Peace is a turning point; the moment when violence ends and societies begin again. However for many women, peace is never fully realised. Instead, violence shapeshifts, moving from public conflict into private and structural spaces where it becomes harder to see- and harder to challenge. Legal frameworks of states do more than just organise power, they dictate whose futures are protected.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended decades of conflict, establishing a power-sharing system between unionists and nationalists. While civil society activism later created space for participation, this came after key political and institutional frameworks were shaped, meaning many systems were not designed with women’s experiences in mind. Although widely supported in a referendum, power-sharing has proven fragile, limiting local democratic control and contributing to public disengagement.
Paramilitary violence has declined since 1998, but other forms of violence persist. Gender-based violence has increased, with domestic abuse remaining widespread, and informal systems of control can discourage reporting- leaving women without effective protection. Northern Ireland is now the second-most dangerous region for women in all of Europe, with women accounting for 90% of sexual offence victims and 67% of domestic abuse victims.
“Women in conflictual situations know that a cessation of military/political violence does not bring a cessation of all violence."
Political progress has not fully ensured safety, equality, or accountability for women. Power-sharing constrains both democracy and peacebuilding, limiting s efforts to advance gender equality. Broader gender equality initiatives have also been neglected. The British Abortion Act was not extended to Northern Ireland until 2018, and the Assembly repeatedly blocked changes to abortion laws.
This highlights the need to examine gender-based violence power-sharing contexts. Researchers studying women’s post-conflict experiences note a link between violent expressions of masculinity and the end of armed conflict. When violent outlets like war are removed, such behaviours often shift into domestic spaces. Power sharing addresses direct violence rather than sustainable peacebuilding.
McCulloh (2018) notes an emerging consensus that “power sharing… is bad for women”. Power sharing takes a gender-blind approach to conflict management and governance. Intended to secure stability in multi-ethnic states it can embed patriarchal norms within its structures. Power-sharing partners often discover that one of the few areas of agreement is the conservative rollback of women’s rights, especially regarding reproductive services. Women’s equality is often forfeited for the sake of community cohesion.
The persistence of gender-based violence in Northern Ireland highlights a broader truth. Ending armed conflict does not automatically dismantle the conditions that sustain violence. Social hierarchies and economic inequalities often persist. Women may remain financially dependent, socially constrained, or excluded from decision-making.
“Ending armed conflict does not automatically dismantle the conditions that sustain violence.”
At the heart of the issue is participation: who shapes the rules of a post-conflict society? Constitutions and legal frameworks are not neutral; They define rights, distribute power, and set the limits of state authority. When women are excluded from these processes, their needs are often overlooked. Inclusion must be more than symbolic.
It must influence laws, institutions, enforcement mechanisms and outcomes in ways that address women’s lived realities. In post-conflict societies, one lesson is clear: solutions must reflect reality. Efforts to address violence against women should recognise shared patterns of exclusion and context-specific conditions.
To avoid repetition of inequalities, women should participate at every stage of constitutional and political processes, clear legal protections against gender-based violence must be implemented, accountability mechanisms within institutions must be strengthened, and grassroots movements that amplify women’s voices must be supported.
These are not optional reforms. They are central to building a peace that is both durable and just. The message is clear: without women at the centre of peacebuilding, peace itself remains unfinished.
“Without women at the centre of peacebuilding, peace itself remains unfinished.”
Rosa Cafferky is a Law and Human Rights student at the University of Galway and a member of the STAND team. She looks forward to contributing articles, engaging with key global justice issues, and collaborating with a passionate and committed group of peers.
