Progressing from why women should be included in peace processes to how is the theme of this opinion piece. This article looks at historical peace agreements for Bougainville and Aceh to show what textual changes could have been made to realise gender inclusivity. The author, women’s rights expert and peacemaking analyst Antonia Potter, looks at the language used in agreements and suggests how inclusion can help improve the practice of peacemaking. She provides drafters of peace agreements with some suggestions for achievable ‘quick wins’.

This opinion piece is the fifth and final in a series commissioned from leading practitioners and analysts of mediation and peacemaking, gender relations, international security and peace processes. It has been published as part of the HD Centre’s «Women at the Peace Table: Asia Pacific» project, which has, over the course of 2009-2011, examined strategies for enhancing the contributions of women to peace processes in the region, and areas where greater attention to gender in peacemaking can be achieved.