PUSHING OPEN THE DOORS OF INCLUSION: Examining the Connections between Women’s Movements/Groups Cohesion in Civil Resistance and Securing Inclusion in Formal Peace Negotiations.

Abstract: Two decades after the adoption of the UNSCR 1325 calling for women’s equal participation in peace negotiations, a troubling gap still exists between the aspirations of global commitments and the reality of peace processes. Minimal attention has also gone into explaining how women’s movements can secure access to the peace negotiation table. This study contributes to the discourse by examining how women’s movements can foster inclusion in peace negotiations via civil resistance. It seeks to answer the research question – “Why does civil resistance by women’s movements foster inclusion in formal peace negotiations in some cases and not in others?” I theorize that women’s movements that are cohesive enough in civil resistance can build leverage towards facilitating inclusion in formal peace negotiations. Using the method of a structured focused comparison of women’s civil resistance in Colombia and Mozambique, I test this theoretical argument. Empirical findings reveal moderate support for the hypothesis that high levels of women’s movements cohesion in civil resistance foster inclusion in formal peace negotiations. Findings also reveal the critical role of international/regional actors in supporting women’s civil resistance and inclusion as a linear process as well as other factors that call for more research on the topic.