While women often know what is needed to rebuild peace and have networks that reach beyond their communities, they are generally neglected by their own governments and the international community. The role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and peace building needs to be recognised and utilised at the community, national and international levels. Humanitarian strategies should systematically include peace-building initiatives. These initiatives should be planned with the participation of women s groups, which would then be integrally involved in their implementation. After conflicts, resources are depleted, infrastructure is destroyed, and social, economic and political relationships are strained.
Successful reconstruction depends upon the use of every available resource.
Women, who have held social and economic fragments together, represent the most precious and under-utilised of these resources. Women are often seen only as victims of war. The reality is far more complex. Most importantly, women have an essential role to play in the resolution of conflict. The importance of women in peace processes and the transformational effect of their participation is finally on the international agenda.