A/HRC/23/44 peacemaking processes.43 Such participation is essential to effectively promoting and protecting human rights, preventing rights violations, achieving durable solutions, and supporting sustainable peace processes, post-conflict reconstruction and development.44 Ongoing participatory needs assessments and “bottom-up” participatory planning processes are essential to overcoming the “implementation gap” between gender policies and effective practice, and ensuring that nationally and internationally supported protection interventions complement women’s self-protection strategies and respond to their evolving needs and concerns. 43. However, opportunities for IDW to participate actively in decision-making processes remain particularly limited. For example, IDW have rarely played an active role in developing, implementing and monitoring national action plans on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), although IDW in a diverse range of contexts have demonstrated their ability and determination to play leading roles in developing and implementing policies and programmes concerning them.45 Unfortunately, the participatory approaches used to identify protection gaps of concern to IDW often do not extend to ensuring that they have an active say in the development, implementation and evaluation of responses to these gaps. IDW should therefore be given the opportunity to actively participate in peace processes; in negotiating durable solutions and the planning process for returns, reintegration or resettlement; and in post-conflict reconstruction and rebuilding. Participation of women in humanitarian planning should further reflect the diversity of the population and seek to include adolescent girls, youth and those with disabilities. 44. Strategies to strengthen the meaningful participation of IDW should also include constructive engagement of men in efforts to uphold IDW’s rights. Yet, this also remains an inadequately addressed challenge. Engaging men in women’s economic empowerment programmes has in some instances proven advantageous because it has increased men’s support for the initiatives, but it also raises the risk of men assuming control of the process.46 Similarly, when IDPs are consulted on development and implementation of protection and assistance programmes, IDW may often defer to men as the community’s representatives if separate consultations are not convened.47 Identification and exchange of good practices, effective awareness-raising programmes and creative approaches to engaging men and boys to work alongside and support IDW should be a fundamental pillar of protection and assistance efforts. 48 45. Beyond consultation and participation processes, mobilization of IDW to actively assert their rights can play a critical role in advancing and sustaining equitable assistance, 43 44 45 46 47 48 Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1889 (2009); UNHCR, Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls (2008). Council resolution 20/9. Leslie Dwyer and Rufa Cagoco-Guiam, Gender and Conflict in Mindanao (2011, Asia Foundation), p. 27; summary of general discussion from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women meeting on the protection of women’s human rights in conflict and post-conflict contexts (in which IDW participated), New York, 18 July 2011. Lesley Abdela, Case Study: Nepal. United Nations Security Council resolution 1325: Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding and Governance (Vienna/Kathmandu, 2011, CARE International), p. 11; Gary Barker and Jennifer Schulte, Engaging Men as Allies in Women’s Economic Empowerment: Strategies and Recommendations for CARE Country Offices, (CARE Norway, 2010). Brookings-Bern Project, Moving Beyond Rhetoric. For example, see IRC, Part of the Solution: Engaging Men as Partners to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls-- Principles and Promising Practice (2009); Men’s Resources International, Engaging Men in Ending Gender-Based Violence in Liberia: Case Study and Promising Practices: Male Involvement Project - Year One. 15