Gender in EU Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Policy and Practice

This scoping study examines integration of the gender dimension and the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda into the field of conflict prevention and peacebuilding in the European Union (EU), an emerging area in EU foreign policy and in the literature, that has thus far received little scholarly attention when compared to the studies on gender integration in other EU policy areas. Firstly, it briefly reviews the evolution of gender mainstreaming in the EU and the development of the global WPS agenda led by the UN and followed by the EU. Secondly, it summarises and analyses EU policy concerning the policy framework on women/gender, peace and security. Thirdly, it covers the actors involved in the implementation of this policy framework. After this general overview, the fourth section analyses the policy and practice of the EU in its approach to multi-track diplomacy, security sector reform and governance reform from a gender perspective. Finally, in the conclusions, this study identifies key issues and research directions in this area. This paper focuses mainly on the EU policy objectives and discourse regarding these areas of intervention.