“I think that women have historically been underrepresented in political spaces.”
Tonis Montes is the Senior Program Officer for the Gandhi-King Global Academy and the Nonviolent Action team at the United States Institute of Peace.
“So, over the past 20-years the U.N. (United Nations) has put forth Resolution 1325 which calls for women to be a part of peace and security. And that is a framework used around the globe. And so, what we’ve seen is that when women are included in peace processes, those outcomes are 50% more durable in the long-term.”
Inclusion, not for the sake of inclusion, but rather as Montes explains women seek real solutions within the peacebuilding process.
“Because women are thinking about other things that aren’t just ceasefires or security arrangements, they’re thinking about education and healthcare and markets and things that really change the livelihoods of all citizens.”