The UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Resolution A/RES/76/305 on Financing for Peacebuilding in September 2022. It encourages Member States to consider innovative solutions for “adequate, predictable and sustainable” financing of peacebuilding efforts. More importantly, it urges efforts to fund initiatives that integrate women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in the planning, implementation, and reporting of peacebuilding programming. It also encourages other UN and non-UN funding mechanisms to increase their percentage of peacebuilding funding dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls (A/RES/76/305, OP 6). The “Feminist Solutions for More Impactful Financing for Peacebuilding” paper, published in December 2021, outlines many of the recommendations presented in the Resolution.
On October 27, 2022, the Feminist Financing Group brought together representatives of Member States, the UN, and civil society for the first time since the adoption of the Financing Resolution to discuss concrete actions for more meaningful inclusion of women in decision-making around developing and implementing funding priorities. The discussion highlighted the significance of multi-year and flexible funding mechanisms. It also emphasized the important role of international financial institutions (IFIs) and the private sector in building and sustaining peace and called for enhanced strategic partnerships between the UN and IFIs.
Recommendations for Strengthening Feminist Financing
- Include women in defining funding practices
- Initiate women-led conversations on financing for peacebuilding
- Demand the inclusion of women-led organizations as a prerequisite for funding
- Simplify reporting and proposal requirements
- Collaborate with and engage existing initiatives, including the Feminist Foreign Policy+ group
- Spotlight women and youth to determine funding priorities
- Establish a donor coordination group to lead policy change
- Engage embassies for financing peacebuilding work
- Strengthen collaboration between IFIs and the UN
