STATEMENT: Solidarity Statement To The Women Of Côte D'Ivoire

The Civil society Action Network – Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (ICAN-GNWP) expresses strong solidarity with the women of Côte d'Ivoire as they mourn their sisters shot down by security forces in Abidjan on March 3, 2011. The women were protesting against the incumbent President, Laurent Gbagbo, in the Abidjan suburb of Abobo, which voted in favor of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally acknowledged winner of the elections last December. We strongly condemn these attacks on civilians and denounce the use of force to silence peaceful dissent.

It is disheartening to see government forces turn their guns on unarmed civilians as a means to quiet opposition. It is also sad to note that such a vicious attack on innocent women occurred while women from all over the world gathered for the 55th Commission on the Status of Women in NY (February 22 to March 4) to discuss gender equality and the advancement of women, including women's contributions to peacebuilding, the future of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on women and peace and security, and the status of women worldwide. It is a harsh sign to the women and peace and security community to step up its efforts in finding lasting solutions to armed conflict and violence. It is also once again a reminder that if the UN leadership and its Member States involved women more systematically in conflict prevention and resolution – the focus of UNSCR 1325 – there would be a marked improvement in peace and security for everyone, and attacks such as the one in Abidjan could be prevented.

We express deep solidarity with the families of the victims of these senseless acts and demand that the perpetrators be brought to justice without delay. We call upon the international community to strongly denounce the shootings and demand that the authorities of Côte d'Ivoire carry out an impartial investigation of the killings at once.

Cadre Permanant de Concertation de la Femme Congolese (CAFCO) – DRC

Center for Women in Governance (Cewigo) – Uganda

Center for Peace Education – Philippines

Corporacion de Investigacion y Accion Social y Economica (CIASE) – Colombia

Femlinkpacific – Fiji

Fountain – ISOKO for Good Governance and Integrated Development – BURUNDI

Gender Liaison for GPPAC's International Steering Group

IFOR Women Peacemakers Program – the Netherlands

Lira Rural Women & Children Development Initiative Shelter (LIRWOCDI) –Uganda

Lira Women Peace Initiatives (LIWEPI) –Uganda

Mano River Peace Women's Peace Network (MARWOPNET) – Sierra Leone

Mothers for Active Non-Violence (MOFAN-V) – Ghana

Rwanda Women's Network

1325 Network Finland

Voice of the Voiceless – Liberia

Women for Justice in Africa – Kenya

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) – DRC

Women's Partnership for Justice and Peace (WPJP) – Sierra Leone

Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) – Africa

Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) – Burundi

Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) – DRC

-End of Statement-

To also read a press release by the Mano River Women's Peace Network, please click here