, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 acknowledged disproportion gender in conflict resolution and resolved equity roles in peace and security. Hitherto, the UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security also affirm the indisputable role of women in ensuring sustainable peace and security in (post)conflict societies. While the UNSCR 1325 and other comparable instruments theoretically promote women’s full and equal participation in peace and security processes at all levels, the question of whether they are operationalized remains an open subject. As a result, this chapter delves deeper into this topic by examining the role of African women within the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It recognizes that the African Union has remained committed to promoting peace, security, and gender equality on the continent. However, there is still a disparity in gender participation in conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding in Africa. The chapter concludes that achieving the UNSECR 1325 could usher in a new era of peace as women borne the disproportionate brunt.