General Women, Peace and Security

Women all over the developing world face harassment, threats, and abuse on a daily basis. The brutal gang rape of a young medical student in New Delhi last December ignited India, and the rest of the world, leading to mass protests for women's rights and demands for safer cities for all.

Distanced physically from the conflicts and challenges that plague their nations, United Methodist women from Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Mozambique recently explored their roles as women peace-builders.

Both International Women's Day and Egyptian Women's Day take place in March. The latter commemorates the day in 1919 when women staged their first demonstration in the country's history. That revolution saw women wave small flags as they called for freedom and independence, shouting slogans against the British occupation. Several of them were killed in the demonstration.

In Upper Nile State, South Sudan, women and girls make up 52% of the refugee population. Spread across four camps, these women and girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) and disenfranchisement. As the lead protection agency in Maban County, and the managers of Doro and Yusif Batil Refugee Camps, the Danish Refugee Council has begun a campaign to reduce physical and psychological abuse of women.

In 2011, President Obama signed Executive Order 13595, which created the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security and tasked U.S. government agencies to expand focus on the protection of women and girls in war torn areas and incorporate women into post-conflict relief and recovery efforts. One way the Department of State is working to implement the Action Plan is through the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative.

CSW Finalizes Agreed Conclusions: Addressing the root causes of inequality and violence, or missing the point?

UN Practicum Blog - Catherine Odera

South Asia SASRO ‘Experts Group' on Women Peace & Security organized a regional Conference on “The Changing Dynamics of Peace building in South Asia: Recasting Women's Agency and Transformative Strategies” in Kathmandu February 15th -17th, 2013.

As you know, on the 8th of March, the whole world was celebrating the International Women's Day (IWD). On this occasion, WILPF attended a side event of the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on how to involve youth in the struggle to end violence against women and girls.

At the International Women's Day commemoration at the United Nations in New York today, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet made a rallying call to the international community to move forward on gender equality and women's rights.