New Database Additions  Summary Title Gender and Conflict Early Warning: a Framework for Action Author Schmeidl, S. and Piza-Lopez, E. Publication Date June2002 Publisher International Alert Summary Early warning systems are playing an ever more important role in the international arena, in identifying areas at risk from violent conflict. Such analysis now increasingly concentrates on the grassroots level, working with major stakeholders and cooperating with local partners. However gender remains largely absent in the pre-conflict context and early warning exercises, including the development of response options. To engender early warning, gender sensitive indicators have to be incorporated into information collection and subsequent analysis. This will capture previously overlooked signs of instability and will concentrate early warning at a grassroots level. It is also crucial that gender analysis and perspectives are incorporated into the formulation of response options so that discriminatory polices are not perpetuated in post-conflict situations or new freedoms reversed. The paper also proposes a list of gender-sensitive early warning indicators and concludes with a set of recommendations for future research and action, with particular emphasis on conducting empirical tests on the assumptions put forth. Complete Document View PostScript Document (pdf)