Women and natural resources: unlocking the peace building potential

Thirteen years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, investment in women as agents of change in peacebuilding remains inadequate. One of the unexplored entry points for strengthening women's contributions to peacebuilding relates to the way in which they use, manage, make decisions on and benefit from natural resources. Indeed, women's relationship to natural resources, coupled with shifting gender norms in conflict affected settings, provides opportunities for enhancing their political participation and enabling them to engage more productively in economic revitalization. In this report, UN Environment Programme, UN Women, UN Development Programme and United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) invite the international community, national governments and civil society to ensure that peacebuilding efforts fully include women, especially when it comes to managing natural resources.