A recent United Nations report has cast a spotlight on the ongoing exclusion of women from formal peace negotiations despite their critical roles in grassroots peacebuilding efforts around the globe. Released on Monday, the report underscores a worrying trend where women continue to be marginal figures in high-level peace talks, even as conflicts worldwide escalate to levels not seen since 1946.

The findings come at a time when conflict rates are soaring, affecting an unprecedented number of women. According to the report, approximately 676 million women lived within the proximity of active conflict zones in 2024, marking the highest figure since the 1990s. Additionally, the resurgence of violence from 2022 to 2024 has seen a drastic increase in female casualties and has displaced over 60 million women and girls, who are now at risk of gender-based violence.

Despite these alarming statistics, women's participation in formal peace processes remains disproportionately low. Data from 2024 indicates that women constituted only 7 percent of negotiators and 14 percent of mediators in official conflict resolution settings. This stark disparity is not mirrored in grassroots peace efforts, where women's involvement is notably higher. A study from 2020 analyzed 38 grassroots peace initiatives and found that 27 of these included women’s groups, highlighting their significant yet often unrecognized contributions to peacebuilding.

The report provided compelling examples from various regions where women have been pivotal in fostering peace. In Ethiopia, Liberia, and Kenya, women peacebuilders have significantly influenced peace processes at multiple levels. In Sudan, UN Women facilitated the formation of a coalition of women peacebuilders who played a crucial role in the Geneva peace talks. Moreover, in Côte D’Ivoire, local women successfully deescalated inter-community conflicts in the Cavally region, which not only led to a local peace agreement but also marked the first instance where women were designated as guarantors of its follow-up.

This body of evidence has prompted experts to issue a "call to action," urging global leaders to significantly increase the inclusion of women in peace negotiations over the next five years. They argue that enhancing female participation is not only a matter of gender equity but also crucial for achieving lasting peace.

The UN's Women, Peace and Security agenda, initiated in 2000, recognizes the unique impacts of conflicts on women and girls and stresses the vital role women play in peace processes. While there has been a notable increase in women’s participation since the agenda's inception, recent conflicts threaten to reverse these gains.

The report is a sobering reminder of the challenges that lie ahead in ensuring women are no longer sidelined in peace processes but are recognized as equal and essential participants in the quest for global peace.