In Sudan’s ongoing conflict, women have played a pivotal role in grassroots peacebuilding, yet their participation in formal negotiations has been repeatedly marginalized. Despite their leadership during the 2018–19 revolution and ongoing community mobilization through platforms like the Peace for Sudan Platform, women were excluded from the Jeddah ceasefire talks in 2023, highlighting persistent patterns of underrepresentation that undermine the inclusiveness and sustainability of peace processes.
Mediation is often presented as a neutral, technical process, but in reality, it is shaped by power dynamics, history, and deeply gendered expectations. Across Africa, women mediators are critical to peacebuilding, yet they continue to face exclusion and marginalization in formal peace processes. Global commitments such as the Women, Peace, and Security agenda have not translated into meaningful representation at high-level negotiations, and women included in mediation are frequently confined to supporting roles or tasked with representing “women’s issues” rather than leading or making key decisions.
Research conducted in 2024 with 12 African women mediators revealed the diversity of women’s experiences in peacebuilding. These mediators often navigate patriarchal environments where conflict resolution is viewed as a male domain. Many reported being questioned, undermined, or dismissed due to their gender or age, with some explicitly told they could not lead mediation processes. Despite these challenges, women continue to participate because peacebuilding in their communities depends on their engagement.
A paradox exists in framing women as “natural” peacebuilders. While often praised for being patient or nurturing, this stereotype undervalues their work, treating the emotional labor of building trust, facilitating dialogue, and sustaining peace as instinctive rather than skilled practice. Most women mediators reject this framing, emphasizing that effective mediation relies on training, experience, cultural knowledge, and strategic skills rather than inherent gender traits.
Women mediators must balance cultural expectations, credibility, and safety, often navigating informal spaces and social norms that may restrict their access or expose them to risks. They develop strategies to assert authority, such as working alongside male co-mediators or leveraging respected social identities like motherhood or seniority. These adaptations reflect resilience and agency, rather than weakness, within restrictive systems.
Global peacebuilding frameworks often fail to center the lived experiences of women mediators, relying on assumptions that overlook local realities. African women mediators innovate at community, national, and regional levels, demonstrating that sustainable peace depends on inclusive approaches informed by local knowledge. Ignoring their voices risks perpetuating inequalities that contribute to conflict.
Increasing the number of women in mediation is insufficient if structural and gendered barriers remain unchanged. True inclusion requires challenging the norms that dictate who leads, who is heard, and whose expertise is valued. Recognizing African women mediators as central actors, rather than exceptions, is essential for effective, inclusive, and sustainable peacebuilding.
