WILPF Denounces Escalation of Military Aggression in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Issue:

1. EDITORIAL
The PeaceWomen Team

The escalating military aggression and conflict in the Middle East is the most recent example of the need for efforts to build sustainable peace and the dangers of not doing so. Building sustainable peace goes beyond the calling of a cease-fire – although this is an important step. Sustainable peace is not possible if women are excluded from peace processes. Despite the recognition of this in Resolution 1325, women are still largely excluded from such efforts, as indicated in a number of stories featured in our women, peace and security news (see Item 2). But involving women in peace processes requires more than ensuring them a seat at the peace table. It also necessitates that their issues seriously be taken into account in those processes. During the recent Security Council visit to Sudan, featured in our Issue #77 in May, women's groups met with and made several recommendations to the delegation. We feature two letters from various groups (see Item 7) that set out these recommendations. That the delegation met with women's groups is important for without hearing their voices, many issues which are important to women in the ongoing conflict in Sudan would not have a chance of being given consideration. It remains to be seen whether the Security Council and the government of Sudan take these recommendations seriously. What is the case, however, is that Security Council Resolution 1325 requires them to do so.

There are many other issues that require consideration in the attempt to build sustainable peace. It is hoped that the newly established Peacebuilding Commission, which held its first working meeting in late June and will be focusing on Burundi and Sierra Leone as its first cases, will ensure that women's needs and concerns are given the necessary attention. Several conflict-affected countries provide examples of the sorts of issues that need attention – from the need to provide budgetary support for women's ministries to the need to include women in the legal sector. While it is the responsibility of government to ensure that gender equality is promoted, the UN has an ongoing role in this regard. Our continuing work in relation to the Secretary General's High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence is aimed at ensuring that the Panel makes recommendations that significantly improve the UN's performance in the area of gender equality. The Panel heard our views and ideas on this during the recent civil-society consultations in Geneva (see Item 5) and over 60 organizations have endorsed the submission to the Panel on “Gender Architecture and UN Reform” made by the Center for Women's Global Leadership and Women's Environment and Development Organization. In our feature below is a link to the submission in both English and Spanish and information on how your organization can endorse it.

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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 July edition should be sent to enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org by Thursday 17 August 2006.

AU COMMISSION ASSURES ON GENDER DECLARATION IMPLEMENTATION
June 27, 2006 – (Angola Press) The first reports on the status of implementation of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA) are to be submitted for consideration by the African Union summit in January 2007, an AU Commission official said Monday.

UGANDA: WOMEN MISSING IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
July 6, 2006 - (The Monitor) Despite successful efforts to bring peace to conflict areas, women have not been active participants in the process, a report by the International Crisis Group indicates. ICG is a Brussels-based non-governmental organisation working towards preventing and resolving conflict worldwide. The report says women are often times excluded from peace agreements and conflict resolution processes and under-represented in the security sector as a whole.

PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION OPENS: UN REFORM PROCESS ROLLS ON: WILL WOMEN'S VOICE BE HEARD?
July 10, 2006 – (IWTC Women's GlobalNet) The UN reform process moved a step forward on Friday, June 23rd, 2006 at UN Headquarters in New York, with the inaugural meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), a new 31 member intergovernmental advisory committee. The role of the Commission is to facilitate collaboration and coordination among political, military, humanitarian, development and UN actors to help countries during the fragile transitional period between war and lasting peace.

AFGHANISTAN: VICE AND VIRTUE DEPARTMENT COULD RETURN, WOMEN AND GIRLS AGAIN AT RISK
July 18, 2006 – (Human Rights Watch) Proposal to reestablish the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Afghanistan raises serious concerns about potential abuse of the rights of women and vulnerable groups, Human Rights Watch said today.

WOMEN PRESS U.S. VIOLATIONS AT U.N. RIGHTS REVIEW
July 5, 2006— (Geneva) Today, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) joined a coalition of 142 U.S.-based non-profits and organizations and 32 individuals to release the most comprehensive review of human rights violations in the United States ever compiled. The 465-page “shadow report” was assembled for the United Nation's Human Rights Committee as part of its review of U.S. human rights abuses later this month.

OSCE OFFICE CO-HOSTS MEETING ON WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
July 11 2006 - The role of women in the electoral process and their participation in politics is the focus of a meeting that opened today in the Armenian capital.

WOMEN'S VIEWS ON DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES
July 5, 2006 – (The Georgian Times) An International Conference called ‘Increasing Women's Participation in Democratic Processes', held recently in Tbilisi, has been acknowledged as an important milestone in the history of women's work in NGOs in Georgia, as well as a great leap towards the development of democratic processes and gender equality.

KUWAITI WOMEN OPTIMISTIC DESPITE SETBACKS
July 2, 2006 – (Taipei Times) Kuwaiti women view their first-ever participation in legislative polls in the oil-rich emirate as a victory despite the failure of female candidates to win any seats. "We have not won, but it was without any doubt a victory for the Kuwaiti woman. We have lost in votes, but won an experience," said Fatima al-Abdali, who ran as a candidate in Thursday's election.

WORLD'S WOMEN HAVE AN ADVOCATE: MORE THAN HALF THE GLOBE'S PEOPLE NEED THEIR OWN UN AGENCY: STEPHEN LEWIS
July 1, 2006 – (Toronto Star) When Stephen Lewis visited the central Kenyan town of Thika last month, he heard a disturbing fact. Rapes of women and girls were escalating every month, and half the girls sexually assaulted were under 12. Even more startling was a new pattern; "a significant number of women aged 65 to 80 were also raped. The men who did it were confident they could have unprotected sex with them without getting AIDS," Lewis said.

TOWARDS A PLAN OF ACTION ON STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY
June 30, 2006 – (EurofundingMag) The Preparatory Conference “Towards a Plan of Action on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society” which took place on 14-16 June in Rabat, Morocco, brought together 130 civil society organisations, governments, parliaments and donors' representatives of the Euromed partner countries. The objective of the conference was to review key aspects of women's and gender issues under three major themes: women's human rights as an essential component of democracy, women's economic status and participation and social and cultural issues impacting upon women and gender relations in the region.

ROOT CAUSES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SWEDEN REMAIN: UN EXPERT
June 22, 2006 – (UN News Service) Describing the “gender equality experience” in Sweden as being a “contradictory process,” a United Nations rights expert has said that the root causes of violence against women in the country have remain unchallenged and become normalized despite an impressive amount of legislation aimed at stamping out the problem.

RAPE IN WAR 'A GROWING PROBLEM'
June 22, 2006 - (BBC) Rape and sexual violence in conflict appear to be worsening and very little is being done to tackle the problem, a major UN conference has heard. The conference organiser, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), wants a UN declaration and extra funding.

POST-WAR PEACE BUILDING STILL A BOYS CLUB
June 22, 2006 - (IPS) When the 15-member U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted its landmark "Resolution 1325" in October 2000, it conveyed a strong political message to the international community: that there can be no lasting peace in post-war rebuilding without active participation of women.

RIGHTS-IRAN: PREDICTED ROLLBACK HASN'T YET HAPPENED, SAY WOMEN ACTIVISTS
June 28, 2006 - (IPS) Some women's rights activists in Iran say they are not optimistic that women's rights will make much progress under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But they also say they have not seen the deterioration of women's status they expected when the conservative politician took office last August.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY LACKS SUPPORT
July 12, 2006 - (IWPR) Two years after the ministry was formed, its scope to bring about change is severely constrained by its miniscule budget. The Iraqi government is not giving the moral and financial support the women's affairs ministry needs to make real changes in Iraq, women's advocates say.

IRAQIS PUSH TO PROSECUTE RAPE IN WAR CRIME TRIALS
June 26, 2006 - (WOMENSENEWS) A prominent women's group in Iraq, along with advocates of international law in the United States, are beginning to demand justice for thousands of Iraqi women who suffered under the regime of Saddam Hussein. They are working with and lobbying the Iraqi High Tribunal--the temporary court now trying the crimes of Hussein's Baathist regime--to prosecute and punish perpetrators of gender-based violence, including allegations of women being raped in prison and politically motivated public beheadings.

NEPAL: UN CALLS FOR INCREASED WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN PEACE PROCESS
July 3, 2006 - (Kantipur Report) United Nations has called the government, the political parties and the Maoists to increase women's representation in the ongoing peace process. “Clearly the active participation of women was crucial to the success of the recent people's movement. For the peace process to also succeed, women's participation is absolutely necessary,” a statement issued by the UN on Monday quoted Junko Sazaki, the UN acting resident co-ordinator, as saying.

FIJI: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CAN NARROW THE GENDER GAP IN THE LEGAL SECTOR, SAYS RRRT'S JALAL
June 22, 2006 - (PR) Low numbers of women in the judiciary and magistracy in the region should be addressed by affirmative action, according to Imrana Jalal, Human Rights Adviser at the Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT).

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For more country-specific women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

For more international women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

WILPF Denounces Escalation of Military Aggression in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza
July 2006

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom deplores the escalation of violence in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially Gaza, and in Israel

We condemn the targeting of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure by all parties and, in particular, the excessive disproportionate military retaliation by Israel as violations of international law. The widespread bombing in Gaza and Lebanon; the air, sea and land blockade of Lebanon; the destruction of electricity and water supplies in Gaza; and the missile attacks on Israeli cities make the possibility for solutions more difficult as hostilities spiral out of control. We denounce the use of force. There is no military solution to the problems in the region.

For the full statement please visit: http://www.wilpf.int.ch/statements/ME17_07_06.htm

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From inside Lebanon: WILPF Lebanon

* Residential areas in Beirut have been totally destroyed due to the heavy bombardments launched by the Israeli aircrafts.
* Thousands of civilians have been displaced due to a lack of shelters and they are staying, under very drastic circumstances, in public and governmental schools.
* 200 bridges have been completely destroyed and there is absolutely no way for families who are dragging their children, to evacuate residential quarters in the capital cities and most importantly in South Lebanon where dozens of villages are under systematic bombardments, lacking of food, mainly bread, milk for children, medicine, while the hospitals - some of which have been hit- do not have enough medical equipments to meet the numerous needs of the injured civilians, because they are the main victims in this new form of genocide. To tell you the truth not one single military of Hizbullah has been reported missing in action nor killed; only civilians are falling like autumn leaves; 200 people killed among them numerous children & and over than 350 injured people.
* Beirut International airport is closed and many of its facilities have been destroyed.
* Water & electricity infrastructure have been put out of order because of the heavy attacks during which forbidden arms and bombs are used. It looks like if the Israeli army ,as well as its main ally, the USA who provide this army with the latest and sophisticated arms, is experimenting these new fatal inventions. Therefore, Lebanon's cities, towns, rural areas and even deserted roads and tiny paths, become an experimentation fields. This is the main condition to allow the development of science.
* There is no need to mention that the tourism season on which the Lebanese people have been counting on and preparing for in order to put an end to the economic crisis that we have been suffering from for the past years because Lebanon has been paying the debts due to the reconstruction of this country that has been weakened by the wars with Israel (Occupation for 23 years, invasion of Beirut, etc.) during which there was not any equality between the Israeli army and the people who were defending their land and survival.
* Israel has refused to receive the Secretary General's special mission in the Middle East to seek and try to reach a ceasefire. They want to go until the end of the military options before starting to consider negotiations . In the meantime, innocent people will have to face death.
* Of course, Hizbullah is attacking back in an attempt to defend the land and the people in a DISPROPORTIONATE TOTAL WAR LAUNCHED BY ISRAEL against Lebanon. Israel claims that it wants to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1559, especially when it comes to the disarmament of Hizbullah accused as usual of being a terrorist organization. Lebanon has started a national dialogue in order to resolve this very complicated issue in peaceful ways and was not counting on Israel to dismantle by force this party. However, Israel seized the capture of 2 soldiers as an opportunity to destroy all the Lebanese achievements towards peace and development. This is the price that every promising country in the Middle-East should pay for freedom.

We, in Lebanon, are very sad, angry, and afraid for the present and the future. We keep our faith in our country and principles of peace and freedom intact. We praise greatly your support and we count on you to increase the awareness of the international civil society about what is happening in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, due to the unprecedented escalation of violence and due to the double standard policy followed by the American administration in this part of the world where peace does not seem reachable in the near future. Finally, let it be clear as crystal that we want peace for all the peoples in the region, including the Israeli people whose security has been always threatened because of the violent and hostile policies implemented by their government. We sincerely hope that peace will prevail.

Thank You.
Warm Regards To All Of You From A Wounded But Proud Country,

Roula Zoubiane
WILPF Lebanon.

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From Inside Gaza: WILPF Palestine
The outcome of crimes committed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) since 25 June 2006:

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35 Palestinians have been killed by IOF (3 have been extra-judicially executed
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More than 100 Palestinian civilians, including 30 children, have been wounded by the IOF gunfire.
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air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been fired at Palestinian civilians and military targets in the Gaza Strip.
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Two buildings of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed.
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3 bridges linking Gaza City with the southern Gaza Strip and 3 roads in Khan Yunis and al-Nusairat have been destroyed.
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Hundreds of donums of agricultural land and 5 houses have been destroyed, and 6 other houses have been transformed into military sites.
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The electricity network of Rafah has been destroyed.
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At least 180 Palestinian civilians, including 8 ministers and more than 24 PLC members have been arrested in the West Bank, and 4 Palestinian civilians have been arrested in the Gaza Strip.
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Gaza International Airport in the southern Gaza Strip and parts of the northern Gaza Strip have been occupied by IO

Since Israel invaded Gaza on June 27, it practiced high aggressive measures against the civilians and against the infra structure. The frequent use of sonic booms by Israeli military aircraft over Gaza as well as the bombardment of civilians has caused the death of innocent people as well as the injuries of more than hundreds of others, in addition to the great fear among the civilian population, particularly among children. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits “measures of intimidation” against the civilian population. These attacks on civilians constitute war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The same Convention criminalizes Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian families have faced a growing humanitarian crisis.

As the international community has remained silent, IOF have continued to wage a full-scale offensive on the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip. We call upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and United Nations Agency, to immediately intervene to force IOF to stop this offensive and allow the passage of foodstuffs, medical supplies and fuels into the Gaza Strip. We warn the international community of the policies of collective punishment and reprisals practiced by IOF against the Palestinian civilian population, especially the destruction of electricity sources and the denial of passage of foodstuffs and fuels into the Gaza Strip, which will lead to a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Israel should recognize Palestinian civilians as "protected persons" under the Geneva Conventions and We call of for an immediate end of the Israeli invasion and withdrawal of the Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and from other areas in the West Bank

For the full update please visit: http://www.wilpf.int.ch/updates/leb.htm#gaz

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WILPF works on issues of peace, human rights and disarmament at the local, national and international levels, participating in the ongoing international debates on peace and security issues, conflict prevention and resolution, on the elimination of all forms of discrimination, and the promotion and protection of human rights. It contributes to analysis of these issues, and through its many activities, educates, informs and mobilizes women for action everywhere.

See previous WILPF Statements and Resolutions on this issue here:
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/statements/me.doc

Read daily updates from inside the region here:
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/updates/leb.htm

Total number of available translations: 74

PeaceWomen recently received a Macedonian translation.

Macedonian is the official language of the Republic of Macedonia. The language is also spoken in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.

The translation was completed by Donka Lalkova, an English teacher living and working in Kavadarci, in the Republic of Macedonia.
e-mail: donkalalkova@yahoo.com
31 Ilo Kostov, Kavadarci 1430, Republic of Macedonia

The Macedonian translation is available at: http://www.peacewomen.org/1325inTranslation/index.html.

Other languages identified as a priority for translation by women, peace and security advocates are:

Achehnese (Indonesia)
Acholi/Luo (Northern Uganda,South Sudan)
Bari (Sudan)
Bengali (Bangladesh, India)
Dinka (Sudan)
Embera (Colombia)
Hindi
Hmong (spoken in Laos, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, and Southern China)
Khmer (Cambodia)
Luganda (Uganda)
Malayalam (South Indian)
Mongolian
Nuer (Sudan)
Oshiwambo (Namibia)
Paez (Colombia)
Pashto (Afghanistan)
Pidgin (Papua New Guinea)
Quechua (Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Northern Chile, Argentina, Southern Colombia)
Sangho (Central African Republic)
Shilook (Sudan)
Tajik
Wayu (Venezuela)
Wayunaiki (Colombia)
Xhosa (S. Africa)
Zande (Sudan)
Zulu (S. Africa)

If you have translated UNSC Resolution 1325, know of existing translations, would be interested in translating, or know of others who would, please contact us at: info@peacewomen.org

To view the 72 translations and their sources, please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/1325inTranslation/index.html

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“Using 1325 in Translation” Initiative

PeaceWomen is now collecting information on how translations of the resolution are being used and the impact of the availability of these translations on the work of women peace and security advocates. We invite anyone who has used translations of 1325 for outreach, advocacy or other purposes, or who may know how translations of the resolution are being used to provide us with information detailing among other things:

* Which particular translation(s) of 1325 you have used or know is being used
* Who carried out the translation (if known) or how the translation(s) was accessed
* The types of activities for which this translation(s) has been used (e.g. workshops, radio programs) and your opinion about the impact of such activities in promoting resolution 1325
* What you believe to be the importance of translating Resolution 1325 into local languages
* Ideas on languages which may require a 1325 translation and whether you or anyone you know may be interested translating the resolution

Kindly contribute to the “Using 1325 in Translation” effort by responding to these questions or submitting any other information on translating UNSCR 1325 to info@peacewomen.org

5.Feature EVENT

Civil Society Consultation with the High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence
July 2, 2006

On Sunday July 2, the High-level Panel on Coherence held a day-long consultation with over 50 civil society representatives from around the world in Geneva, Switzerland. The consultations focused on the cross cutting themes including gender equality, human rights and sustainable development/environment, representing a victory for women's rights groups, which have strongly urged that the Coherence panel have a process so that women's concerns and perspectives can be heard.

The segment on Gender Equality was attended by panelists Ruth Jacoby and Robert Greenhill (focal points for gender equality), Mohamed El-Ashry (focal point for sustainable development), several representatives of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and various representatives of other Panel members. We had more than twelve representatives from women's organizations, from global organizations Europe, several from Asia and one representative from Latin America and from North Africa. (Last minute visa problems and other complications prevented several of our colleagues, particularly from Africa from attending.)

The consultation was very successful. The panelists definitely understood the points regarding the inadequacies of the current gender equality architecture and the need for an independent agency, highly positioned, well-resourced and with field staff.

The gender equality segment opened with a panel led by Stephen Lewis - UN SG Special Envoy to Africa on HIV/AIDS, who gave a powerful and passionate plea for bold recommendations for a strong, new international agency for women. He was followed by Patricia Licuanan (Asia Pacific Women's Watch, Miriam College, Philippines) and Maria Rashid (ROZAN, Pakistan), who addressed the dysfunctional aspects of the current gender equality architecture at the national and local level. June Zeitlin (WEDO) closed the Panel by presenting the key recommendations of the paper submitted by CWGL and WEDO. The next two hours was a discussion where both Ruth Jacoby and Robert Greenhill raised questions and all of the women present were able to make interventions.

Susi Snyder from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom intervened in the gender segment, stating that without security, there is no sustainable development, without human rights there is no security. In addition, she noted that since the Blix Commission report recommends multi-year financial support for NGOs, so should the panel. The panel should also consider how to integrate civil society in a more substantive way, perhaps in the form of a roundtable where NGOs, governments and UN agencies are valued as equals in discussion.

Furthermore, she pointed out that 1325 talks about gender integration, not merely mainstreaming. To ensure that mainstreaming actually works, there is a need for a high-level institutionalized commitment; for example, Jayantha Dhanapala, as Under Secretary General for the Department for Disarmament Affairs, was personally committed to the idea of gender mainstreaming, and the 2002 DDA gender mainstreaming action plan was developed under his watch. However, since he has left the department, there has been no implementation of that plan. Mechanisms need to be put into place so that the implementation of agreements are not solely related to the individual.

We can proudly say that Ruth Jacoby and Robert Greenhill representing the Coherence panel loudly and clearly heard our message about the need to have a strong independent women's agency. For these two panelists, the challenge is to convince the other panel members-not present at the consultation-to endorse our recommendations.

For Statements made at the Civil Society Consultation please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/Civsoc_consult.htm

For Updates on the Work of the Coherence Panel please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/Panel_index.htm

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Endorse the Submission to the Coherence Panel: Gender Architecture and UN Reform
Women's Environment & Development Organization and the Center for Women's Global Leadership

A growing number of organizations have added their support for the joint submission by CWGL and WEDO on Gender Architecture and UN Reform. The paper was originally presented at the Geneva Consultations and submitted formally to the Panel on July 14.

The response so far has been impressive -- over 60 organizations and networks from all over the world had signed up by the time the paper was submitted to the Coherence Panel. However, organizations continue to send in their support, so we've decided to keep the list open. We will submit the expanded list to the Panel next week as this will no doubt add weight to the recommendations. Please feel free to circulate this in case more organizations are interested in signing on. If so, please send the name of the organization and of a contact person to lexil@wedo.org.

To Download the Paper please visit:

English: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/PDF/ArunaRaoPaper.pdf
Spanish: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/PDF/ArunaRao_SP.pdf

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instraw: Global Directory of Gender, Peace and Security Research Institutions

Through a fast, user-friendly search engine, up-to-date information on over 100 research institutions from around the globe, encompassing universities, colleges, independent research organizations, NGOs and UN bodies, can be found online.

Various issues pertaining to gender, peace and security are included in the directory such as human rights, refugees and internally displaced persons, peacekeeping, violence against women, disarmament, and women's political participation. Stepping beyond the narrow definition of armed conflict, INSTRAW understands that these issues apply to developed and developing nations as well as countries at peace, at war and in transition.

This worldwide e-directory is the first of its kind as none of the existing databases containing information on gender, peace and security includes specific information on research institutions. Searches can be made by region of work, area of specialization and type of organization in 18 different languages.

Objectives of the Directory:

• To provide up-to-date information on gender, peace and security research institutions in order to facilitate research, networking, the exchange of materials and ideas, and encourage students to pursue studies in this field.
• To support the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (2000) as well as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995).

To access the directory please visit:
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&...

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To Make Room for change - Peace Strategies from Women Organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kvinna Till Kvinna, May 2006

The report highlights the connection between women's participation, an independent civil society and lasting peace and democracy. The report describes women's organisations' concrete strategies to create a democratic and peaceful society, in urban as well as rural areas. It shows what support and acknowledgment from the international community means for civil society. But the report also highlights problems that arise when international actors take over and marginalise national and local organisations. The situation is not unique, the pattern is the same in most conflict-affected regions throughout the world.

For the full report please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina/bosniaher...

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For NGO and civil society reports, papers and statements, UN and government reports, and books, journals and articles on women, peace and security issues,
please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/resourcesindex.html

Sudanese Women's Groups Make Recommendations to Security Council Delegation
June 2006

During the recent Security Council visit to Sudan, women from around Sudan prepared and submitted recommendations to the Security Council.

Letter from Sudanese Women's Civil Society Organizations to the Security Council
In Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), the Council expressed “its willingness to ensure that Security Council missions take into account gender considerations and the rights of women, including through consultation with local and international women's groups.” The Security Council's mission to Sudan (5-9 June 2006) provides an important opportunity for the knowledge, expertise and resources of women's civil society organizations to inform and support the Security Council in its work and decision-making on Sudan. We, the undersigned women's civil society organizations, have therefore outlined three critical issues which require the Security Council's attention. We look forward to discussing these issues with the delegation.

For the full letter please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/Sudan/SCvisit_womenrecomm.doc

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A Message from the Women from Southern Sudan to the UN Security Council in relation to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1325
Women in Southern Sudan appreciate and are grateful to the UN Security Council for adopting Resolution 1325 which takes cognizant of the impact of armed conflict on women girls and calls for affirmative action to address their protection as well as the increased participation of the women at all levels.

For the full letter please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/Sudan/Juba_Sudan_ngoletterjune06%20.doc

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For more women, peace and security initiatives – in country, regional, global and international, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/global/index.html

7.GENDER AND PEACEKEEPING UPDATE

News:

AU IN DARFUR LACKS WOMEN, RAPE TRAINING - AMNESTY
July 18, 2006 (Reuters) — Darfur peacekeepers should include more women and should be trained in women's rights to help reduce widespread rape and sexual slavery, rights group Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

NEW STRATEGY AIMS TO HELP VICTIMS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION COMMITTED BY UN STAFF
July 13 2006 (UN News) As part of further efforts by the United Nations to enforce its “zero tolerance” policy for sexual exploitation and abuse, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has put forward a draft strategy on assistance and support to victims of such behaviour by UN staff and related personnel, including recommendations for medical care and child maintenance.

Resources:

Draft UN policy statement and strategy on assistance and support to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations staff or related personnel
June 2006

The development by the UN of a policy statement and strategy on victim assistance is a part of broader efforts, to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations staff or related personnel. The strategy comes in response to a recommendation by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34) in its 2005 resumed session. It aims to provide a system-wide and comprehensive approach to victim assistance that will be implemented in a consistent and reliable manner in each country where the United Nations has a presence. Its recommendations include the establishment of a common funding mechanism to provide assistance and support to complainants, victims and children fathered by United Nations staff or related personnel. The draft strategy has been presented to UN member states for endorsement.

For the full document please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Peacekeeping/SEA/victim_assistance.pdf

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For PeaceWomen's Peacekeeping Watch index, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/pkwatch/pkwatch.html

For more gender and peacekeeping news, visit PeaceWomen's Gender and Peacekeeping News Index:

http://www.peacewomen.org/un/pkwatch/pknews.html

UN Reform & the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325

A Letter to the United Nations Secretary-General's High Level Panel on System-wide Coherence

20 July 2006

Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security is a major international instrument for achieving Gender Equality. More than five years after its unanimous adoption the resolution has not been fully and effectively implemented.

SCR 1325 requires, inter alia, the United Nations (UN) to ensure the full and effective participation of women in peace negotiations and agreements, as well as increased representation of women at all decision-making levels. This responsibility also includes ensuring gender perspectives are mainstreamed into all peacekeeping operations, including specialized training for all peacekeeping personnel on the protection, special needs and human rights of women and girls in conflict situations and the establishment of effective institutional arrangements to guarantee their protection, especially against gender-based violence.

Although the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has, to date, done the most to implement the provisions of SCR 1325, DPKO is not alone in this obligation. The responsibility to implement SCR 1325 is shared throughout the UN System, in both its norm-setting and operational roles and activities.

Regrettably, the UN gender architecture and women's machineries – which should provide international best practices and models - have been set up to fail, due in large part to the systematic under-resourcing and low priority given to gender equality policies, programs and activities. This system-wide failure has profoundly impacted the effective implementation of SCR 1325, with grave consequences for the lives of women and girls everywhere, especially those in situations of violent conflict.

THE NGO WORKING GROUP ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY RESPECTFULLY SUBMITS THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:

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The creation of a well-resourced independent entity with normative, operational and oversight capacity, a universal country presence and led by an Under-Secretary General, as articulated by Stephen Lewis and in submissions to the Panel by CWGL & WEDO. As Stephen Lewis argues, this entity must be powerful enough to do for women what UNICEF does for children.
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Structural arrangements and activities to ensure the implementation of SCR 1325 within the UN system must be significantly strengthened and improved, under the leadership of a new high-level position charged with oversight of SCR 1325 implementation.
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The United Nations must increase and guarantee sustained regular budgetary funds for the achievement of system-wide gender equality.
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The concept and use of gender mainstreaming must be reexamined. Gender mainstreaming must be understood as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, women specific entities and targeted programmes and activities to promote women's empowerment and human rights. To be effective, gender mainstreaming requires more robust units, program work and policy frameworks, with significant attention to women's rights in the context of advancing gender more broadly.
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The United Nations must recruit, employ, retain and promote women and men who are gender experts and champions of women's rights and peace - not only for dedicated gender posts, but also for assessments and for program planning and implementation throughout the system.
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Gender Training, that includes SCR 1325, must be systematically conducted with all UN headquarters and field staff.
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The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) needs to ensure women's participation in the formulation and implementation of peace building strategies in Burundi and Sierra Leone, the first two countries on the PBC agenda. Additionally, the Peace Building Support Office and the Peace Building Fund must have the capacity and adequate resources to support women-specific projects that lead to the full implementation of SCR 1325.

Signed – The Members of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace & Security

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For more information about the NGOWG, CLICK HERE.

New Aid Modalities in Africa - Burundi Consultation Communiqué

From 11 – 14 July, representatives from 6 African governments, UN agencies, development partners and civil society met in Bujumbura, Burundi to consider how to promote women's rights in new international aid modality frameworks. UNIFEM played a key role as a convener of the milestone meeting. During this meeting, participants sought to identify strategies to support African governments in promoting women's rights in planning processes and resource management, how best to set up mechanisms for development of gender responsive indicators and tracking aid flows towards gender equality in selected countries, as well as how to strengthen capacity of gender advocates.

At the conclusion of the 4-day meeting, participants issued a communiqué reiterating their support of commitments made to promote women's rights. In addition, participants outlined a set of recommendations for action including strengthening UNIFEM's role as a technical expert to governments, as well as calling for civil society to build the capacity of civil leaders and to act as a “watch dog” in “ensuring that all stakeholders are accountable for progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's human rights in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the new aid modalities.” For more information and the complete text of the communiqué please visit http://www.womenwarpeace.org/burundi/burundi.htm.

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UNIFEM's Web Portal on Women, Peace and Security, CLICK HERE

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 36th Session
7 -25 August 2006 UN headquarters, New York

The thirty-sixth session of the CEDAW Committee will take place between 7-25 August 2006. Under new working methods, the Committee will sit in parallel chambers in order to conduct a review of the 15 state party reports submitted for its consideration. NGOs are encouraged to submit country-specific information to the CEDAW Committee in the form of alternative or shadow reports. Representatives from NGOs have the option of orally presenting country-specific information during informal meetings with CEDAW Committee members.

For more information on the 36th session, please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CEDAW/CEDAW.html

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Women PeaceMakers Program: 2006 Fall Residency
September 18-November 11, 2006, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, University of San Diego, San Diego
The Women PeaceMakers Program is a unique learning and teaching experience in which individuals take time to narrate a unique story of peacemaking from a personal perspective. Women will work both in small groups and one-on-one with a peace writer, offering opportunities to share experiences in their respective country and conflict setting. Participants will also develop new skills to take home from fellow peacemakers. Through better understanding of an individual's experience, the program is intended to build greater cross-cultural understanding and to document the challenges and successes of women who have been involved in peacemaking efforts.

For more information on the program and applications, please visit: http://peace.sandiego.edu/programs/women.html

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Global Course: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: Poverty Reduction, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform
14-25 August, 2006, Bangkok, Thailand
This course is sponsored by the World Bank, exploring key elements in designing efficient, equitable and financially sustainable population policies and reproductive health programs in the context of health sector reform and Millennium Development Goals. After attending the course, participants learn to recognize how the changing international and national policy environments affect their work in population and reproductive health and to identify the linkages among health, gender and poverty.

For more information on this event, please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/frame/calendar/www.worldbank.org/wbi/reprohealth

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Gender, Transport and Development
27 - 30 August 2006 Port Elizabeth, South Africa
An opportunity for researchers, policy makers and organisations worldwide to share global multidisciplinary perspectives on issues of gender, transport and development.

For further information on this event, please visit: http://www.gendertransportconf.com/

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Management & Leadership Development For Woman In Public Sector
6 - 8 September 2006. Cape Town, South Africa
4th Annual Management and Leadership Development for Women Conference, aimed at empowering woman leaders in Public Sector and State Owned Enterprises as well as giving them the opportunity to network and learn from other top woman achievers.

Editorial:

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