United Nations Security Council

Africa Continental Framework For Youth, Peace And Security | Strengthening The Capacity Of Young People In Peacebuilding And Conflict Prevention

Africa Continental Framework For Youth, Peace And Security | Strengthening The Capacity Of Young People In Peacebuilding And Conflict Prevention

It is incontrovertible that the peace and security challenges experienced in Africa from the 1990s put continental and international attention on the key roles played by young men and women in episodes of armed conflict and insecurity. Successive wars and violations of formal peace agreements and processes across the continent further heightened the attention and concern of policy institutions to the participation of youth in armed conflicts and violence. Across the divide, young people continue to constitute the core of combatants, while also representing a significant number of those affected by armed conflicts, violent extremism, banditry, violent protests and gender-based violence in Africa. For instance, in addition to disruption of education and youth-sensitive socio-economic activities, “estimates of direct conflict deaths in 2015 suggest that more than 90 percent of all casualties involved young males.”

Youth-Led Gender Activism Towards Inclusive Peace-Building

Youth-Led Gender Activism Towards Inclusive Peace-Building

Young women are at the intersection of these two agendas and should therefore be actively engaged in the conversations surrounding peace-building, peace-negotiations, and peace-keeping. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the role of young people in furthering gender activism. Young women have particularly been previously excluded as ‘youth’ has been translated as ‘young men’ in the context of war, conflicts, and peace-building.