STATEMENT: Inés Alberdi on Women, Peace and Security

Occasion: Global Open Day for Women and Peace, Khartoum, Sudan, 10 June 2010

I want to say how pleased I am to be here today. For me, it is a true pleasure and a privilege that I can share this moment with all of you in my first visit to Sudan. This country hosts two peacekeeping operations, one of the largest humanitarian efforts of the international community and peace processes at various stages. Thus, for the women and girls of Sudan, the implementation of Security Council resolution1325 is critical and should be regarded as one of the highest priorities.

Just as you are meeting here today with the leadership of the UN in your country, this Global Open Day is also being celebrated all over the world, in more than twenty countries with UN missions. This powerful message of urgency will reach the Security Council in the occasion of the tenth anniversary of this important resolution.

As this anniversary draws closer, it is as always a time to take stock of where we have made some progress. Women's contribution to economic productivity and growth are increasingly recognized and their representation in in high level decision-making positions is also growing, however slowly. Conflict-related sexual violence is now understood as a peace and security issue that demands proper attention from peace and security actors. Even in Sudan there is cause for celebration, as women's share of seats in parliament has jumped in the last elections to almost 30 percent, the benchmark set in the Beijing Platform for Action, which is seen as the minimum needed to begin to bring about positive change for gender equality.

This is all very welcome, but it is equally important, if not more important, to address the implementation gaps. And there are three aspects of the 1325 agenda that demand greater attention and resources. One, the scarcity of women in peace negotiations. Two, the dreadful level of sexual violence in conflict and crisis. And three, the persistent shortfall in the financing of women's needs in post-conflict recovery plans.

These problems are very real, and they affect women worldwide as we speak. For example, our Afghan sisters are raising their voices these days and weeks so as not to be marginalized in the negotiations with the Taliban about peace, reconciliation, and reintegration. Thousands of our Congolese sisters are subjected every year to rape, organized deliberately to bring terror to the population and prevent recovery. And in Haiti, where women in tent camps are now afraid to go to sleep after dark, we must remain vigilant so that an adequate fraction of the humanitarian relief funds are devoted to women's specific needs, including their physical security.

And we have heard directly from you today about the different needs of women across Sudan, living between war and peace, whether in IDP camps or in rural areas, where your basic living needs for such things as firewood place you at great risk of sexual and gender based violence, as well as in urban areas, where protection is still lacking. I welcome your positive and constructive solutions to such important issues. For example, your willingness to improve demining activities, by taking into account water and pastoral routes used by women, or for better early warning, by offering your untapped knowledge about the flow of small arms. Furthermore, each region contains its own set of problems. The diversity of peace and security views held by women from different region highlights that one cannot just assume a particular perspective from women, and that inclusiveness and continued consultation is crucial.

Women are resilient and they don't give up. But they need support, and they need their partners, including the UN, to work harder and more creatively at fulfilling promises already made. This is UNIFEM's mission and I hope that the next time we see each other Sudan will be at peace and women will be full participants in efforts to sustain that peace, helping to formulate new policies and build new institutions so that women and men will be able to share equally in the benefits of peace.

Thank you.