STATEMENT: 5 Steps to Ensuring Syrian Women's Participation in the Syrian Peace Talks

On December 19th 2013, women from Syrian civil society organisations addressed delegations, UN representatives and INGOs in the Palais de Nations and highlighted the need of Syrian women's voice to be present in the peace talks.

They spoke of the reality of life in Syria during the conflict, the role that women play in taking on the responsibilities of relief and recovery, community peace making and reconciliation, as well as documentation and support to victims of violence.

Outcome documentThey also denounced the absence of women and the voices of those who have the greatest stake in peace, and they are not the only ones doing so.

A significant number of Member States including Norway, the Netherlands and the UK supports the motion to include women as part of their responsibility to uphold the UNSC resolutions 1325 and 2122, but still – here six days before the scheduled peace talk – the women are not included.

A question that comes back again and again is: how can the women be included?

In the outcome document from the side event and from the women's meeting in Geneva, you can read the five steps approach on how to ensuring an effective participation of women and women's rights in the Syrian peace and mediation process.

The document is based on consultations with Syrian civil society partners and is prepared by WILPF, ICAN, Human Rights Watch, Kvinna till Kvinna and Oxfam.