As part of a year-long project in
Burundi and Liberia, financed by the Government of Austria, UN-INSTRAW will conduct assessments of the women, peace and security situation; support the full implementation of Resolution 1325 by generating national consensus on these issues and promoting a national action-planning process; and stimulate awareness-raising and capacity-building activities through tools and workshops to relevant stakeholders.
“These projects will focus on assessing the current situation and future opportunities to comprehensively implement Resolution 1325 at the national level, and advocating for greater attention to women, peace and security issues in countries where it is urgently required. One of the objectives is to bring together policy-makers, the national security sector and civil society to build consensus and establish a common agenda on these issues,” stated Nicola Popovic, Gender, Peace and Security Advisor at UN-INSTRAW.
UN-INSTRAW also presented its project in
Somalia, financed by the Government of Italy that will evaluate and strengthen the role of Somali women in ongoing conflict-resolution and peace-building processes; as well as the role of Somali women living in the Diaspora. The project also aims to create dialogue and strengthen collective action between Diaspora women and women living in Somalia.
“Rather than portraying all women as helpless victims of war and violence, it is essential to take into account the active roles that they play as combatants, peacebuilders, politicians and activists. By accepting the challenge of turning policy into practice, we commit to building national commitment to more gender-sensitive and inclusive peace processes in countries facing war and the aftermath of prolonged conflict such as Burundi, Liberia and Somalia,” continued Popovic.
In this context, UN-INSTRAW offered
Security Equality, Engendering Peace (2006) as a guide for the formulation of national action plans on the implementation of Resolution 1325 in both developing and developed countries.
Also present at the dialogue were Ministers of Gender and representatives of Ministries of Defense and Justice of 16 African countries, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), regional and sub-regional NGOS and UN Agencies.
Publications:
UNRIC (UN Regional Centre for Western Europe)
AWID
IISD Reporting Services
Women Watch
IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms)
El Nuevo Diario
UN-INSTRAW launched two new projects in Africa that aim to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR), by calling for the full and equal participation of women in all peace and security initiatives, along with mainstreaming of gender issues in the context of armed conflict, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction. [Photo: AP]