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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 6

Publication Date: June 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.106.14979.

Mboumien, S. M., Fomukong, S. E. A., & Tafopi, D. A. (2023). Women’s Representation in Peace Processes: A Discursive Analysis of

the UNSCR 1325. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6). 573-588.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Women’s Representation in Peace Processes: A Discursive

Analysis of the UNSCR 1325

Sally Maforchi Mboumien

Department of Linguistics and African Languages,

Faculty of Arts, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon

Seino Evangeline Agwa Fomukong

Department of English Modern Letters,

Higher Teacher Training College,

The University of Bamenda, Cameroon

Djimeli Alexandre Tafopi

Department Linguistics of African Languages,

Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to address the critical issue of the representation of women in

peace processes, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Cameroon, from the

perspective of language use and the translation of the provisions of the Women,

Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in daily actions. The study employs a discursive

analysis of the WPS agenda, guided by the Discourse Historical Approach by Wodak

and Reseigl and Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. Data was a document review

of the UNSCR1325 of October 2000. The investigation revealed that language use in

the policy document shapes the representation of women of peace processes. The

finding of the study contributes to the understanding of the representation of

women in peace processes and reveals that language use in texts and talks around

women, peace, and security policy practice is contributing to the low representation

of women in peace processes. The study highlights the importance of identifying

discourses in texts and provides a framework for future studies to examine

language use in different contexts and expand the discourse analysis techniques

employed.

Keywords: language, feminism, WPS, CDA.

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between language and power in policy documents is a complex and significant

one. The way policies are written and communicated can have a significant impact on their

effectiveness and accessibility, and policymakers must consider language choices and the

power dynamics at play. The power of the words (language) in a policy document considering

the voices and agency they represent, is captured from the earliest stages of conception,

planning and drafting since policy texts constantly come into contact with such communities as

various public consultations are conducted, which implies a high level of inclusivity (Scollon,

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 6, June-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

2008). In policy-making discourse, it entails competition for influence and the ability to exert

policy agendas including alternatives by one individual or institution over another (Andrea &

Hemant, 2013). In such an instance it is easy for discriminatory or exclusionary language to be

introduced. Exclusionary or discriminatory language can further marginalize

underrepresented groups, and policymakers need to take steps to ensure that their language is

inclusive and reflects the diverse perspectives of their constituents. Policies must be written

and communicated in ways that do not reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and perpetuate

power imbalances (Shephard 2016).

The women, peace and security (WPS) agenda, a policy document on women’s inclusion,

representation and participation in peace processes, was first endorsed in October 2000 under

resolution 1325 by the United Nations Security Council. Considering the fact that language used

in policy documents like this WPS agenda gets interpreted and/or translated by different

groups of people bearing different levels of power, there is bound to be irregularities following

the varied context of action (Shephard 2011). In this line, language used in the documents is

the power it bears on the people for whom it is meant. Discussing the question of power in

language use is clearly the very next thing to look into as researchers like (Manchanda 2020)

have recommended after analyzing other aspects of the agenda to understand the challenge to

get more women in processes. It is important to identify the discourses in the WPS agenda to

ensure they enhance gender equality, women’s empowerment and respect of human rights.

From a discursive viewpoint, every policy or law codifies a particular construction of social

reality, and the transformative goal as well as the projected means required to achieve that goal

are part and parcel of this construction, (Levinson, Sutton & Winstead 2009). This implies that

the discursive construction for instance of the WPS agenda embeds so many social realities of

the power relations in our context which makes the agenda’ actualization largely dependent on

interest of stakeholders within this construction. The fact that language is everything in policy

matters (Greener 2002) is imperative for written texts to enable flexible application of the

policy document. Unfortunately, such texts are typically written in a highly generic manner,

creating a constant tension between the two extremes of unambiguity and flexibility.

The trends on the representation of women in peace processes as enshrined in the WPS agenda

are indicative of the fact that existing approaches to the actualization of the agenda are yet to

yield the resultant effects expected by the proponents of the agenda. To this end, this study

finds the conversation on women’s representation in peace processes still needing some

insights, especially from the angle of language use and the translation of the provisions of the

WPS agenda in the daily actions of stakeholders especially women as individuals as well as

groups or movements. Making this discussion more contextualised this investigation

acknowledges that the Cameroonian society still has gender division of spaces and gender

division of roles. (Atanga, 2012) which has a great influence on the discursive construction of

the WPS agenda within this context.

The low representation of women in peace processes globally and in Cameroon specially

despite the United Nations’ commitment to this cause since the year 2000 is a trending

discourse within the WPS agenda in world peace and security. Though meant for inclusion, the

number of women who have been part of peace processes continue to be significantly low. The

provisions of the WPS agenda policy documents are interpreted and translated by different

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Mboumien, S. M., Fomukong, S. E. A., & Tafopi, D. A. (2023). Women’s Representation in Peace Processes: A Discursive Analysis of the UNSCR 1325.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6). 573-588.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.106.14979

individuals and institutions within varied contexts and levels of understanding which gives

room for misconceptions and unequal power relations between implementers and

beneficiaries. Consequently, the representation of women within peace processes remains

consistently low even with the rising number of security issues plaguing the world though

studies and policy provisions root for women’s inclusion and participation

This paper is aimed at identifying discourses pushed within the women peace and security

agenda (discourse) on the representation of women in peace processes. The investigation that

follows is guided by the question How does language within the women peace and security

discourse (agenda) contribute to shaping the representation of women in peace processes?

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The power of language is argued as one of the components of representation of women in

processes, alongside the environment and history of a people. In Cameroon, women have

historically valued their motherhood and fertility, knowledge of agriculture production,

membership in secret societies, and their role in transitioning deceased women and men

through dance and ritual. Women exercised varying levels of power and experienced a

spectrum of belonging as wives, mothers, concubines, slaves, queen mothers, and political

intermediaries (Fonjong 2005, Atanga 2010).

However, near the turn of the 19th century, political centralization and the expansion of long- distance trade produced new forms of inequality for women as wealth became more

concentrated in the hands of elite men who sought to control women's labor and sexuality.

Unfortunately, over the century, Cameroonian women have been increasingly integrated into a

capitalist political economy that supports local patriarchal authority, changes women's

relationships with land, and engenders new socioeconomic inequalities. Poverty is now the new

reality for most women, and political leadership is highly financially determined, making it

difficult for women to thrive in this space (Taku 2022). To address these challenges, it is

important to promote gender equality and challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes,

which, unfortunately, are embedded in the day-to-day functioning of our communities (Atanga

2010). Women's participation and leadership in peace processes should be recognized and

supported, and their voices and experiences should be taken into account in decision-making

processes (Forkum 2020). Governments and other actors should prioritize the inclusion of

women in peace processes and commit to gender equality. The representation of women in

peace processes remains a challenge, but it is important to continue to promote women's

participation and leadership in peacebuilding efforts (GNWP 2018).

This conflicting discussion on the representation of women in peace processes continues to be

of high point in conversations on gender equality as well as women’s empowerment. The

researcher found this issue an area of interest to shed more light on possible barriers and/or

untapped opportunities that can be exploited to ensure an increase in the representation of

women in peace processes. Owing to the fact that the entire endeavour is investigating

exclusion of women in peace processes, a new dimension to gender studies within the

Cameroonian setting, the researcher makes use of the feminist lens in the research to ensure

an unbiased research process. It is worth noting that gender studies and especially women’s

studies in Cameroon have mostly focused on discrimination against women, the contribution

of Cameroonian women to the economy and development of the country and women’s political