Feministička ideologija i međunarodni odnosi - uvođenje rodne perspektive prilikom posredovanja Ujedinjenih nacija u rešavanju oružanih sukoba

The paper is based on the premise that feminist theories of international relations have made a fundamental contribution to rethinking traditional understandings of peace, security, and mediation in the resolution of armed conflicts. Unlike realist and liberal approaches, which have generally viewed peace processes as negotiations among political and military elites, feminist theories argue that both conflicts and peace processes are deeply shaped by gendered power relations. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of liberal, radical, poststructuralist, and intersectional feminism, the paper demonstrates that a gender perspective constitutes an analytical framework that enables a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of armed conflicts, their consequences, and the conditions for building sustainable peace. Particular attention is devoted to analyzing the evolution of the United Nations approach to mediation in the resolution of armed conflicts. The research shows that over the past two decades significant normative progress has been achieved, primarily through the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions forming the basis of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. At the same time, numerous manuals, guidelines, and operational documents have been developed to integrate a gender perspective into all phases of mediation, from conflict analysis and negotiation preparation to the conclusion and implementation of peace agreements. Consequently, the gender perspective has become an integral component of the normative framework governing contemporary United Nations mediation. The analysis of the academic literature indicates that there is no full consensus regarding the effects of this approach. A substantial body of research suggests that women's participation and inclusive peace processes enhance the legitimacy of peace negotiations, broaden the range of issues included on negotiation agendas, and increase the likelihood that peace agreements will prove sustainable over the long term. The inclusion of women, civil society organizations, and local communities enables peace processes to address issues of human security, civilian protection, transitional justice, the return of displaced persons, and the restoration of social trust issues that have often been overlooked in traditional diplomatic negotiations. At the same time, critical and feminist scholarship highlights numerous limitations. Although normative standards have been significantly strengthened, their implementation in practice remains inconsistent and largely depends on the political will of states, the mandates of mediators, the characteristics of individual conflicts, and the broader geopolitical environment. In many peace processes, women's participation continues to be limited or merely symbolic, while the gender perspective is frequently reduced to fulfilling formal requirements without exerting a substantive influence on the content of negotiations or decision-making. Research also demonstrates that increasing the numerical representation of women does not automatically result in more inclusive peace processes unless accompanied by genuine opportunities for equal participation in shaping peace agreements. The findings indicate that the success of integrating a gender perspective cannot be measured solely by the number of women participating in peace negotiations or by the inclusion of gender-sensitive provisions in peace agreements. More meaningful indicators include the actual degree of inclusiveness of the peace process, the influence of diverse social groups on decision-making, the integration of human security concerns into peace agreements, and the long term capacity of postconflict institutions to preserve peace. In this sense, a gender perspective should be understood as a means of improving the quality of mediation rather than as an independent key factor of successful peace outcomes. The research confirms that the greatest contribution of feminist theories lies in expanding the understanding of security and mediation beyond the traditional state-centric framework. These theories have demonstrated that lasting peace cannot be achieved without the inclusion of diverse societal actors and without recognizing the different ways in which armed conflicts affect women, men, and other social groups. At the same time, the paper shows that the institutional approach of the United Nations has incorporated many of these ideas, although their practical implementation continues to be constrained by numerous political, institutional, and cultural factors. The principal conclusion of the paper is that the introduction of a gender perspective represents one of the most significant conceptual transformations in the development of contemporary United Nations mediation. However, its actual contribution depends not merely on the existence of a normative framework but on its consistent application throughout all stages of mediation, from conflict analysis to the implementation of peace agreements. A gender perspective does not constitute a universal model for resolving armed conflicts, but it can make a substantial contribution to more legitimate, inclusive, and sustainable peace processes when integrated as a constitutive element of mediation practice rather than treated solely as a normative requirement. Future research should focus on empirical analyses of specific peace processes in order to assess more precisely the actual impact of gender-responsive mediation on the durability of peace agreements and the consolidation of post-conflict peace.