1325 PeaceWomen E-News
Issue #77
23 May 2006

focus on sudan

The Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, 31 October 2000. CLICK HERE for the full text of the resolution.

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For past issues of the newsletter, CLICK HERE.

THIS ISSUE OF 1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS FEATURES:

1. Editorial: Recognizing and Using 1325
2. Women, Peace and Security News
3. Special Feature: Focus on Sudan
4. Feature Initiatives: Women & UN Reform Briefing Note
5 . Feature Resource: Women Talk Peace: Radio Productions on UN Security Council Resolution 1325, International Women's Tribune Centre
6. Gender & Peacekeeping Update: News & Outcome of the 2006 Substantive Session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, 27 February - 17 March 2006
7. NGO Working Group on Women, Peace & Security Update: Letter to Security Council Members Regarding SC Mission to Sudan
8. UNIFEM Update: East Africa & Horn of Africa Activities
9. Women, Peace and Security Calendar

The PeaceWomen Project is a project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Please visit us at http://www.peacewomen.org.

We have, over time, heard many commitments from the United Nations and Member States to implement Resolution 1325. We have also seen very limited actions taken to meet these commitments. The current situation in Darfur offers an opportunity to make those commitments a reality. Darfur, a conflict highlighted in this month’s 1325 E-News (see item 3), starkly illustrates many of the issues affecting women in conflict situations worldwide. Sexual and gender-based violence against women in Darfur captured the attention of the world. Yet, despite repeated commitments by the Sudanese government, sexual violence against women in Darfur is increasing and the perpetrators continue to act with impunity. More needs to be done to address this unacceptable situation. In its upcoming mission to Sudan, the Security Council must “make every effort to ensure the government of Sudan upholds the rule of law by investigating and prosecuting incidents of sexual violence.” This is one of a number of demands made to the Security Council by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace & Security in its letter to Security Council Members (see item 7). The Security Council has committed itself to integrating 1325 into its day-to-day work and giving attention to the needs and interests of women as it undertakes its mission to Sudan is one way that it can do so. While we can continue to point out such concrete actions on a case-by-case basis, an institutional mechanism within the Security Council to focus attention on 1325’s implementation would indicate the seriousness of the Council’s professed commitment to integrating 1325 into its work. We note here our repeated call for the establishment within the Council of a Working Group on women, peace and security “in order to fully mainstream a gender perspective into . . . other relevant Security Council resolutions and to include gender perspectives in the mandates of all UN peacekeeping missions” (Recommendations of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace & Security, Five Years On Report). We look forward to action being taken on this. As was noted by a participant in the strategy session on the implementation of 1325 (see item 3), organized by the Gender Unit of the UN Mission in Sudan “it is high time we move from theory to implementation.”

A further, and continually emphasized feature of 1325, is the participation of women in all aspects of peace processes. Again Darfur offers an opportunity to realize this goal. In this regard, our UNIFEM Update (item 8) highlights the partnership between UNIFEM’s and the African Union in supporting Darfurian women’s participation at the Abuja Peace Talks. This is one of the ways in which the UN is acting to address the needs and concerns of women worldwide. It is the case, however, that many obstacles exist within the UN system in its work on the implementation of commitments to gender equality and women’s human rights embodied in agreements such as Resolution 1325, CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action. The current UN reform process offers an opportunity to address some of these. In our Feature Initiatives section (item 4) we note some of the advocacy we have been engaged in to place gender equality, women’s rights and women’s issues centrally on the UN reform agenda and ways in which women’s rights advocates can contribute to these efforts. We intend, in future editions of this newsletter, to set out some of the ways we feel the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, can act to address gender-based violence. We welcome your input, ideas and strategies.

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As always we welcome your contributions to the newsletter’s content. The newsletter is sent out at the end of each month. We will feature the deadline for submissions for the next edition in each newsletter. Contributions for the June edition should be sent to enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org by Thursday 15 June 2006.

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CAROLYN MCASKIE OF CANADA NAMED TO TOP-LEVEL PEACEBUILDING SUPPORT POST
May 16, 2006 (UN News) – Secretary-General Kofi Annan today named Carolyn McAskie of Canada as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, a post closely aligned with the newly created Peacebuilding Commission which will aim to help post-conflict countries avoid sliding back into war.

NETWORK URGES WOMEN TO PROVIDE TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP
May 17, 2006 -(The Ethiopian Herald) A Regional Network of Women for Greater East Africa, Women Direct, has urged women to actively involve in providing transformative leadership.

SOUTH AFRICA: GOVT, CIVIL SOCIETY SIGN DECLARATION TO END GENDER VIOLENCE
May 7, 2006 -(BuaNews) Government and its civil society partners have set priority actions to be taken, at the minimum, before the 16 Days anti-violence campaign starts on 25 November.

UN SECURITY COUNCIL STRONGLY CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS IN WARTIME
April 28, 2006 -(UN News) The United Nations Security Council today issued a ringing condemnation of all violence committed against civilians during armed conflict, directing its strongest language at attacks on women and children, and pledged to ensure that all peace support operations employ all feasible measures to prevent the scourge.

VIRTUALLY NO COUNTRY IMMUNE FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UNODC REPORT SHOWS
April 24, 2006 -(UN News Service)Virtually no country in the world is unaffected by the crime of human trafficking for sexual exploitation or forced labour, a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows.

AFGHANISTAN SHOULD MAKE ROOM FOR ITS FEMALE LEADERS: DENYING WOMEN POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNDEMOCRATIC
April 24, 2006 -(The Christian Science Monitor) Last month Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced his nominations for his cabinet and the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, President Karzai did not nominate a single woman to the Supreme Court, dropped all three ministers who were women from the last cabinet, and nominated only one woman to the new cabinet, as minister of women's affairs. On Thursday, she was rejected.

ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN WOMEN LEADERS CALL FOR A RETURN TO PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
May 3, 2006 -(UNIFEM Press Release) Members of the International Women's Commission, in New York for meetings with UN officials, expressed concern that the results of the Palestinian elections are being seen as a reason to disengage from the peace process, when in fact, this is a critical moment to explore a resumption of negotiations. If not seized now, they said, the chance will be lost.

FEMTALK 1325 REPORT ON THE SOLOMON ISLANDS SITUATION
April 23, 2006 (FemLINK PACIFIC) When Serah Dyer and Josephine Teakeni flew out of Honiara on Tuesday 18 April, on their way to a regional workshop, their capital city was witnessing the initial stirrings of what in a few hours erupted into a full blown riot. Hours later in Brisbane they tried in vain to contact their family and friends in Honiara. When news finally reached them it was that Chinatown was burning.

For more country-specific women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

For more international women, peace and security news, CLICK HERE

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FOCUS ON SUDAN

NEWS:

FACTBOX-KEY FACTS ABOUT DARFUR
May 15, 2006 -(Reuters) The African Union said on Monday that two rebel factions from Sudan's Darfur region would have an extra two weeks until the end of May to sign a peace agreement they have so far failed to endorse.

INTERVIEW-VIOLENCE AGAINST DARFUR WOMEN WORSENS - RIGHTS CHIEF
May 4, 2006 -(Reuters) Sexual violence against women in Darfur is worsening amid a general deterioration in security and human rights in Sudan's vast west, the top U.N. human rights official said after touring the region.

ABORTION CARE NEEDS IN DARFUR AND CHAD
May 3, 2006 -(Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford University) Given the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in Darfur, why are safe abortion services and treatment of complications resulting from unsafe abortions or miscarriages not provided at all refugee/ IDP health facilities?

FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVES: EMPOWERING REFUGEE WOMEN IN DARFUR
May 1, 2006 -(Cooperative Housing Foundation International) By the end of 2005, approximately 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were living in dense camps scattered across arid areas of Darfur, Sudan, areas that have already low fuelwood productivity. In addition, inefficient harvesting of fuelwood has increasingly depleted the area's sources of wood and fuel. As a result, many women and children are left to leave the safety of their camps to fetch fuelwood from farther and farther away, imposing great risk upon themselves.

SUDAN WELCOMES UN OFFICIALS SENT FOR TALKS ON DARFUR FORCE – UN MISSION
May 22, 2006 -(UN News) The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said the country’s Government welcomed the upcoming visit of two UN envoys, who are headed to Khartoum for talks on a planned UN force to take over from the African Union operation following a peace agreement earlier this month aimed at ending fighting in the violence-wracked Darfur region.

SECURITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY BACKS DARFUR PACT
MAY 17, 2006 -(International Herald Tribune) The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday calling for strict observance of a new peace accord in Darfur and an acceleration of arrangements for a United Nations peacekeeping force to replace the strapped African Union force now there.

SUDAN: ANNAN URGES EXPEDITIOUS DEPLOYMENT OF A UN FORCE IN DARFUR
May 10, 2006 -(IRIN) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan pledged to speed up planning for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan, comparing the crisis to those faced in Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia.

DARFUR PEACE AGREEMENT REQUIRES CONTINUED US ENGAGEMENT TO SUCCEED
May 9, 2006 -(Refugees International Press Release) Refugees International welcomes the signature of the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja on May 5, 2006, and commends the US government for its substantial commitment, especially through the presence and engagement of Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, to ensure that an agreement was reached.

SUDAN: EGELAND URGES DARFUR COMBATANTS TO BUILD ON PEACE PACT
May 9, 2006 -(IRIN) United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland on Tuesday urged the Sudanese government and insurgents in the country's strife-torn Darfur to take advantage of the peace deal signed last week between Khartoum and a rebel group to bring the conflict in the region to an end.

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REPORTS & RESOURCES:

Responses To Gender-Based Violence In Camps For Internally Displaced Persons In Darfur
A PeaceWomen Survey
Researched and written by Garance Stettler, PeaceWomen Project Intern
Gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict is an issue whose importance is increasingly well documented. Guidelines and recommendations exist on possible responses to GBV in conflict-affected or humanitarian settings. Recent reports specifically address the question of gender-based violence in Darfur and/or in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from that region. However, even when these recommendations are based on field research in Darfur, there is very little substantial information available on the services that are actually provided on the ground.
This article is a survey of the main recommendations regarding GBV issues in IDP camps in Darfur. It will discuss the responses that have been advocated so far and will outline some of the remaining questions. This analysis is not intended to present an exhaustive overview of the situation but rather seeks to highlight some of the key issues. Given the scarcity of data on the services available in Darfur, this article will, for the main part, be confined to the policy recommendations made by humanitarian agencies, but it also discusses some of the problems raised by the lack of data.

For the full analysis please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Sudan/PW_GBV_IDPs.doc

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Ensuring A Sustainable Peace In Sudan: Assessing Steps Forward For Implementation Of Security Council Resolution 1325 On Women, Peace And Security
Final Report of Strategy Session Organized by the Gender Unit of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
20 December 2005, UNMIS Headquarters
The Gender Unit of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) organized a strategy session on 20 December 2005, at UNMIS Headquarters in Khartoum, entitled “Ensuring a Sustainable Peace in Sudan: Assessing Steps Forward for Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security” (SCR 1325). The strategy session was organized in order to begin to mobilize discussion on SCR 1325 in the context of Sudan. More specifically, the meeting was intended as an opportunity to begin to brainstorm how to ‘ground’ SCR 1325 within the context of Sudan in order that it can be used as an effective tool by governmental, UN, and civil society actors alike to ensure the protection and promotion of women’s rights in the country.
The meeting was attended by 36 participants, representing government ministries, UNMIS sections, UN agencies, and women’s civil society organizations (see section IV). The Gender Unit provided a detailed PowerPoint overview of SCR 1325, and participants also received a PowerPoint briefing from a Gender Focal Point Officer with UNMIS UN Police on the role and work of the UN Police Gender Focal Points, and a briefing from UNIFEM Sudan on, among other issues, their efforts to support women’s participation in the peace negotiations in Abuja. Participants then shared information about their past, ongoing and future planned initiatives related to SCR 1325 and the principles enshrined in the resolution, their recommendations for action, and identified obstacles for implementation. In addition, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified the government’s position on SCR 1325.

For the full report please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Sudan/UNMIS_StrategySessionReport.doc

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Sudan: Expand Unmis Mandate To Protect Civilians From LRA Violence
Refugees International Bulletin, May 17, 2006
The humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda has spread into southern Sudan, threatening regional peace and security. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) fighters who have terrorized northern Uganda are now committing atrocities against Sudanese civilians in south Sudan, disrupting humanitarian activities and causing displacement. The Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), the former rebel group based in south Sudan that signed a peace accord with the central government in January 2005, is both unable and unwilling to repel the LRA and protect its population. For the past four years, the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) has had a significant presence in Sudan in order to pursue the LRA but have been unable to defeat it. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) must be given a stronger mandate, more resources, and higher troop levels to protect civilians proactively.

For full bulletin please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Sudan/RI_UNMIS_mandate.pdf

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FURTHER LINKS AND RESOURCES:

For updates on Security Council activities in relation to Sudan/Darfur please visit: http://www.securitycouncilreport.org

For further news on Sudan please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Sudan/news.html

For further resources on Sudan please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/Sudan/sudanindex.html


For NGO, UN and Government contacts in Sudan please visit:http://www.peacewomen.org/contacts/africa/sudan/su_index.html

Briefing note: Women and UN Reform

The UN office of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in New York has, with a number of other groups, been advocating for women in the UN reform process. Our aim is to place gender equality, women’s rights and women’s issues centrally on the agenda. In particular, we have been working to ensure that gender equality, women’s machineries and gender mainstreaming within the UN are addressed at this time of fast-paced UN reform. Together with our partners, we have prepared a Briefing Note to provide you with information on our advocacy efforts and to suggest ways that you can contribute:

English: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/Briefingnote_May.doc
Spanish: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/Briefing_Note_SP.doc
French: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/Briefing_Note_FR.doc

These collaborative advocacy efforts began during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2006 when the Secretary General appointed a High-Level Panel on System Wide Coherence in the areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance and Environment, known as the Coherence Panel. Our efforts have seen some success: the Coherence Panel now be considers gender as a cross-cutting issue for its work and will also review both the gender-equality architecture (how gender is addressed) of the UN and gender mainstreaming.

This is an important opportunity to ensure that obstacles to the implementation of commitments to gender equality and women’s human rights embodied in CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, Security Council Resolution 1325 and other inter-governmental agreements are considered and addressed.
To ensure that the Coherence Panel properly considers all of the issues, it is vital that they receive input relating to the effectiveness of the UN. We hope to inform and mobilize women to ensure that your voices and experiences shape the work of the Panel and it’s outcomes. We have a number of ideas for action. Most importantly, please send us your input and strategies on how the UN might better meet your needs on the country and global level in terms of gender mainstreaming and actual programs. We will gather this information and, with our colleagues in New York, compile thematic responses to send to the Panel.

For updates on this work please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/women_reform/reformindex.htm

What Else You Can Do:

1) Contact individual Panel members from your country: See if your country is represented on the Panel (there are fifteen members), and if yes, contact your country’s representative.

The list of panel members is available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10349.doc.htm

State your interest in the gender aspects of their work; in wanting to ensure that these questions are taken seriously by the Panel; and any other ideas you wish to share about gender equality or gender mainstreaming in the UN system. Tell them what would be most helpful from the UN for your work on women’s rights.

2) Make submissions directly to the Panel and its secretariat: If you wish to reach the Panel directly with a written submission about gender equality/gender mainstreaming within the UN at any level, you can send a submission to Koen Davidse, the Panel’s Research Director, at koendavidse@hotmail.com

Please send us a copy (unreform@peacewomen.org )

3) Talk to your government officials about the process: Many government officials don’t know that the gender review is part of the Coherence Panel’s work, and that the Panel will make recommendations on gender in the UN system to the General Assembly in September. Tell them what UN reform you believe is necessary for women’s equality and women’s rights, and what they can do to make it happen. The briefing paper contains our recommendations.

4) Suggest ideas and strategies to us: Let us know your priorities regarding women and UN reform. Keep us informed on what you are doing to advance women rights and issues in the UN.

Please send your input to unreform@peacewomen.org

Some useful questions to consider and respond to:

Do you see women’s rights issues as effectively integrated into UN agencies? Why or why not?

Do the UN agencies present in your country address gender equality?

On what basis have you worked with UN agencies? (Ad hoc/ on specific UN driven projects / through UN funding of your own projects)

Which agencies have you had contact with?

If you have not had the opportunity to work with UN agencies, was this because:
1. the agency most relevant to your work was not present;
2. the agency most relevant to your work was unable or unwilling to provide necessary support;
3. you were not aware of how to contact the UN country teams or agencies.

If you have had the opportunity to work with UN agencies:
1. what were the most successful aspects of this relationship?
2. what were the greatest challenges of this relationship?
3. what would have made your experiences working with the UN more effective?

Have you found UN staff:
1. to have adequate resources?
2. to be adequately trained?
3. with the necessary authority to ensure effectiveness?
4. willing to fund or participate in projects related to women’s human rights?

What good models for gender mainstreaming have you experienced?

We look forward to receiving your responses as soon as possible, preferably by May 29 as we hope to prepare initial input for the next meeting of the Coherence Panel which is in the beginning of June. Send your responses to: unreform@peacewomen.org

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For more women, peace and security initiatives – in country, regional, global and international, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/campaigns/global/index.htm

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Women Talk Peace: Radio Productions on UN Security Council Resolution 1325
International Women’s Tribune Centre (IWTC)
IWTC has produced two sets of prototype radio programs about UNSCR 1325 in partnership with community broadcasters in the Philippines and Uganda. The first set was dubbed and broadcast in English and Filipino for an audience in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. The second set was made available in English, Luganda and Swahili for listeners in Uganda and other conflict-affected countries in Africa.
These radio productions are the first in a series of IWTC productions to raise awareness about the varied aspects of SCR 1325 including the National Action Plans on SCR 1325 as well as other international conventions and legal mechanisms relevant to women in conflict situations. Further, they represent IWTC’s efforts to develop a core group of broadcasters, print journalists and other media practitioners who will ensure a sustained flow of information about SCR 1325, other legal mechanisms and how they can be used to protect and promote women’s rights.
All radio productions are now being aired a number of community radio stations in Asia and Africa. In 2006, IWTC plans to produce new local language radio programs related to women, peace and security and translate the existing ones for dissemination to a larger audience. Preparations are now underway for the radio productions in Liberia in June 2006.

To hear these radio productions and to download copies of the scripts please visit and click on the links: http://www.iwtc.org/2983/index.html

For more information, write to Mavic Cabrera Balleza at mavic@iwtc.org

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For NGO and civil society reports, papers and statements, UN and government reports, and books, journals and articles on women, peace and security issues,
please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/resourcesindex.html

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NEWS & RESOURCES:

LIBERIA SEX-FOR-AID 'WIDESPREAD
May 8, 2006 - (BBC News) Young girls in Liberia are still being sexually exploited by aid workers and peacekeepers despite pledges to stamp out such abuse, Save the Children says. Girls as young as eight are being forced to have sex in exchange for food by workers for local and international agencies, according to its report.

PEACEKEEPING OFFICIALS GAIN TRAINING AT UN INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT
May 5, 2006 - (UN News) Peacekeeping officials dealing with communications and information technology in a number of hotspots across the globe today completed a five-day meeting at the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women where gender concerns were addressed as part of overall planning.

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS AND ITS WORKING GROUP IN THE 2006 SUBSTANTIVE SESSION
This report is a "comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects" and is the outcome of the 2006 substantive session of the Special Committee on peacekeeping operations which took place between 27 February and 17th March 2006.

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For PeaceWomen’s Peacekeeping Watch index, visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/pkwatch/pkwatch.html

For more gender and peacekeeping news, visit PeaceWomen’s Gender and Peacekeeping News Index:

http://www.peacewomen.org/un/pkwatch/pknews.html

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Letter to Security Council Members Regarding SC Mission to Sudan
19 May 2006

Dear Ambassador,

On the occasion of the United Nations Security Council’s Mission to Sudan, the NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security (NGOWG) would like to express its alarm at the worsening situation for civilians in Darfur, Sudan - especially those who have been displaced as a result of continued violence. The NGOWG is gravely concerned by the widespread and systematic use of rape being perpetrated on women and girls.

Gender-based violence, especially sexual violence, is a fundamental protection issue primarily affecting women and girls, which requires systematic consideration by the Security Council. The violence committed against women and girls during conflict is deployed as a strategic weapon of war, a tool to achieve wider objectives such as the spread of terror and intimidation, and breaking the resistance and morale of a community.

Efforts to stem such incidents of gender-based violence are often frustrated in the face of a climate of impunity. The government of Sudan has made many commitments to address such crimes, but to date, has not fully acted on these commitments. As a result, perpetrators still enjoy a climate of absolute impunity.

Violence against women during conflict, and the resulting health and socio-economic consequences for entire communities, remain one of the most persistent obstacles to women’s full and equal participation in post-conflict peace-building and reconciliation processes, which is recognized in Security Council resolution 1325 as crucial to promoting sustainable peace and security. Accordingly, it is imperative for the Security Council to develop a deeper understanding and capacity to address such violence and respond forcefully and strategically to it. We hope the Council will take the opportunity of this mission to Sudan to earnestly embark on this process.

Women in Sudan have borne the brunt of the conflict and, despite displacement and the challenges of their daily life, have managed to be active in promoting peace and stability. They are active in State Committees to prevent and respond to violence against women and volunteer as unpaid teachers in displaced persons camps, for example. The peace process must allow for women to continue to play leadership roles. Women must also be included in decision-making on how/when to return, the ownership of land and power-sharing.

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security respectfully asks that the Security Council:

- Make every effort to ensure that the government of Sudan upholds the rule of law by investigating and prosecuting incidents of sexual violence, and ensuring that all survivors and victims’ families are provided with full and meaningful reparations.

- Ensure that improving the protection of displaced women and girls is a priority. Reports of women and girls being raped during the collection of firewood occur almost daily. This is a problem that can and must be addressed immediately. The NGOWG asks the Council to ensure that national and international security forces provide transportation to firewood collection sites and routinely patrol the routes to them. Fuel-efficient technologies and alternative fuels should be used to lessen the need for firewood. To be most effective, these solutions should be coordinated by one agency, implemented in consultation with displaced women and coupled with income generation activities.

- Address the presence, sale and import of arms in Sudan. Even after cease-fire, the presence of weapons leads to the escalation of domestic violence and abuse of women and girls.

- Ensure that women play an integral role in all levels of the peace process, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325, and to insist on women’s active participation where this is not happening. Sustainable peace requires that women be included in decision-making on return, power-sharing and land distribution.

We also urge the Security Council to meet with key NGOs working in this field. In order to facilitate this, we are attaching contact information for these groups. They can provide first-hand, field level expertise and recommendations that we believe will greatly benefit the Security Council and help promote its work.

For meaningful and effective dialogue to take place, leading representatives from these women’s organizations must also be included in joint meetings with United Nations, military, and governmental actors. It is our hope that the Security Council on its mission to Sudan will set this example for others to follow.

Sincerely yours,

Gina Torry, Coordinator

Signed Members of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security:

Amnesty International
Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights
Hague Appeal for Peace
Femmes Africa Solidarité
United Methodists Women’s Division
International Alert
International Women’s Tribune Center
Women’s Action for New Directions
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

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For more information about the NGOWG, CLICK HERE.

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East Africa & Horn of Africa Activities

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) will participate in the African Union's (AU) newly established Committee of Inquiry, following recent reports in the news media of alleged sexual violence, including rape and child abuse, by AU forces in Darfur.

Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, Head of the AU Mission in Sudan and Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, said that setting up the Committee was an immediate response to the news reports, which first aired in a British Television Channel Four documentary. According to Kingibe, the Committee will examine the contents of the documentary and establish its veracity or otherwise, identify those responsible for the violations and make recommendations on appropriate sanctions, in conformity with the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women, which came into force in 2005. The Committee of Inquiry is headed by Winnie Byanyima, Director for Women, Gender and Development of the AU Commission, the secretariat and executive body of the 53 African member state grouping.

Regional Programme Director for UNIFEM in East and Horn of Africa, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, welcomed the urgency with which the Committee was set up following the news reports, saying that it gives a ray of hope to African women, children and survivors of violence that impunity and inaction by authorities is being seriously dealt with. "It sends immediate warning bells to perpetrators of sexual and gender based violence that impunity will no longer be the order of the day in Africa," she said.

UNIFEM is partnering with the African Union to support Darfurian women's participation at the Abuja Peace Talks, and facilitate implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 and the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality. Protection of women's rights in Darfur and the traumatic experiences of violence and displacement have been recurring themes demanding immediate action by all parties. UNIFEM is urging all parties to the peace talks to expedite its conclusion and restore security and dignity to the war-affected women and children of Darfur.

For media inquiries related to this issue contact:
Roselyn Gicira, Partnerships and Communications Officer,
East and Horn of Africa Regional Office,
+254 20-762-4725,
Roselyn.gicira@unifem.org

For more information please visit: http://www.unifem-easternafrica.org/Main.htm
or visit http://www.womenwarpeace.org/sudan/sudan.htm for up-to-date informatiON ON SUDAN

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UNIFEM’s Web Portal on Women, Peace and Security, CLICK HERE

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Peacebuilding and Development Institute: Summer Institute 2006
June 19-July 8, 2006, American University School of International Service, Washington DC
The Peacebuilding and Development summer Institute is one of the first academic programs specifically organized to bridge the fields of peacebuilding and development. The Program provides trainings to foreign aid workers, government officials, conflict resolution practitioners, and others working in conflict zones to complement their daily field work. Experienced trainers guide participants through sessions to explore the relationships between religion, culture, human rights, and applied theories in peacebuilding and development work. Participants explore innovative methods, while expanding their knowledge and skills in a participatory and interactive learning environment.

For more information on the program, courses and registration requirements, please visit:
http://www.american.edu/sis/peacebuilding/

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Conference on Gender, Peace and Security in Africa: Capitalizing 10 years of Women’s Experience
11- 15 June 2006, Bamako, Mali
Organized by Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), this conference and general assembly will provide an opportunity to launch an evaluation study on the “Women’s Peace Movement in Africa”, a study on 10 years of practice towards peace and security building as well as monitoring and evaluation tools, case studies and the Leadership Bank developed as part of this study.

For further information on this event, please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/frame/calendar/fliers/FAS_2006.pdf

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Pacific Regional Workshop on Gender, Conflict, Peace and Security
15-17 June 2006, Mocambo Hotel, Nadi, Fiji
Organised by the Pacific Forum Secretariat, the primary purpose of the workshop is to raise awareness and understanding of gender issues in conflict, peace building and security in the Pacific region in order to facilitate a shift towards more gender responsive security frameworks at national and regional levels. This workshop will immediately precede the Forum Regional Security Committee (FSRC) meeting to be held from 19-20 June at the same venue.

For more information contact:
Samantha Hung, Gender Issues Adviser
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Facsimile: (679) 3300192
Email: samanthah@forumsec.org.fj

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The Effects of European Union on the Socio-Economic Development of Women, 1st Biennial International Women’s Studies Conference
22-24 June 2006, Izmir, Turkey
Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, has recently taken historic steps towards EU full membership and the effects of this accession on her democratic consolidation and human rights laws have generated much interest. However, the serious issue of the effects of this membership on women and women’s rights still remains to be explored. Improving women’s status in social, economic and political like and providing gender equality in the social security system are among the main objectives of the EU. Compared to other countries, members of the EU have taken serious steps on these issues. Equality between women and men in economic life has not yet been obtained, and participation of women in professional life is still lower than that of men even in the EU.

For more information on this event, please visit: http://dba.ieu.edu.tr/women/

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African Women in the Diaspora Conference: Empowering African Women, Ensuring Africa's Future
22 June, 2006, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Focus is on African immigrant & refugee women, youth and families in the following areas: education, health & wellness, immigration issues and trafficking. Some breakout sessions will deal with HIV/AIDS and the young African community, Parenting in the African community, Role of Men in the Welfare of the African family in the diaspora, peer pressure and self-image for youth, and development of African women's leadership and inclusion of African women in the advancement of the continent. Presenters should address cultural challenges in each subject area and interweave the theme of empowering African women in their presentation. Attendees come from the education, health, legal and social service fields.
The Keynote speakers are the Judge and Prosecutor featured in the Cannes Film Festival Award winning documentary Sisters In Law Beatrice Ntuba and Vera Ngassa from Cameroon, West Africa. The Africa Oboso awards will be presented to 5 African women and a friend of Africa for work related to advancing the cause of African women and the continent.

For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.mawanet.org/html/conference.htm

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Equality and the State, conference at the AHRC Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality
30 June – 1 July 2006, University of Kent, UK
Organised by the Feminist Legal Theory Project and Keele Law School. Sponsored by the British Academy and Emory University Law School Network on Key Concepts in Feminist Legal Theory. To be held in conjunction with the “Up Against the Nation State”

For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.kent.ac.uk/clgs/events/nationstatesflt.htm

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Gender and Peace Commission of IPRA
June 29 - July 3 2006, Calgary, Canada
Waging peace is the greatest affair of mankind in the 21st century, the basis of life and death, the way to survival or extinction. Hence, it is imperative that it be thoroughly studied. (What Sun Tzu said about waging war is even more true for waging peace.) We would like to invite IPRA members and others to provide proposals for papers, panels, or other contributions. Our Calgary team is taking the lead in organizing the meeting. The members of the Council and Commission Conveners are working hard to compose exciting panels and discussion sessions.

For more information on this event, please visit: http://soc.kuleuven.be/pol/ipra/about/commissions/gend.html

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For the complete calendar, CLICK HERE.

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