Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
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UNSC RESOLUTION 1325 WOMEN, WAR AND UNITED NATIONS NEWS RESOURCES ORGANIZATIONS INITIATIVES
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Women often resist the return to traditional gender roles when their society is emerging from conflict; some seize the opportunity and advance gender equality. We highlight several outstanding examples in this edition of 1325 PeaceWomen E-News. The work of Etweda “Sugars” Cooper, the recently announced winner of the “1325 Award” (item 3) shows how women can further women’s rights, particularly in this post-conflict context. Beyond her remarkable efforts to involve women in bringing peace to Liberia, Ms. Cooper also demonstrated how 1325 can be used as an effective tool to empower women in post-conflict settings – she used the resolution as a justification in lobbying for a 30% quota for women in party political nominations. This sort of initiative is a concrete example of what is meant by 1325’s call for a “gender perspective” in post-conflict reconstruction. The vagueness of the term “gender perspective” and the fact that the resolution itself provides little concrete guidance on this is should not be used as an excuse for inaction. This newsletter features two valuable resources (item 5) in this regard. The recent study on gender, justice and truth commissions sets out useful lessons from several truth commissions. The popularity of this form of transitional justice mechanism, and the fact that they are a powerful reconstruction and reconciliation tool, necessitates that truth commissions also incorporate a gender perspective. INSTRAW’s new guide on women, peace and security is another welcome resource. Hopefully governments and other policy makers will take full advantage of the recommendations, practical steps and good examples it provides. In bringing a gender perspective to post-conflict reconstruction, it is vital that 1325 not be seen in isolation. It can very effectively be used in conjunction with the Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to promote gender equality. PeaceWomen’s analysis of two recent conflict affected countries reports’(item 4), the DRC and Georgia, to the CEDAW Committee demonstrates the links between 1325 and CEDAW. Post-conflict recovery requires development. It is vital that gender equality be made a top priority from the start for any development to be sustainable. Regrettably, governments did
not make this crucial link between gender equality and development
during the recent general debate at the start of the 61st Session
of the General Assembly. Although the general debate focused on
“Implementing a Global Partnership for Development,”
most delegates failed to mention women and gender. PeaceWomen’s
2006 GA General Debate “Gender Index” (item 5) includes
all references to women and gender in statements delivered during
the debate. We do applaud and look forward to advancing gender with
the new President of the General Assembly, Sheika Haya Rashed Al
Khalifa. She is the first woman to hold the position in decades
and one of only 3 ever to do so. There remains, however, a serious
need for increased participation of women at all levels of decision-making
(including at the highest levels at the UN) – a fact emphasized
by several of our featured news items (item 1). Calls for participation
and voices of congratulations when a woman manages to make it to
a position of power are, however, not enough. A fully integrated
gender perspective is essential in post-conflict reconstruction
and in all development. That governments do not even acknowledge
this in their rhetoric is disappointing to say the least. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • As always we welcome your contributions to the newsletter’s content. The newsletter is sent out at the end of each month. We will feature the deadline for submissions for the next edition in each newsletter. Contributions for the October edition should be sent to enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org by Thursday 12 October 2006. UN
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HEARS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SIRLEAF
URGES NEW OPERATING STRUCTURES FOR UN AFRICA:
WOMEN LEADERS MEET IN MAPUTO FIGHTING
POVERTY, UN REFORM TO TOP GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA, SAYS NEW PRESIDENT
TIME
FOR A WOMAN AT THE UN RICE
NETWORKS WITH WOMEN LEADERS AS U.N. MEETS CENTRAL
AFRICA: HUMANITARIAN ISSUES KEY TO RESTORING PEACE, UN OFFICIAL
SAYS FIRST
GREELEY PEACE PRIZE AWARDED TO LIBERIAN WOMEN'S GROUP
U.N.
OFFICIAL WANTS CONGO RAPES PUNISHED UN
CHIEF TALKS WITH LRA DEPUTY OTTI 20
WOMEN ARRESTED AT PROTEST IN SOMALIA A
BLIND EYE TO GENOCIDE THERE'S
QUIET BUT NO PEACE FOR
DARFUR WOMEN, SURVIVAL MEANS LEAVING CAMP, RISKING RAPE NORWEGIAN
NGO PROMOTES WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS ANOTHER
COURT VICTORY FOR WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE ARISE CANADIAN
TROOPS IN HAITI ACCUSED OF MAKING DEATH, RAPE THREATS HONOUR
KILLINGS ON THE RISE NOBEL
PEACE WINNER THREATENED WITH ARREST CAN
WOMEN PLAY PEACEMAKERS IN KASHMIR? PAKISTAN
RAPE REFORM FAILS AFTER MUSHARRAF CAVES IN INDIAN
WOMEN TO KEEP LIBERIA PEACE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • For
more country-specific women, peace and security news, CLICK
HERE
ETWEDA COOPER ANNOUNCED AS WINNER OF “1325 AWARD” On 13 September 2006, Etweda Cooper, nominated by UNMIL’s senior gender advisor, was announced as the winner of The Dutch Women in Conflict Situations and Peacekeeping Taskforce 1325 Award. This award aims to honour and encourage an individual or a civil society organization in a conflict country or region that has developed groundbreaking and effective initiatives to promote the rights of women and to increase their participation at decision-making levels in peace processes. The Women in Conflict Situations and Peacekeeping Taskforce monitors and enhances the implementation of resolution 1325 in the Netherlands. With the 1325 Award the Taskforce wants to honour the important work of civil society women in conflict resolution and peace movements. Women in conflict areas are the first to raise the issue of conflict-related gender problems and bear the greatest risks in forwarding an agenda of peace. The 1325 Award, comprising prize
money, a work of art commissioned for the occasion and a tour
through the Netherlands to present the winner’s work, is
a one-off prize granted to an individual or a civil society organization
that has effectively and innovatively contributed to the promotion
of women’s rights and the increase of their participation
at decision-making levels in peace processes. All nominated organizations and individuals do work that is important to the cause of women. Sometimes their work is closely related to Resolution 1325, sometimes organizations address gender or peace issues in a more general way. Sometimes an organization affects the life of many, sometimes the impact is more focused. Comparing the work of very different organizations / individuals to one another is always very difficult. In this case, those nominees with the highest scores on all criteria made it to the shortlist. According to the jury, all shortlisted nominees definitely meet the minimal requirements to be awarded. Yet, after some debate, the jury thought one candidate scored best on all primary and secondary criteria: Etweda “Sugars” Cooper. Under very difficult circumstances, Ms. Cooper succeeded in advocating women’s voices in peace negotiations, post-conflict processes and political institutions. Furthermore, the jury thinks Ms. Cooper plays an important part in the implementation of resolution 1325 and will continue to do so. She uses the resolution as a legal and international ‘weapon’ for her cause, but she also strifes to have the resolution embedded in legislative and political bodies in her country. Because of that, she inspires local, national and international actors to really act on Resolution 1325. She is firmly rooted in a influential organization, she has the power to influence large and diverse audiences and she has the charisma to unite people into peace.
Winner’s Profile: Etweda “Sugars” Cooper, Liberia Women Initiative Etweda Cooper, also called “Sugars”
is known for her speaking out: she shows no remorse for her stance
on issues of politics and human rights as they relate to women
and children. Because of her leadership skills and ability to
quickly organize and mobilize she proved to be the right person
to let out the frustration of women who were being victimized
during the hay days of the civil war in Liberia. In response to
that and the stalemate in the peace process, she and other women
founded the Liberia Women Initiative in 1994 to advocate for disarmament
and free and fair elections but also to bring pressure to bear
on stakeholders for the inclusion of women in negotiating a settlement
of the Liberian conflict. Ms. Cooper was also at the forefront
in lobbying the National Elections Commission and Legislature
for 30% party nomination of women candidates in political parties
using UN Security Council Resolution 1325 as justification and
participated in the actual drafting of said Guidelines. Part of
the strategy to enhance and increase women’s participation
in the election was training women in leadership and campaign
strategies. She mobilized women to register as voters and to vote
for a woman president and women Legislators in both rounds of
the 2005 elections. The result was a 50%+50 women voters and a
woman as president. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Shortlisted Candidates: Seven nominated individuals or organizations were selected for the shortlist of the 1325 Award. The other shortlisted candidates were: • Shobha Gautam,
Institute of Human Rights Communication, Nepal Nominated by:International
Alert, United Kingdom For Profiles and the assessment
of all candidates please visit: For more on the 1325 Award and
the Women in Conflict Situations and Peacekeeping Taskforce please
visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • For more women, peace and security initiatives – in country, regional, global and international, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/global/index.html
CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN 36th Session,7-25 August, 2006 The thirty-sixth session of the CEDAW Committee took place between 7-25 August 2006. Under new working methods, the Committee sat in parallel chambers in order to conduct a review of the 15 reports submitted for its consideration. LINKING THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF CEDAW TO RESOLUTION 1325 Among the countries whose reports were under review in the 36th session were the Democratic Republic of Congo and Georgia, both countries affected by armed conflict. In two brief reports (extracts from which appear below) we highlight the ways in which SCR 1325 can support the implementation of CEDAW obligations in these two countries. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Progress and challenges The government, in its Report to the CEDAW committee, highlighted various steps that have been taken to integrate the provisions of CEDAW into the country’s laws, policies and structures. It was noted that the convention and its principles had been endorsed by the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, the peace negotiations that laid the foundation for the country’s post-conflict transition. As such CEDAW had become part of the policy framework for the establishment of the country’s transitional government. The country’s newly promulgated Constitution requires the State to take measures to ensure the full participation of women in all areas, to combat violence against them, and to ensure the right of women to be significantly represented in institutions at all levels. However, the government acknowledged major hurdles in the achievement of these goals. The process of legislative reform to eliminate gender discriminatory laws is lagging and is not recognized as a priority by the government. There is a major challenge in changing attitudes and stereotypes among leaders and members of society with regards to the right and capacity of women to participate equally in political and economic activities. Further, the government noted, the achievement of women’s rights was hampered by the social and economic conditions brought by two decades of conflict. The war has exacerbated women’s traditionally low status in society, and the high rates of violence against women and impunity for such violence have contributed to their low involvement in public and political life. For the full report please visit: GEORGIA: The impact of conflict on the status
of women Participation in governance For the full report please visit: Other countries whose reports were under review were: Cape Verde; Chile; China; Cuba; The Czech Republic; Denmark; Ghana; Jamaica; Mauritius; Mexico; Philippines; Moldova; and Uzbekistan. For more information on the 36th session,
including links to state party reports, the Committee’s
concluding comments and NGO shadow reports, please visit:
Gender
& Disarmament Indices of the UN General Assembly General
Debate, September 19-29, 2006 The PeaceWomen & Reaching Critical Will teams have and continue to monitor statements delivered during the General Debate of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly. The indices contain relevant excerpts and links to full statements via the UN Website. The Gender Index includes all
references to gender, women, females, girls, gender equality,
violence against women and participation. The Disarmament Index includes
all references to: arms control, disarmament, multilateralism,
?nuclear energy, nuclear weapon free zones, security, proliferation,
terrorism and weapons. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Guide on Women, Peace
and Security To commemorate the International Day of Peace, September 21st 2006, the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) offers a new manual on how to create a successful action plan on women, peace and security. Designed as a resource for governments, international and regional agencies and civil society organizations, the guide-"Securing Equality, Engendering Peace: A guide to policy and planning on women, peace and security"-provides good practices, specific recommendations and a practical six-step model process. For the full report please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Gender, Justice and
Truth Commissions Truth commissions (TCs) are formed to investigate human rights violations that occur during armed conflict or under repressive regimes. When their work ends, TCs report their findings, along with recommendations for reparations and prevention of future abuses. By taking a gender-sensitive approach to its work, a commission can differentiate between the causes and consequences of human rights violations for men and women and design a gender-sensitive program of reparations. This study reviewed the gender-related aspects of the work of TCs in Peru, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, as expressed in their daily work, in the drafting of the commission’s mandate, in the participation of civil society institutions, and in the preparation of the final report. The three country experiences were selected as informative examples. Following a description of the experiences in the three countries, this study focuses on the Peruvian case to illustrate how the formal and informal justice systems1 have responded to the gender-relevant findings of the TC. The study also provides general suggestions for the consideration of World Bank staff, particularly in the incorporation of gender issues into the Bank’s postconflict interventions in relevant sectors. Finally, the study reviews some basic indicators of progress and impact in Bank-financed interventions in post-conflict and transitional settings. in the incorporation of a gender perspective in a TC. For the full report please visit:
NGOWG
Marks the 6th Anniversary of SCR 1325 in October • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (NGOWG) was established in May 2000 to call for a United Nations Security Council resolution on women, peace and security. Following the unanimous adoption of resolution 1325 in October 2000, the group began the difficult work of pressing for its full implementation. The NGOWG currently consists of Amnesty International, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Gender and Security International Research Network, Hague Appeal for Peace, International Alert, International Women’s Tribune Center, Women’s Action for New Directions, the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, Women’s Division of General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, Women’s Environment and Development Organization, and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. •
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• • • • • • • • Delegation Of Israeli, Palestinian And International Women Leaders Achieve Historic Agreement On Principles For Middle East Peace And Urge International Support. A delegation of top Israeli, Palestinian and international women leaders arrived at the United Nations on September 20th to meet with President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen, at a time when Finland holds the Presidency of the European Union, in an effort to marshal high-level political pressure to restart negotiations in the region. Joining the President of Finland will be President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Africa’s first elected woman head of state, who traveled to the occupied Palestinian territory in 2001 to hear the stories of women living in conflict as part of the Independent Experts’ Assessment on the impact of war on women, commissioned by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). It is hoped that together these leaders, representing both the North and the South, can begin to focus international attention on the need to resolve the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict so as to prevent broader conflict in the region. Taking advantage of the opening of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, they will also meet with Mr. Amr Moussa, who heads the League of Arab States, and with critical foreign ministers, as well as with high-level UN officials. The International Women's Commission
for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IWC) convened
in 2005 by Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Director of UNIFEM,
at the urging of Israeli and Palestinian women leaders, was
established to ensure the meaningful participation of women
in mainstream peace negotiations. IWC maintains that implementing
UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which mandates women's
involvement in conflict resolution, is critical to restarting
negotiations and improving their outcomes. The IWC charter stresses
the goal of bringing an end to Israeli occupation through immediate
final status negotiations, leading to a viable sovereign Palestinian
state alongside the state of Israel. Since its inception, IWC
has succeeded in joining women living in different realities
and experiences to speak out on the most difficult political
issues in one voice.
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• • • • • • • • Conference
on Gender and Migration For more information, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • "Bleeding Afghanistan:
Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence." -
Book Tour Afghan Women's Mission Co-Directors, Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls have written a new book about US policy in Afghanistan, "Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence." The books will be available in bookstores across the US and Canada by mid-October. The authors are embarking on a book tour to Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver, Austin, Boston, Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood, and more. All proceeds from book sales will benefit the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (www.afghanwomensmission.org) For further details and dates, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Who speaks for the common
good? Highlights include: Opening Plenary, ‘The role of religion in seeking the Common Good’. The conference features Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, in New York; Ibrahim Malik Abdil-Mu’id Ramey, Coordinator of the Peace and Disarmament Program at the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Board Member of the temple of Understanding and of the Muslim Peace Fellowship; Dara Silverman, Executive Director, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice; M.P. Mathai, School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India. Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America; Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor of Politics and Sociology, CUNY. Film from Japan, “Marines Go Home!” and discussion. For more information, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Feminist Legal Theory
and Practice Training of Trainers APWLD has been conducting Feminist Legal Theory and Practice (FLTP) Training since 1994. The training seeks to challenge the traditional notion that law is a neutral, objective, and rational set of rules, unaffected by the perspective of those who possess the power inherent in the legal institutions. It seeks to address the social, cultural and political contexts that shape the legal system. The basic thrust of the training is: feminism as its core, human rights as its foundation and law as an arena of women's struggle. For more information, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The
World Bank Institute: Gender, Health and Poverty E-learning
Course for South Asia The course is designed for senior and mid-level officials and policy makers working on health or poverty issues in national governments, national and international NGO's, and bi-lateral and multi-lateral donor agencies in South Asia. This course will review the analytical base and examine global best practices to better address gender, health and poverty issues in national policies and programs. For more information, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • WomenLead in Promoting
Peace and Stability This workshop is organized by CEDPA WomenLead in Promoting Peace and Stability strengthens the technical expertise, leadership abilities and program management skills of women working to transform post-conflict societies. When countries emerge from conflict, there is a window of opportunity to advance women’s leadership, foster democratic culture and create new policy frameworks, governing structures and institutions. Enhancing the leadership, management and advocacy skills of women ensures that they are able to effectively participate in and shape peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction. Their involvement improves stability, ensures accountability and fosters government inclusiveness. For more information on this event, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Institute for Peace
and Justice Women Peacemakers Conference Co-Convened byJoan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) For more information on this event, please http://peace.sandiego.edu/events/womenpeace/application.php
For the complete calendar, CLICK HERE. The
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