When Donald Steinberg served as U.S. Ambassador to Angola from 1995 to 1998, he was confronted with a harsh reality: excluding women from peace processes designed to end a quarter century of civil war had devastating consequences for the Angolan people and contributed to the failure of the agreement he helped negotiate.
The Angolan peace agreement initially promised to end a war that had cost a half million lives, but ultimately crumbled within four years. “As a result, the agreement granted 13 separate amnesties that forgave each party for war crimes and abuses committed during the conflict.” Ambassador Steinberg points to this lack of accountability for human rights violations against women and children as a critical oversight.
Women and other marginalized groups have deep-rooted connections within communities, provide ground truth, and are instrumental in dialogue and reconciliation at the grassroots level. Their absence from the Angolan peace process meant that root causes of the conflict were neglected and the accord lacked broader societal buy-in necessary for success. This oversight resulted in a top-down peace process that was disconnected from the realities on the ground, ultimately contributing to its collapse.
“To create peace processes without the full participation of women is not only foolish and violates their rights, but it simply does not work. Processes that exclude women are 60% more likely to fail within 10 years,” he shares, citing a study by the United Nations.
These realizations became a turning point in Ambassador Steinberg’s career, driving him to advocate for the inclusion of women in peace processes. He has become a staunch champion for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, beginning with his involvement in the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in 2000. This landmark resolution emphasizes the importance of women’s participation in peace and security efforts, and calls for the protection of women and girls from gender-based violence in conflict situations.
Throughout the years, Ambassador Steinberg’s dedication to the WPS agenda led to his service on the UN Secretary General’s Civil Society Advisory Group for Women, Peace and Security, where he worked alongside prominent figures like former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security Bineta Diop to develop actionable strategies for implementing UNSCR 1325. He was also co-chair of the board of the Women’s Refugee Commission, deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, president of World Learning, and deputy president of the International Crisis Group. Through these and other roles, he has engaged in more than a dozen peace processes world-wide.
Today, Ambassador Steinberg continues his advocacy as the executive director of the Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security (MAWPS) initiative, supported by Our Secure Future (OSF). This project uses male allyship to promote the participation and leadership of women in global peace efforts and security decision-making. Through MAWPS, OSF is working to guarantee that the lessons learned from Angola and other conflicts inform future peacebuilding efforts, promoting a more inclusive perspective on global peace and security.
Engaging Men to be Allies in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
“The concept behind mobilizing allies for women, peace, and security derives from the fact that men tend to be the gatekeepers for peace processes around the world. When conflict breaks down, and you start to try to bring the parties together, generally men lead that process,” Ambassador Steinberg observes, acknowledging the systemic barriers that prevent women from participating in these crucial discussions.
Through the MAWPS initiative, OSF is working to transform men’s traditional roles in peace processes by educating and empowering them to push for women’s inclusion.
Steinberg explains. More than 250 global partners have committed to use their influence and connections to implement the MAWPS mission to empower women and integrate their perspectives into peace processes.
Challenges in Male Allyship
Male allyship in the WPS agenda faces several challenges, primarily stemming from skewed perceptions and misunderstandings. For instance, some men do not know how to start advocating for women’s engagement in peace processes. Ambassador Steinberg counters this notion, stating that the barriers to male allyship are more perceived than real.
For instance, many men believe that advocating for women’s roles in peace processes requires extensive expertise or formal roles, when in reality, allyship can begin with simple actions such as listening to women’s experiences and more importantly, a willingness to learn and collaborate with women.
Another significant challenge is the lack of understanding among men regarding the prejudice and discrimination faced by women. Ambassador Steinberg acknowledges that many men, including himself, struggle to fully grasp the discrimination that women endure. This gap in understanding can lead to miscommunications and a propensity for men to dominate conversations inadvertently. Overcoming this hurdle requires men to actively listen to women’s experiences, helping their allyship become supportive rather than overshadowing.
Furthermore, the challenge of male privilege persists, often hindering genuine allyship. To this end, men must recognize that their involvement in the WPS agenda is not about taking center-stage. Instead, it is about supporting women’s leadership and perspectives.
Ambassador Steinberg stresses the importance of proving one’s intention, stating that the path to effective male allyship involves continuous self-reflection and commitment to dismantling the structures perpetuating inequality. This way, women’s voices are heard and heeded in peace processes.
Education is a powerful tool to dismantle misconceptions and equip men with the knowledge and skills to support women. “The power of education, the power to see the impact that this is having on other people, is undeniable.”
When men know the realities of gender discrimination and the benefits of inclusive peacebuilding, initiatives like MAWPS can bridge the gap between intention and action. This is why OSF also holds training programs and workshops to teach male allies to challenge their biases and privileges.
Expanding Networks and Scaling Impact for Greater Inclusion
Our Secure Future’s MAWPS program has successfully built a diverse coalition of partners from across various sectors, including diplomacy, defense, academia, and civil society. This coalition works together to promote women’s meaningful participation in peace negotiations, peace operations, and post-conflict reconstruction by facilitating women’s access to power structures, monitoring government actions, supporting grassroots women’s organizations, and sharing best practices within the WPS community. With its members’ strengths, MAWPS can advocate for gender equality on a global scale.
Additionally, informed by insights from the “Not The Usual Suspects: Engaging Male Champions of Women, Peace, and Security” report, the MAWPS program aims to systematically integrate male allies into its efforts, recognizing that their involvement is needed to dismantle systemic barriers to gender equality.
The report’s emphasis on mentorship, partnership, and the dissemination of best practices provides a roadmap for engaging men in meaningful ways. This improves the effectiveness of peace and security initiatives and inspires a collaborative environment where both men and women can contribute to sustainable peace. MAWPS is better positioned to advocate for transformative change within power structures by actively involving male champions.
The initiative’s plans include expanding its network of 250 organizations and individuals to include more marginalized populations, such as people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, and indigenous groups, creating peace processes that represent all societal groups.
Learning from Past Experiences to Shape Future Peace Efforts
Ambassador Steinberg’s experiences in Angola and other conflict zones have provided valuable insights into the importance of women’s participation in peace processes.
“There are many situations in West Africa, including Liberia and Sierra Leone, where women stepped forward in the peace processes. Notable examples were Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia and Leymah Gbowee, both of whom won the Nobel Prize for their efforts.” These examples certify the transformative result of women’s leadership in peacebuilding negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction.
OSF and MAWPS plan to rely on data-driven insights to expand their impact and address ongoing challenges in male allyship. According to Ambassador Steinberg, the following years will be a period of consolidating and quantifying the lessons learned, applying them more broadly, and taking these efforts to scale. The initiative can transform global peace efforts through these strategies, guaranteeing that women’s voices become the foundation for shaping a more equitable world.
