General Women, Peace and Security

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, July 23, 2013 – African Press Organization (APO) – The European Union has just endorsed an initiative worth 25 million euros to combat violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite more than a decade of joint efforts from the international community and the Congolese Government, such violence remains commonplace.

When I meet Ikran and Deko, I'm struck by how ordinary they look. There is nothing superhuman about them, nothing of a stereotypical militant feminist. And yet they have chosen one of the most controversial and challenging careers for a woman in Somalia.

Working in the media is frowned upon here if you are a man. If you are a woman, it's madness.

What are the challenges and opportunities for developing and implementing UNSCR 1325 National Action Plans (NAPs) on Women, Peace and Security around the world? On July 8th, 2013, the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) hosted a panel discussion addressing this issue.

In Mali, women have borne the brunt of widespread sexual violence in the recent conflict, while simultaneously facing significant barriers to participating in efforts to resolve that conflict. In Côte d'Ivoire, the flow of small arms and light weapons has contributed to high levels of sexual violence.

“Women bring a different perspective to the table,” said Dr. Joyce Neu during her first day at the 2013 Bologna Symposium. Dr.

In West Africa's Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), as many as 60 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence at the hands of their male partners at some point in their lifetime.

The topic of Women, Peace and Security has become recognized as a key issue in global discussions today. It is rare to question men's role in these discussions, yet creating partnerships with men is critical to establishing gender equality and ending gender based violence.

In 2000, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution requiring states and non-state actors settling conflicts to consider and respect women's rights, and include women in the negotiating process.

Women's Rights Day 2013 will be on August 26th marking 93 years of women having the right to vote in America. Despite this win for women, the United States of America does not have an Equal Rights Amendment for women. The original Equal Rights Amendment written by Alice Paul was sent to Congress in 1923, 90 years ago this year but the ERA has not become a part of America's Constitution.