The Role of Women in Peace-Making: Global Perspective and the Indian Context

Abstract

This study investigates the evolving role of women in peace-making, with a particular emphasis on global experiences and the Indian context. Adopting a qualitative-descriptive research design, the study analyzes secondary data from United Nations reports, policy documents, scholarly literature, and case studies of women-led peace initiatives. The methodology involves comparative thematic analysis to identify global trends and Indian-specific patterns of women’s participation in peace processes.
The key results reveal that while women’s formal representation in global peace negotiations remains limited—only 13% of negotiators and 6% of mediators between 1992–2022—their informal and grassroots contributions significantly enhance reconciliation, post-conflict recovery, and social cohesion. In India, case studies from Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, and Chhattisgarh demonstrate that women’s organizations have successfully mediated local disputes and fostered communal harmony.
The study’s implications stress the need for institutional reforms to integrate women systematically into peace and security frameworks. It concludes that women’s inclusion is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity for achieving durable, inclusive peace and sustainable national development.