CONFERENCE/MEETING: WPS Lecture Series: Women's Participation and WPS Accountability in Syria: Geneva II Peace Negotiations and Beyond

On Thursday, January 16th, 2014, PeaceWomen, along with the Mission of Liechtenstein and the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, hosted the twelfth panel of our Women, Peace and Security lecture series, titled “Women's Participation and WPS Accountability in Syria: Geneva II Peace Negotiations and Beyond.” Three Syrian women civil society leaders representing the Syrian Women's League, Syrian Women's Network and the Syrian Women's Coalition for Democracy discussed women's experiences in the Syrian conflict. Held a week before the Geneva II conference, the event brought particular attention to the importance of women's meaningful participation in Syria's peace processes and transition.

The Syrian women civil society leaders stressed that the Security Council's resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, which call for equal participation of women in peace processes, must be translated into meaningful action. They also demanded an independent women civil society presence at Geneva II conference, at least 30 percent quota of women on all negotiating bodies, and a strong and effective gender expertise team within the mediation team to ensure that gender is mainstreamed throughout outcome documents and processes. Sharing their own experiences of waking up to the sounds of gun, the Syrian women delegates called for an immediate cessation of violence, so that all Syrian men and women can live in peace regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation.