ABSTRACT
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), adopted in October 2000, calls upon member states to promote representation of women in strategic positions in state, regional and international bodies with an eye toward all forms of conflict management – including peacebuilding. The main elements of the resolution are participation in peace processes of women, addressing the different protection needs of women during conflict and ensuring that women receive equitable benefits from all policies (gender mainstreaming). As addressed in this book, there are also various interpretations of UNSCR 1325. Some consider gender equality in peace processes as an end unto itself. In other words, UNSCR 1325 is a means of facilitating women's rights in vital political processes. A second camp conceives of the resolution in an instrumental sense. That is the resolution uses women's rights to achieve a desired outcome – in this case, peace. By now, research on these aspects of gender, peace and security have also become quite developed. But how should we understand the resolution and its implications for peace in the context of mainstream research? This postscript analyzes some of these broader connections. As noted in the introduction, the lack of such a connection has negatively affected research developments and policy implementation.
