Voice

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced”

-- MalalaYousafza, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Malala inspired me this month to reflect on the power of voice in various forms and spaces around me. My friend, Shaunagh, returned from the epicentre of Ebola in Sierra Leone. She's a journalist and bravely went to document and share the voices and humanity behind this crisis, which are too often lost behind the numbers and generalisations. We meet the people trying to survive and respond including a young mother, Kadiatu, a Sierra Leonean surveillance officer, Manjo Lamin, and a MSF worker, Sebastian. From the region, the women of Mano River Women's Peace Network remind us of the clear gender dimension of Ebola and how gender must be incorporated in interventions to ensure that the spread of this deadly disease is halted. In a recent open letter to the UN Security Council, they called for more citizen-centered approach, prioritising gendered social and cultural dimensions.

Around me here in the United Nations and policy-making fora, I cannot overstate the value and importance of the diverse and authentic voices of civil society. Amplifying the voices of women leaders working for peace is a core part of PeaceWomen's Local to Global work. Next week, we will welcome a delegation of women advocates from Cameroon, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Netherlands, Colombia, and Sweden to come to New York to share their recommendation and voices with international community. The silence on the still missing Chibok girls is why WILPF is voicing our analysis and recommendation at an important event on “Boko Haram and Cycles of Violence: Strengthening Prevention Using the Women Peace and Security Agenda” (October 30th 4pm at UN Headquarters) with Joy and Sylvie from WILPF sections in Nigeria and Cameroon. WILPF will also host a closed briefing on Syria and Iraq, and a workshop on “Leveraging Women's Action for Peace”. We are pleased to engage in other events with partners, including “Amplifying the Voices of Women in the MENA Region” and participate in numerous closed meetings including a consultation on the Swedish National Action Plan and the Global Study on Women, Peace and Security.

On October 28th, the Security Council will hold its annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, this year focused on “Women and Girls as Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)” and expected to adopted a Presidential Statement. The voice of women affected by conflict and displacement must be front and center in decision making processes undertaken by the international community, in particular the Security Council. With partner in our coalition, the NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security, we are calling on States to address the full spectrum of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda with a focus on key gaps: meaningful participation; multi-sectorial protection related to forcibly displaced women; women's human rights defenders; and real conflict prevention. This year the open debate is an opportunity to build momentum for 2015 High-Level Review, which coincides of course, with our WILPF 100th and key political discussions including Post-2015 sustainable development process.

In this edition, we take a look back at the General Assembly, where women's leadership, voice and participation continues to be excluded and marginalized from peace-making to policy-making. Less than 7 %– 13 of 197 total – statements in this year's general assembly were women! Systemic exclusion of women in decision-making, made the announcement of a men-only conference on gender equality particularly unwelcome (although some news reports note the proposed initiative by Iceland and Suriname will invite women). From WILPF's analysis of the statements at GA69, there is certainly much more work to be done. It is clearly beyond time to build adequate political will and commitment to gender equality and holistic understanding and implementation of Women, Peace and Security commitments. Read full analysis and summary done by PeaceWomen team here.

Unfortunately, there are many voices which are never heard, of people who are excluded and who continue to be silenced, especially when their truth does not fit the narrative of the powerful. I read about the courage of one such voice, the voice of Nabeela Rehman, who gave testimony at US Congressional hearing about the US drone that killed her grandmother in front of her and injured her. The injustice of her story angered me. The hypocrisy saddened me. The power of her voice and truth motivates me to continue my work as part of a peace community.

Who is inspiring you? What voices can you amplify in your work? Are you a diplomat who can engage more with women civil society? Are you a member of WILPF who can share women, peace and security work in your community? The voices of Malala, Kadiatu, Shaunagh, Mano River Women's Peace Network, Joy, Sylvie, and Nabeela have motivated me this month to continue to use my role and my voice in PeaceWomen to work towards peace, equality and human dignity.

This edition of E-News features the latest from our Women Peace and Security Lecture Series, our Local To Global Women events around the 14th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, and an update on terrorism discussions at the Security Council. It also includes initiatives and resources from the Women for Peace Initiative (WFPI) report on the Process of Resolution 2013, MADRE's Open Letter on Women's Rights in Iraq, the International Rescue Committee's report on Women and Girls in Syria, and more. Read and share widely!