this is a positive development yet such rights and particularly women s rights are unlikely to be rigorously enforced by law enforcement agencies as the institutions and personnel that are meant to safeguard human rights are in reality very difficult to change especially in traditional societies where women have not previously enjoyed social and political equality chapter they become aware of their political rights and the responsibilities they can and should shoulder in postconflict settings chapter postwar constitutions and laws should thus provide for formal gender equality and the legal underpinning for assuring women s right and duty to participate in the political life of society modest and sometimes symbolic steps taken to increase women s access and participation should translate into more significant and visible decisionmaking roles