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EMPOWERING WOMEN IN POLICYMAKING AND GENDER MAINSTREAMING THE NORMALIZATION PROCESS

Peace is more than just the absence of conflict. It involves creating conditions for sustainable coexistence through dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect. In post-conflict regions like the Western Balkans, normalizing relations is essential to achieving long-term peace. A crucial aspect of this process is gender mainstreaming—the integration of gender perspectives into policymaking and conflict resolution. Women play a pivotal role in building peace, and their inclusion ensures that these processes address the needs of the entire population. This is not simply about adding women to negotiations but about rethinking how peace processes are designed and implemented, with a focus on post-conflict reconciliation and human rights. These were some of the broader conclusions from a roundtable discussion organized by the Council for Inclusive Governance (CIG) in cooperation with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in Tirana, Albania, on September 26, 2024. The event brought together the Head of UNMIK, former and current members of parliaments of Kosovo and Serbia, and representatives from civil society. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the report below summarizes the discussion.