Course Duration: 6 weeks
Introduction
This course offers a critical and comparative introduction to transitional justice in African contexts. It examines how societies respond to past violence through both judicial and non judicial approaches, including truth seeking, criminal accountability and reparations.
Participants engage with key debates in the field, including the relationship between peace, justice, accountability and reconciliation. The course also introduces different theories of justice, including restorative, retributive, reparative and social justice, and considers how these inform practice.
Attention is given to the tensions between international and local approaches, and to the complex realities of post conflict settings where the distinction between victim and perpetrator is not always clear.
Course Curriculum
Week 1
Origins of the Women, Peace & Security Agenda
Understanding the political and historical context that led to the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the emergence of gender-focused peacebuilding frameworks.
Week 2
Prevention
Exploring early warning systems, structural drivers of conflict, and gender-responsive approaches to conflict prevention.
Week 3
Protection
Examining mechanisms designed to protect women and vulnerable communities during conflict and post-conflict reconstruction.
Week 4
Participation
Investigating the role of women’s leadership and representation in peace negotiations, governance processes, and security institutions.
Week 5
Relief & Recovery
Understanding post-conflict recovery frameworks, transitional justice mechanisms, and the role of gender-responsive reconstruction policies.
Week 6
Localising the WPS Agenda
Examining case studies where grassroots organisations and local actors have developed local action plans and alternative approaches to implementing the WPS framework in African contexts.
Course Details
Start Date: 5 August 2026
Duration: 6 weeks
Effort: 2-4 hrs per week
Instructor
Convenor of the Justice and Transformation Programme in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa.
