Research Center

Although some of the work of women peace builders is known anecdotally, scholarship regarding their experiences is scanty, and women's work in this field is largely unrecognized at the institutional and public policy level. Responding to the need for a strong academic foundation in this area, the Women Waging Peace network has made research one of its primary areas of activity. The initiative has engaged several academic disciplines, linking gender research, theories of conflict prevention and resolution, and bringing together women from multiple sectors, including academics, policymakers, and activists.

Boston Consortium for Gender, Security, and Human Rights
The Boston Consortium for Gender, Security, and Human Rights is a group of five leading academic centers and programs dedicated to research on issues of gender and security, human rights, conflict resolution and prevention. The Boston Consortium was created to change the political and academic understanding of the security field so that the dynamics of gender become salient at all points in the conflict process, from prevention through post-conflict reconstruction.

Ethical Guidelines for Researchers in the Field of Gender and Peace Building
These guidelines came out of the actual stories and experiences of women peace builders. More than a list of regulations requiring strict adherence, they are intended to provide ethical approaches for researchers to follow in constructing their research projects. The guidelines are also intended to provide activists and communities an understanding of their rights and possible roles when being studied.

Annual Research Symposium
The annual research symposium has, for the past two years, taken place as part of the Waging colloquium in November. Its purpose is to provide a forum for the development of strategies to conduct effective research about women in conflict.

Read a summary of the discussions at the 2001 research symposium.

The Bibliography on Women, Conflict and Peace Building
The Waging Research Track is compiling an online bibliography on women, conflict and peace building. This tool includes biographies, manuscripts, and other relevant information, culminating in a database of information.