United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted unanimously on October 31, 2000, after recalling resolutions 1261 (1999), 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000) and 1314 (2000), the council called for the adoption of the gender perspective that included the special needs of women and girls during repatriation and resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration and post- conflict reconstruction.There are a global set of indicators on the implementation of UN Resolution 1325 in four key areas: women's participation in all aspects of conflict prevention and peace-making; prevention of violence against women; protection of women's rights during and after conflict; and women's needs in relief and recovery.

It was the first formal and legal document from the United Nations Security Council that required parties in a conflict to respect women's rights and to support their participation in the peace negotiations and in post-conflict reconstruction. The resolution was initiated by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, then Minister of Women's Affairs in Namibia when the country took its turn chairing the UN Security Council. After lobbying by dozens of women's organizations and the United Nations Development Fund for the Women (UNIFEM), the resolution was adopted unanimously.

The UN Security Council was concerned about civilians in armed conflict, particularly women and children, who constituted most of the victims and were increasingly targeted by the armed elements. This in turn had an impact on the possibilities for peace and reconciliation. Women played an important role in the prevention and resolution of the conflicts and therefore it was important that they were equally involved in the process of maintaining international peace and security. It was also recognised for a need to adopt a gender perspective in peacekeeping operations and the training of personnel on women's rights.

The resolution called upon all countries to allow increased representation for women at all levels. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan was requested to increase the participation of women at decision making levels in conflict resolution and peace process; appoint more women as Special Representatives and envoys; and expand their role in peacemaking operations, particularly among military observers, police, human rights and humanitarian personnel. In this regard the Council expressed its willingness to incorporate a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations.

The Security Council called upon all parties involved in the negotiations and implementing peace agreements had to take into account the special needs of women and girls in the armed conflict, support women's peace initiatives and respect the human rights of women and girls. Parties to armed conflict were also urged to take measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence such as rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and to respect the humanitarian nature of refugee camps and take the needs of women and girls into their design.

Women are natural peacebuilders. They are effective at bridging ethnic, religious, political, and cultural divides. Women are often associated to peacebuilding in the same way that men are generally assumed to be the key 'actors' in war. Society tells males they should be militaristic in approach and females that they should be passive and promote peacebuilding. In conflicts throughout the world, women have sustained the family unit and life in climate of violence and disruption. Research shows that women's experience of the conflict is different to men; therefore the role and advancement of women in the post conflict society and peace building process cannot be ignored. Women make up over half of the population therefore have a right to be adequately represented and engaged in post conflict reconstruction.

Often living within the source of the conflict, women can be in a key position to motivate and mobilize their community and to begin reconciliation and healing process. UN Resolution 1325 recognises the need for post conflict society to assist the advancement of women and supports their pivotal role at all levels of peacebuilding, with a particular emphasis at the community level. Member states are obliged to take gender perspective into post conflict reconstruction. It could be argued that Governments, as signatories to the Resolution, have not been living up to these International commitments. It is essential that structures are created to empower women, facilitating their full participation in sustaining the peace. By addressing systemic inequality, we can create peace enablers at a grass roots level and create social transformation with reflective representation at all decision making levels- councils, public bodies, economic and community structures. Post conflict Northern Ireland could offer women increased prospects for civic leadership in the decision making structures. Programmes that specifically empower women peacemakers, and encourage women and girls to become involved in peacebuilding and civil society building, are essential for development.

2010 marked ten years of UN resolution 1325 and civil society drew up 10 suggestions to further implementation of SCR 1325 and related Women, Peace and Security (WPS) commitments in and by Europe:

1. Prioritise, enable and strengthen the participation of women in peace and security matters
2. Include a set of minimum standards in all WPS action plans / strategies
3. Engage civil society organisations in the development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of WPS plans
4. Include meaningful indicators and M&E mechanisms in WPS action plans and strategies
5. Allocate specific WPS resources (financial and human)
6. Appoint a high-level representative on women, peace and security
7. Ensure that the European External Action Service contributes to further implementation of SCR 1325 and related resolutions, and functions in line with WPS commitments
8. Strengthen the EU Task Force on WPS to further coordination and implementation
9. Ensure implementation of WPS commitments in CSDP missions
10. Prepare an annual report on European implementation of WPS commitments