Conflict management and resolution mechanisms in times of peace extend to governance sectors including legislatures, judiciaries, public administration, electoral bodies and traditional justice mechanisms. In varying degrees, countries display divergent approaches in the inclusion and participation of women in these sectors. In practice governments’ responses to violent conflict often bypass existing governance structures to form politically expedient teams to negotiate the cessation of violence with combatants and government dignitaries during intrastate or interstate conflict. In these instances, the participation of women on an equal basis as men is not guaranteed nor the integration of gender issues in negotiated outcomes, with implications for post conflict sustainable peace. Siloed peace processes that are not based on broad based participation of men and women often result in gender neutral or blind outcomes. . Women’s contributions to governance and peacebuilding are fundamental as a matter of democratic, legal and human rights. As a population that is specifically targeted and disproportionately affected during violence, women’s participation and voice in developing durable solutions to conflict prevention, management and resolution is critical. However, challenges abound in the application and implementation of these rights. The structural domination of men over women in governance and peace processes is likely to produce outcomes that are not informed by women’s lived realities and cannot eradicate structural gender violence. By excluding women’s peacebuilding leaders and organisations from formal spaces and processes, their contributions, drawn from decades of experience in peacebuilding in informal and grassroots spaces, are under exploited, including the social capital that comes with their strong networks. The study seeks to examine the key governance processes that are critical for supporting and promoting gender equality in conflict prevention and management with a view to identifying essential entry points and policy direction for the APRM as it implements its mandate. The critical role of the APRM in providing upstream and downstream linkages to effect AU objectives demands an integrated response to its mandate and work with Member states. Hufty (2008) proposes five analytical tools within the governance analytical framework around problems, social norms, actors, interaction spaces and processes. Analyses 14