October 14, 2022
Meghan O’Toole
Vivian Ta publishes article on women’s involvement in peacebuilding
Assistant Professor of Psychology Vivian Ta published an article entitled “How Women Promote Peace: Gender Composition, Duration, and Frames in Conflict Resolution” with colleagues Eric Keels of US Air War College and A. Burcu Bayram of University of Arkansas.
The article, which can be read in International Interactions, investigates how the inclusion of women in negotiations and conflict resolution efforts contributes to peaceful solutions to disputes and armed conflict and how women contribute to peacebuilding.
“Ever since the 2000 United Nations Security Council Resolution acknowledged the crucial role of women in international peace processes, there have been many calls for greater participation of women in these processes,” Ta explained. “While recent studies have shown that the inclusion of women in negotiations and conflict resolution greatly contributes to peaceful solutions to armed conflict, it has not been clear why women foster more peaceful solutions. We addressed this in the paper and found that women, on average, tend to find more equitable solutions that equally benefit both sides, and also do so faster compared to men. This highlights women’s pacifying effect on peacebuilding and implies that bilateral disputes may be settled more efficiently and equitably when both sides are represented by women.”
The research also supports prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at institutions and in society; including women in negotiation and conflict resolution can lead to more equitable outcomes.
The article was published on September 6, 2022.