priorities to guide their philanthropy and include projects that speak to social sectors of concern to women and men. In its monitoring role, the APRM is well placed to encourage countries to implement and monitor SDG 5 and 16 to fully realise women’s equal rights to economic resources, access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, as well as inheritance and natural resources. These rights should be secured in accordance with national laws and where these laws are lacking, legal reforms should be encouraged. Conflict has the propensity to change gender roles as men and women confront new realities and challenges caused by forced displacement, socio-economic hardships and loss of government services. The positive aspects of societal transformation where women’s increased agency emerges should be protected by government. Laws should be made that take into account women’s transformed gender roles to protect the rights of women and girls, widows and female headed households in the area of land, property, business and succession rights. The APRM reviews regularly identify the need to address climate change as an overarching issue, although the analyses do not necessarily integrate gender analyses. Women’s adaptative capacities should be enhanced through principles of inclusive natural resource governance. By including women’s increased leadership in water and natural resource governance, decisions made over access and control can take into account women’s specific needs. Involving communities in developing adaptive capacities and peacebuilding strategies for competing use of natural resources will contribute to sustainable peace. Increasingly attention is being paid to the manner in which conflict, especially violent or armed conflict affects women and men. The narrative of victimhood of women is shifting to view more broadly women’s experiences as a heterogenous group. The experiences of women as peacebuilders, survivors, combatants and returnees require a reconfiguration of societal constructions.355 The state’s role in facilitating society dialogues around peacebuilding and reconstruction can provide the basis for a renewed vision of peace for Africa’s citizens 355 Bouta T, Frerks J `Women’s roles in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post conflict reconstruction’ Netherlands Institute of International Relations, The Hague 2002 115