{"id":30136,"date":"2023-03-09T09:17:47","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T08:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=30136"},"modified":"2023-03-09T09:21:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T08:21:38","slug":"un-security-council-radical-change-of-direction-needed-in-women-peace-and-security-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=30136","title":{"rendered":"UN Security Council: \u2018Radical change of direction\u2019 needed in women, peace and security agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . . <\/p>\n

An article from the United Nations<\/a><\/p>\n

New goals and effective plans on women\u2019s involvement in peacebuilding are needed before it is too late, the head of the UN agency leading global efforts to achieve gender equality warned the Security Council on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sima Bahous, Executive Director of\u00a0UN Women<\/a>,\u00a0was speaking during a Council meeting to reaffirm the importance of\u00a0Resolution 1325\u00a0<\/a> on women, peace and security,\u00a0\u00a0adopted in October 2000, and to take stock of implementation since it turned 20 nearly three years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nUN Photo\/Manuel El\u00edas\u00a0Ver\u00f3nica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Minister for Foreign
\nAffairs and Cooperation of Mozambique and President of the Security Council
\nfor the month of March, chairs the Security Council meeting on
\nWomen and peace and security.<\/center> <\/p>\n

\u201cAs we meet today at the mid-point between the 20th and 25th anniversaries, on the eve of\u00a0International Women\u2019s Day<\/a>, it is obvious that\u00a0we need a radical change of direction,\u201d she\u00a0said<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No significant change\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms. Bahous noted that although several historic firsts for gender equality occurred during the first two decades of the resolution, \u201cwe have neither significantly changed the\u00a0composition of peace tables, nor the impunity enjoyed by those who commit atrocities against women and girls.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said the 20th anniversary “was not a celebration, but a wake-up call,” pointing to situations from across the globe that have emerged since then.<\/p>\n

They include the regression of women\u2019s and girls\u2019 rights in Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover, sexual violence committed in the war in the Tigray region in Ethiopia, and online abuse targeting women opposing military rule in Myanmar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Women and children also comprise a staggering 90 per cent of the nearly eight million people forced to flee the conflict in Ukraine, and nearly 70 per cent of those displaced within the country.
\n\u00a0
\nMilitary spending increasing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furthermore, women peacebuilders had hoped that the\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0pandemic would cause countries to\u00a0rethink military spending, as the global crisis revealed the value of caregivers and the importance of investing in health, education, food security and social protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, that spending has\u00a0continued to grow, passing the two-trillion-dollar mark,\u00a0even without the significant military expenditure of the last months,\u201d she said. \u201cNeither the pandemic nor supply-chain issues prevented another year of rising global arms sales.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

The way forward\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms. Bahous outlined two suggestions that show what a change of direction could look like for the international community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we cannot expect 2025 to be any different if the bulk of our interventions continue to be trainings, sensitization, guidance, capacity building, setting up networks, and holding one event after another to talk about women\u2019s participation,\u00a0rather than mandating it\u00a0in every meeting and decision-making process in which we have authority,\u201d she stipulated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her second point focused on the need to\u00a0get resources to women\u2019s groups in conflict-affected countries, particularly through the\u00a0Women\u2019s Peace and Humanitarian Fund<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UN-led partnership was established in 2015 and has so far supported more than 900 organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urgently need better ways to\u00a0support civil society and social movements\u00a0in these countries. That means being much more intentional about funding or engaging with new groups, and especially with young women,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Article continues in right column.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Questions related to this article:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\n

UN Resolution 1325, does it make a difference? <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Does the UN advance equality for women?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(Article continued from left column.)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s involvement equals success\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The meeting was chaired by Mozambique, which holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month.
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe country\u2019s Foreign Minister, Ver\u00f3nica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, expressed hope that the debate will lead to action, such as\u00a0stronger strategies on gender equality, as well as women\u2019s effective participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no doubt that by involving women in the peacebuilding and peacekeeping agenda in our countries, we will achieve success,\u201d she said, speaking in Portuguese.\u00a0
\n\u201cUnder no circumstances do we want that the people who bring life into the world are negatively impacted. We must protect them. Use women’s sensitivity to resolve conflicts and\u00a0maintain peace on our planet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Respect international law\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently, more than 100 armed conflicts are raging around the world, according to Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
\n\u00a0
\nThe organization sees the daily brutal impacts of armed conflict on women and girls, she said, which include \u201cshocking levels\u201d of sexual violence, displacement, and deaths during childbirth because they lack access to care.
\n\u00a0
\nMs. Spoljaric upheld the importance of international humanitarian law during conflict and urged States to\u00a0apply a gender perspective\u00a0in its application and interpretation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRespect for international humanitarian law will\u00a0prevent the enormous harm resulting from violations of its rules, and it will\u00a0help to rebuild stability and reconcile societies,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

States also must ensure that the clear prohibition of sexual violence under international humanitarian law is integrated into national law, military doctrine and training.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEngaging more boldly and directly weapon bearers on this issue –\u00a0with the ultimate goal that it does not occur in the first place\u00a0– should become a\u00a0de facto\u00a0preventive approach, supported and facilitated in times of peace to prevent the worst in times of war,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2028African women leaders network<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bineta Diop of the African Union Commission also addressed the Council, highlighting its work in getting countries to accelerate implementation of the resolution.
\nThis is being done through a strategy focused on advocacy and accountability, and in building a network of women leaders on the continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are ensuring that women\u2019s leadership is mainstreamed in governance, peace and development processes so as to create a critical mass of women leaders at all levels,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to make sure that\u00a0they are in all sectors of life.\u00a0not just in peace processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Partner with women activists\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee from Liberia called for amplifying the women, peace and security agenda. She recommended steps such as\u00a0engaging and partnering with local women peace activists, who she called \u201cthe custodians of their communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Women must also be negotiators and mediators in peace talks. \u201cIt is amazing to see how\u00a0only the men with guns are consistently invited to the table\u00a0to find solutions, while women who bear the greatest brunt are often invited as observers,\u201d she remarked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also urged countries to \u201cmove beyond rhetoric\u201d by ensuring funding and political will, because without them,\u00a0Resolution 1325\u00a0\u201cremains a toothless bulldog\u201d.
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nMs. Gbowee stressed that women, peace and security must be seen as a holistic part of the global peace and security agenda. \u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n\u201cWe will continue to search for peace in vain in our world\u00a0unless we bring women to the table,\u201d she warned. \u00a0\u201cI firmly believe that trying to work for global peace and security minus women is trying to see the whole picture with your one eye covered.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . . An article from the United Nations New goals and effective plans on women\u2019s involvement in peacebuilding are needed before it is too late, the head of the UN agency leading global efforts to achieve gender equality warned the Security Council on Tuesday.\u00a0 Sima Bahous, Executive Director of\u00a0UN Women,\u00a0was speaking … Continue reading UN Security Council: \u2018Radical change of direction\u2019 needed in women, peace and security agenda<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,76,93,12],"tags":[9,11,94],"class_list":["post-30136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-global","category-united-nations","category-women","tag-africa","tag-global","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30136\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}