Advocacy & Education Tools

Here are some some useful advocacy ideas on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 compiled by PeaceWomen Project.

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the February 2013 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council.

As you may know next year in March 2013, CSW will meet for its fifty-seventh session on the priority area: the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. Perhaps this online discussion would be a good forum to raise key WILPF issues related to militarization, proliferation of arms and structural violence. Between 23 July – 3 August 2012, a dynamic online discussion will bring together Civil Society Organisations and experts who work on violence against women around the world. By checking in online during the two weeks, they will answer questions and share thoughts on best practices, gaps and challenges in this field.

The compilation lists research materials dealing with the security and protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to document and monitor violations of women's rights, as well as manuals on the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at risk.

The United Nations Resolution 1820 was adopted by the Security Council fon June, 19 2008. The UNSCR 1820 confronts sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations. The key provisions of the resolution recognize a direct relationship between the widespread and/or systematic use of sexual violence as an instrument of conflict and the maintenance of international peace and security; commit the Security Council to considering appropriate steps to end such atrocities and to punish their perpetrators; and request a report from the Secretary General on situations in which sexual violence is being widely or systematically employed against civilians and on strategies for ending the practice.

The Checklist on Women's Participation and Gender Perspectives in Security Council Resolutions was developed during a Roundtable held in January 2004 at the Rockefeller Foundation, entitled “Towards International Peace and Human Security: Advancing Prevention, Participation and Protection in theWork of the Security Council.”

A Security Council Resolution is a commitment made by the United Nations and members states to take action on specific issues. Resolution 1325, passed on October 31, 2000, is the first UN Resolution that specifically highlights the impact of war and conflict on women and girls, and the importance of women's involvement in peacebuilding processes.

On 7th–8th September 2009 under the Initiative for Peacebuilding (IfP), the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and International Alert jointly organised a civil society conference on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Europe.

This toolkit is prepared by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security to increase our knowledge on UNSCR 1325 and what we can do to advocate for the imlementation of this resolution in our community.

On October31, 2000, the United Nations Security Council passed on Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and security.The resolution 1325 calls for Women participation in peace process, gender training in peacekeeping operations, protection of women and girls and respect of their rights, gender mainstreaming in the reporting and implementation of the UN relating to conflict peace and security.

The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) with support from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched a book titled: Freedom of Information and Women's Rights in Africa. The book is compilation of five case studies from five African countries namely; Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia, will help women's organisations as they organise around freedom of information in their respective countries.

Despite  UN  and  EU  documents  calling  for  the  elimination  of  inequalities  and  the  promotion  of  equality  between  women  and  men, the  inequality  between  women  and  men  is  very  much  present  and  can  be  observed  in  the  very  specific  forms  of  violence  witnessed  during  periods  of  conflict,  and  extended  after  it,  including sexualized  violence  in  war  and  violence  committed  in  the  aftermath  of  the  conflict  by  former soldiers. 

This glossary aims to contribute towards a general and clearer understanding of some of thefrequently used terms and concepts in relation to gender. It is addressed to policymakers,researchers, students and/or anyone interested in such issues. MIGS fullyacknowledges that the glossary is neither definite nor complete and that the reader's understandings of these terms will depend on her/his background and experiences. The terms listed below are constantly being developed and changed and we welcome additions.

This paper identifies four fields where the EU can promote women's political participation. First, it is crucial that the EU uses all its diplomatic power to promote the inclusion of women in peace negotiations to guarantee a more inclusive and representative settlement. Second, women's access to political spaces should be increased through more gender-sensitive electoral laws and processes, implementation of specific quotas and capacity building programmes for female candidates, as well as awareness-raising among political parties and the general public. Third, the EU can play an important role in supporting women's participation in civil society. Small civil society organisations (CSOs), in particular, have difficulties in accessing core funds. As a result, CSOs are unable to fulfil their watchdog role. Fourth, women's participation in peace processes, political institutions and CSOs can only be meaningful if it leads to more representative and inclusive policy, practice and outcomes. Meaningful policy change can be promoted through various means, such as technical assistance, political pressure as well as support for CSOs and the media to monitor government actions.

This report encapsulates the lessons from three organisations working to achieve women'srights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana in their annual campaigns to raise awareness about and contribute to a reductionin violence against women in its many forms.This document offers lessons and guidelines to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) to encourage community awareness and understanding of gender-based violence, as well as to help those organisations build campaign strategies — and monitor their impact effectively.

This toolkit seeks to de-mystify 'gender and media' advocacy by illustrating, through concrete steps, case studies, pointers and information, that we can all take action to change negative gender representation and stereotypical portrayals in and through the media.

The Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit is an initial response to the need for more information and analysis on gender and security sector reform processes. It is designed to provide policymakers and practitioners with a practical introduction to why gender issues are important in SSR and what can be done to integrate them.

By recognising sexual violence as crime of concern to the international community, 1820 signals that women should never bear the blame/shame of rape. UNSCR 1820 links sexual violence prevention with women‟s participation in peace processes, stressing women's leadership and participation

How is gender mainstreaming relevant to the work that I am doing? And, even if I understand its relevance, how am I supposed to implement it? This toolkit addresses these and other questions that are commonly raised by practitioners engaged in public policy and development. It is primarily designed for those who are not experts in gender issues, but who nonetheless are charged with the day-to-day responsibility of gender mainstreaming. Although it is relevant to those working in any country, it is specifically directed at practitioners in Southern and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The toolkit is divided into two main parts: part one provides practical guidance for gender mainstreaming in any policy area or sector. Part two is divided into a series of “Gender Briefs,” by theme or sector, highlighting the main issues in each area, the arguments for gender mainstreaming, as well as possible indicators of progress and entry points for action. The publication is available in English and Russian.

This toolkit is Part 1 in a publication series entitled, "GBV in Conflict-Affected Settings: A Series from ARC International." The participatory toolkit includes a GBV Legal Aid Matrix and participatory exercises to aid in the design of programs to address GBV. The series in its entirety addresses the critical global issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Conflict-Affected Settings. It was designed specifically to help communities and humanitarian workers to assess the situation in their particular setting and to determine the needs and next steps to implementing comprehensive and multi-sectoral programs to address GBV.

This document is the presentation for the seminar on civil society - UN Interaction for the prevention of armed conflict by PeaceWomen project which was orgnaised by the global partnership for the prevention of armed conflict.

On October 30, 2000, the Security Council unanimously adopted the Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The resolution 1325 address the impact of conflict on women and the participation of women to peace process

This toolkit identifies the key commitments made by UNSCR 1325 which are: gender parity at all levels, protection of and respect for human rights of women and girls, gender perspective in Post-conflict process, gender perspective in peacekeeping.

This toolkit was inspired by the workshops held in Asia and Africa for the partners and members of the Violence is not our Culture (VNC) campaign.

The compilation lists research materials dealing with the security and protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to document and monitor violations of women's rights, as well as manuals on the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at risk.

Leading to Choices, developed by the Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP) in collaboration with its partner organizations in the Global South, is based on a conceptualization of leadership as horizontal, inclusive, and participatory. WLP views leadership as a process that leads to greater choices for all by fostering communication among individuals who learn from each other, create a shared vision, and reach a common goal forged by consensus. The alternative leadership model presented in the handbook responds to the need for leaders who aspire to create egalitarian, democratic, and pluralistic societies based on collaborative decision-making, coalition-building, and gender equality.

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the February 2013 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council.