Some recent findings imply that women might be a key factor when it comes to ending violence in conflict zones and establishing long-term peace.
Drawing on UN resolution 1325 an a report by UN Women, conflict management researcher Laurel A. Stone analysed several data from Uppsala's Peace Agreements and identified some key facts likely involved in increasing the success of peacebuilding strategies.
According to her, the involvement of women in peace building processes increases the chance of ending violence within a year by 24%. Local women, rather than women from outside the conflict zone make the difference. Success will only be durable, if gender equality can be institutionalised on a long-term basis. Thus the quality of female involvement in peace building strategies (including the level of involvement and of decisionmaking capacities) is more effective than the quantity of women involved.