The Role of the African Union in Fostering Women's Representation in Formal Peacebuilding : A Case Study of Sierra Leone

Africa appears to have improved women's representation in political processes in the continent in the wake of feminization of public decision-making in the 1990s. However, women's representation in formal peacebuilding structures and processes remains low essentially because most of them are more involved in informal peacebuilding activities in their various communities which often do not get recognized. Although continental governance bodies such as the African Union (AU) have made some policy efforts to address this, the disconnect between formal and informal peacebuilding work remains both in policy and practice. This paper explores women's informal peacebuilding activities in Africa using the specific example of Sierra Leone. It concludes by suggesting how women's informal peace activities can be mainstreamed into formal peacebuilding processes within the continent by the African Union.