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1325
PeaceWomen E-News
Issue
#90
26 June 2007
GENDER & SECURITY SECTOR REFORMS
The
Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace
and security, 31 October 2000. CLICK
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THIS ISSUE OF 1325 PEACEWOMEN E-NEWS FEATURES:
1. Editorial:Gender &
SSR
2. Women, Peace and Security News
3. Feature Analysis: Gender
and Security Reform Issues & Scanning Security Sector Institutions
for their Gender Responsiveness
4. Feature Event: CEDAW 38th Session
5. Feature Resources:
Upcoming Gender and SSR Toolkit
6. Feature Initiatives: WILPF
Grannies Protest for Peace
7. NGO Working Group on Women, Peace &
Security Update: PBC Members Discuss Gender and Security
in Sierra Leone and Burundi
8. UNIFEM Update: UN SSR
Intiatives and Resources
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.
On this, International Women’s
Day for Disarmament, the PeaceWomen Team would like to
recognize our sister WILPF project- Reaching Critical Will, and
remind our readers that this other project of WILPF provides timely
analysis on all multilateral disarmament decision making fora. http://www.ReachingCriticalWill.org
1.
EDITORIAL
The PeaceWomen Team
|
This month’s edition of the
1325 PeaceWomen E-News has as its focus Gender and Security Sector
Reform. As our regular news section (Item 2) reveals, there are
a plethora of issues arising in the women, peace and security sphere
in conflict affected areas across the globe. These range from women’s
participation in local peacebuilding efforts to the appointment
of women in high-level positions within the UN system and the continuing
use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war. Many
of these issues are explicitly dealt with in Resolution 1325 while
others are addressed less directly. Gender and Security Sector Reform
falls into this latter category although it is, as noted by one
of our contributors, “increasingly on the agenda of the international
development, peace and security community” [and it is thus]
“essential that we develop the arguments, research methodologies
and tools to ensure that gender issues are mainstreamed into SSR
policies and programming.” This piece by Kristin Valasek at
DCAF is one of two contributions in our Feature Analysis section
(Item 3) and provides a good introduction to the area of gender
and SSR; examines arguments for integrating gender issues into SSR;
and how this integration might be accomplished. A valuable resource
introduced by this article, and highlighted as our Feature Resource
(Item 5) is the upcoming Gender and SSR Reform Toolkit, which looks
to deal with a broad range of specific topics. The article by Nicola
Popovic of INSTRAW (see Item 3) deals with one of these topics –
that of integrating gender into SSR assessments, monitoring and
evaluation. In “Scanning Security Sector Institutions for
Their Gender Responsiveness”, she builds the case for gender
assessments of security sector institutions and reviews methodologies
and tools for doing so. How, and the extent to which, security sector
institutions reform in a gender sensitive manner is important to
monitor. This month’s UNIFEM Update highlights one such study
– commissioned by several UN entities – to examine police
reform from a gender equality perspective. This Update also highlights
the developments in how the UN approaches the issue of SSR –
most notably the establishment of an SSR Task Force and an SSR Support
Unit. SSR is the focus of many UN bodies – and in the post-conflict
context, the UN’s Peacebuilding Commission must take account
of these issues.
It is now one year since the Peacebuilding Commission began to operate
and an opportune moment to look back and assess the body’s
work and accomplishments. The PBC has exhibited the potential to
be an important new channel for bringing women’s voices into
the dialogue on issues that are critical to consolidating peace
in Burundi and Sierra Leone, the two countries currently on its
agenda. However important questions remain regarding the integration
of gender into the Commission’s strategies and frameworks.
This is the focus of this edition’s update from the NGO Working
Group on women peace and security, highlighting a recent roundtable
discussion between PBC members and civil society on gender, security,
and the rule of law in Burundi and Sierra Leone (Item 7).
Sierra Leone is also one of the
countries that have been the focus of the recently concluded 38th
session of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW). A Peacewomen review of the session (Item
4) examines the way women peace and security issues were handled
during the committee’s examination of the implementation of
the CEDAW convention in Sierra Leone and Serbia.
We would like to thank Kristin Valasek
and Nicola Popovic for their contributions to this month’s
edition. We continue to welcome contributions to the newsletter’s
content. Contributions for the July 2007 edition, which will focus
on Gender & Refugees, IDP issues should be sent to enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org
by Thursday 19 July 2007.
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2.
WOMEN,
PEACE AND SECURITY NEWS |
CONGO-KINSHASA:
UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF 'APPALLED' BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN DR CONGO,
BURUNDI
May 31 2007 - (UN News Centre) The top United Nations human rights
official today said that she was appalled by the level of sexual
and gender-based violence she found in Africa's Great Lakes region,
particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
JAPANESE
MPS DENY WARTIME SEXUAL SLAVERY
June 19, 2007 – (Agence France-Presse) A group of Japanese
MPs have placed a full-page advertisement in The Washington Post
that denies Japan's military forced up to 200,000 women into sexual
slavery during World War II.
AFRICA:
IF YOU WANT MORE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDE WOMEN IN DECISION-MAKING
June 15, 2007 - (Inter Press Service) The '8th Triennial Commonwealth
Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting' (8WAMM) has closed with an acknowledgement
that gender equality is central to democracy, peace and economic
growth; it also called for greater efforts to achieve parity between
men and women.
U.N.
URGED TO HIRE MORE WOMEN
June 1, 2007 – (The Washington Times) Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and 19 other female ministers, diplomats and lawmakers from
around the world called on the United Nations yesterday to appoint
more women in high-level positions, including as special envoys
to trouble spots.
ETHIOPIAN
WOMEN REDISCOVER ROLE AS PEACE BUILDERS
May 31, 2007 - (Oxfam) Tato Boru, 48 and the mother of five children,
is a peacemaker. She leads the Moyale area women’s peace council
which Oxfam’s local partner, the Research Center for Civic
and Human Rights Education (RCCHE), helped to found.
GIVING
SOMALI GIRLS A CHANCE
May 30, 2007 - (IRIN) Hawa Aden Mohamed was motivated to establish
the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development by her own
experience, particularly the opportunity to go to school at 14.
UN-SPONSORED
MEETING CALLS FOR MORE MALE FACILITATORS IN GENDER TRAINING
June 26, 2007 – (UN NEWS) Increasing the number of qualified
male trainers in gender training for security personnel is one of
the key conclusions of an online expert-group discussion hosted
by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute
for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and its partners in Santo
Domingo.
WOMEN,
CHILDREN FLEE DARFUR AFTER ATTACKS
June 1, 2007 - (AP) Hundreds of women and children fled by foot
and on donkeys from Darfur to the neighboring Central African Republic
after their town was attacked by planes and helicopters, the U.N.
refugee agency said Friday.
NAMIBIA:
GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
June 14, 2007 - (The Namibian) VIOLENCE against women and girls
will be tackled head-on and the line ministry has set up a national
database to determine the root causes of violence, a Government
Minister says.
ZIMBABWE
POLICE ARREST DOZENS OF WOMEN ACTIVISTS
June 16, 2007 – (Pamzuka News) Zimbabwean police on Monday
arrested dozens of women as they staged a demonstration in south-western
Zimbabwe, a statement said. The women, all members of Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (Woza) had "tried to gather to hold a march in a small
administrative centre in Insiza district but were arrested",
the group said.
SERBIA:
WOMEN IN BLACK SEMINAR ADDRESSES THE SECURITY OF WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS
DEFENDERS
June 20, 2007 – (WLUML) Male and female activists from throughout
Serbia participated in the Women in Black “Women, Peace, and
Activism’ seminar held May 18-20, 2007 in Totovo Selo in Vojvodina.
(WiB - Belgrade)
BURUNDI:
STUDY SAYS COFFEE HARVEST LINKED TO INCREASE IN GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
May 25, 2007- (IRIN) The April-July coffee harvest period in Burundi
has been linked to increases in gender-based violence and the risk
of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
WOMEN
UNDER SIEGE IN AFGHANISTAN
June 20, 2007 - (BBC) For the past three months, Afghan female MP
Shukria Barakzai has been receiving a letter saying she may be targeted
by a suicide bomber in the next six months. The cryptic government
letter contains an intelligence warning that Ms Barakzai's life
is under threat and she should be careful. She is one of six MPs
getting such a letter these days.
NEPAL:
IMPOVERISHED RURAL WOMEN PRONE TO EXPLOITATION IN TOWNS
June 12 2007 - (IRIN) Maili Buda, 35, is having an increasingly
difficult life since her husband was killed in Khalanga village,
northwest of the capital, during a clash between the Maoist rebels
and government security forces nearly six years ago.
HR
ACTIVIST GETS HUSTON AWARD-2007 IN US
June 21, 2007 – (Daily Times) Pakistani women rights activist
and documentary filmmaker Samar Minallah was awarded the Perdita
Huston Human Rights Award for 2007 in Washington DC at The Peter
G. Peterson Institute for International Economics. The Institute
of International Economics gave her the award on June 6, 2007.
RIGHTS
ABUSES WORRY WOMEN
June 18, 2007 - (The Fiji Times Online) Women and children cannot
be expected to make contributions towards the restoration of parliamentary
democracy in an environment where people are fearful because of
the continued abuse of human rights, says the National Council of
Women.
DAYAK,
MADURESE WOMEN HOLD MEETING FOR PEACE
June 13, 2005 -(Jakarta Post) Members of a communication forum for
Dayak and Madurese women, or Dara Arum as the forum is named, gathered
here in Yogyakarta on Saturday for a six-day meeting to discuss
peace-keeping efforts between the two conflicting communities.
AFRICA:
U.S. HEADS PUBLIC-PRIVATE FUND TO AID REFUGEE WOMEN, CHILDREN
June 19, 2007 – (AllAfrica) The State Department is creating
a new fund, to which private citizens and businesses can donate,
to address the critical needs of refugee women and children.
CROATIA:
GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GENDER EQUALITY
May 30, 2007 –(OneWorld) During last week’s debate in
the Sabor (Croatian Parliament) on the report submitted by Gender
Equality Ombudsperson, Karmela Caparin, an MP from the ruling HDZ
(Croatian Democratic Community), said that there is more discrimination
in labour and employment now, compared to previous years.
MIDEAST
WOMEN DEFY REGIONAL DIVIDES TO PROMOTE PEACE
May 29, 2007 – (Middle East Times) Some 40 women leaders,
predominantly from the Middle East, recently defied regional disputes
to participate in a three-day conference focusing on "Women
Uniting for Peace" near the Cypriot port city of Larnaca.
“ALL GIRL” UN SQUAD A SUCCESS
June 21, 2007 - (BBC News) The world's first all-female unit of
United Nations peacekeepers has been deemed a success, and has had
its mission extended for another six months.
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For
more country-specific women, peace and security news, CLICK
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GENDER AND SECURITY SECTOR
REFORM
Kristin Valasek, Gender & Security Sector Reform Officer,
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF)
This article is based on a forthcoming DCAF policy paper on gender
and security sector reform.
What are the gender entry points in security sector reform (SSR)?
Are gender issues being integrated into current SSR initiatives?
As security sector reform is increasingly on the agenda of the international
development, peace and security community, it is essential that
we develop the arguments, research, methodologies and tools to ensure
that gender issues are mainstreamed into SSR policies and programming.
Security Sector Reform: a quick introduction
Though the concept of security sector reform emerged in the late
90s, there is still no generally accepted definition of SSR. The
Development Assistance Committee of the OECD (OECD-DAC) describes
SSR as “another term used to describe the transformation of
the ‘security system’ - which includes all the actors,
their roles, responsibilities and actions – working together
to manage and operate the system in a manner that is more consistent
with democratic norms and sound principles of good governance, and
thus contributes to a well-functioning security framework.”
SSR is a holistic approach that emphasises the interconnected nature
of the security sector including official institutions (military,
police, border authorities, intelligence services, justice and penal
systems, and government bodies that manage and monitor the security
sector), civil society organisations and the media, donors, private
security and private military companies, and non-state armed actors.
Though often associated with post-conflict contexts, SSR can take
place in transitional and developing countries as well as developed
democracies.
Support to SSR processes is being prioritised at the international
level. The Development Assistance Committee of the OECD has initiated
extensive research on SSR and developed a framework (2005) and handbook
(2007) for donors. The Commission of the European Communities (part
of the EU system) has published A Concept for European Community
Support for Security Sector Reform in 2006. There is also currently
a UN initiative underway to develop a coordinated interagency approach
to SSR.
This article examines the following:
1. Why Integrate Gender Issues into SSR?
- Mandate fulfillment: providing security for women, men, boys and
girls
- Operational Benefits
- Normative Compliance: Equal Rights and Gender Mainstreaming
2. How to Integrate Gender Issues into SSR?
3. Gender and SSR Toolkit
For a review of the upcoming gender and SSR toolkit please see our
resources section below.
For the full version of this article and references please
visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/1325/Gender_ssr_dcaf07.pdf
For more information please contact: Kristin Valesek, k.valasek@dcaf.ch
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SCANNING SECURITY SECTOR INSTITUTIONS FOR
THEIR GENDER RESPONSIVENESS
Nicola Popovic , Gender, Peace and Security Specialist, INSTRAW,
June 2007
In order to respond to the need for integrating gender into security
sector reform (SSR) training, policies and programs, several different
gender mainstreaming initiatives have been attempted. The application,
monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives are important. There
are different ways to apply a systematic approach to integrating
gender into SSR programs and initiatives. One good way to start
the transformation of the security sector toward greater gender
sensitivity and responsiveness is to audit and assess security sector
institutions themselves on their applied gender dimension, balance
and mainstreaming efforts. This paper is based on one of the tools
of a forthcoming toolkit jointly developed by DCAF, ODIHR and UN
INSTRAW on gender and security sector reform analysing the integration
of gender into SSR assessment, monitoring and evaluation.
How and why should gender assessments/audits be applied on security
sector institutions?
In the context of gender, on the one hand, and SSR approaches on
the other the term of auditing and assessing is often used for different
types of analysis. Auditing the security sector and its institutions
varies from gender evaluation, audits and assessments. Gender audits
provide a means of analysing gender issues at the level of policy,
structure, budgets and personnel, including people’s perceptions
and understandings of gender in their own institutions but also
on the equal participation in decision making processes. Specific
gender audits and assessments can therefore serve as both a starting
point as well as an evaluation and self-assessment of ongoing gender
mainstreaming activities. InterAction defines the purpose of the
Gender Audit as being “to identify areas of strength and achievement,
innovative policies and practices, as well as continuing challenges
as a foundation for gender action planning.” Furthermore,
there are audits, analysis and assessments of security institutions,
countries, contexts and programmes from a gender and/or security
perspective applying different methods. Gender audits and assessments
of security sector institutions not only depend on a clear definition
and research objective, but overall on the cooperation and political
will of the specific institution. Obstacles such as the possible
lack of transparency of security institutions such as the military,
intelligence services and prisons may appear as a challenge to overcome
before starting the gender audit and assessment. Still, gender audits
are a good first step for an organisation that has not worked specifically
on gender before as it allows for introspection, participatory planning
and organisational learning. Therefore, it is important to emphasise
that these assessments focus, “on improving the performance
of an organisation with regards to the promotion of gender equality
and women’s empowerment.” In order to respond to security
needs, threats and perceptions of security of all citizens of society
(men, women, boys and girls) differences, roles and dynamics between
and of the different gender dimensions must be taken into account.
This article reviews the following:
1. Methodologies and application
2. Suggested questions for reviewing policies and gender responsiveness
3. Action Plans: Putting results of reviews and reflection into
practice
For the full version of this article and references please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/1325/SSR_Popovic07.pdf
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Among the countries whose reports were under review in the 38th
session of the CEDAW committee were Sierra Leone and Serbia, both
countries that have experienced armed conflict in the recent past.
In two brief reports below we highlight the women, peace and security
issues raised in the Committee's review of these countries' reports.
A PeaceWomen Review
By Rose Anderson
Sierra Leone
Introduction
Sierra Leone is a country in the process of reconstruction, having
recently come out of an 11-year conflict. During the conflict, half
of the population was displaced, 50,000 people were killed, and
over a quarter of a million women were raped. The war was declared
over in 2002, but the legacy of the conflict entailed the devastation
of the social and economic structure of the nation, as well as a
breakdown of the rule of law and political authority. The country
is currently focused on rebuilding the country’s economic
and social infrastructure while addressing the need for promotion
and protection of human rights.
1325 Themes and Response
The need for greater representation of women in the decision-making
levels of governance was mentioned several times by the Committee
of Experts, and the response of the Sierra Leonean delegation addressed
the issues of resource scarcity, illiteracy, and lack of formal
education as the main impediments to achieving this goal. The Experts
asked about female representation in bodies such as the Peacebuilding
Commission, but the Delegation was unfortunately unable to provide
any information on the topic.
The issue of the permanency of cultural stereotypes and traditional
gender roles was defined as the main obstacle to female political
participation, and it was noted by the Committee that such traditional
beliefs tend to only be unchangeable when they apply to women, and
tend to be used as an excuse to not deal with gender issues. The
Committee then recommended that the government of Sierra Leone apply
special temporary measures as soon as possible in order to increase
the numbers of women in government. There are women’s groups
that are working to train women in politics and build capacity for
female political participation, and the Experts recommended governmental
collaboration with these groups.
The Experts posed questions regarding reparations and assistance
programs for victims of sexual violence, with the Delegation responding
that there were housing and education programs available to victims.
However, it was noted that these programs are limited in their effectiveness
by a lack of awareness and resource scarcity. The Delegation also
stated that the Sierra Leonean government had presented an apology
to the women who had been victimized by sexual violence during the
war, which was a recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission.
In its concluding remarks to the Delegation, the Committee of Experts
recommended that the Sierra Leonean government strive to mainstream
gender into all proposed legislation, to domesticate CEDAW into
its national legislature, and to widely disseminate information
on CEDAW and the Optional Protocol, as well as the Committee’s
Recommendations, in order to create awareness of gender issues and
capacity for progress.
For the full report visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CEDAW/38th_Session/Sierra%20Leone/PW_ReviewSierraLeone.html
Serbia
Introduction
Serbia became an independent state in 2006 after the dissolution
of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Prior to formation
of Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia was the federal unit of Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) that ceased to exist in 2003. The FRY
signed CEDAW in 2001, and ratified the optional protocol in 2002.
After the dissolution of the FYR, Serbia continued its membership
in international treaties, including CEDAW. The report treated the
period from 1992-present as two separate reporting periods, one
from 1992-2003 and 2003-present, in order to correspond with the
changing geographical and political boundaries of the region.
1325 Themes and Response
The situation of the Roma women was a major talking point of the
session, and various questions regarding the representation of these
women in municipal and national governance were asked. The Serbian
Delegation responded by speaking of recent programs aimed at increasing
electoral and political participation of Roma women, adding that
special temporary measures such as quotas may be implemented in
the near future.
The Committee of Experts asked the Serbian Delegation how the National
Action Plan for Gender would affect women that had been victimized
by war. More specifically, it was asked if there were plans for
a reparations program for female victims of war crimes. The Delegation
was also asked if the Serbian government had plans to educate the
public on Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and
Security, and encouraged the government to incorporate the principles
of 1325 into its framework. Regarding Kosovo, the Experts emphasized
the importance of women’s contributions to post-conflict reconstruction,
and the Serbian delegation was asked to encourage women’s
full participation in peace and reconciliation efforts in Kosovo.
Unfortunately, the Serbian Delegation did not respond to these queries.
In the Concluding Comments of the Session, the Committee of Experts
reccomended that Serbia strengthen the Council for Gender Equality
by significantly increasing its human and financial resources and
technical capacity so that it can effectively implement the tasks
required by its mandate. The Gender Equality Council is also asked
to extend greater focus on the Roma, as well as other minority groups.
The Committee also recommended that Serbia strengthen and implement
measures to increase the representation of women in appointed bodies
and in government, specifically in high levels of decision-making.
To this end, the Committee recommended that Serbia put in place
an action plan for the full implementation of Security Council Resolution
1325 to attain this goal.
For the full report visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ecosoc/CEDAW/38th_Session/Serbia/PW_ReviewSerbia.html
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Upcoming Gender and SSR
Toolkit
Despite the clear connection between
gender and SSR and the long history of activism and research around
gender, peace and security issues, there are only a handful of case
studies, reports and articles that have dealt directly with the
topic. In addition, many recent SSR initiatives fail to adequate
incorporate gender issues, as is highlighted in a 2007 UK Department
for International Development (DFID) evaluation of their SSR programming
in Africa.
In response to the need for resources on gender and SSR, the Geneva
Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and
the United Nations International Research and Training Institute
for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) initiated the project Gender
and Security Sector Reform: Creating Knowledge and Building Capacities
in February 2007 to:
1) Commission new research to
produce 12 gender and security sector reform tools
(20-30 pgs). From these tools, shorter briefs
(2-4 pgs) will be produced. The full set of resources will be
developed into a Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit.
2) Hold e-discussions, an expert workshop and
a launch/workshop to promote and operationalise
the Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit
The topics of the twelve tools
and briefs are:
1. Introduction to SSR and Gender
2. Police Reform and Gender
3. Defence Reform and Gender
4. Justice Reform and Gender
5. Penal Reform and Gender
6. Border Management and Gender
7. Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector and Gender
8. National Security Policy and Gender
9. Civil Society Oversight of the Security Sector and Gender
10. Privatisation of Security and Gender
11. Integrating Gender into SSR Assessments, Monitoring and Evaluation
12. Gender Training for Security Sector Personnel: lessons learned
and good practices
The Toolkit is designed as a practical resource for security sector
reform practitioners and will be launched in early 2008. For more
information please contact:
Kristin Valasek
k.valasek@dcaf.ch
Gender and Security Sector Reform Officer
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF)
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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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WILPF Raging Grannies protest
for peace
Peace advocates gathered on 41st
Avenue in Capitola on Tuesday, June 26th to protest the ongoing
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the recent troop surge, which has
resulted in greater casualities, not fewer; and the recruitment
of at-risk youth by military recruiters, many of whom use lies and
manipulation in order to get people to sign up. Ten people engaged
in nonviolent civil disobedience and were arrested by Capitola Police
when they stayed in front of the Army recruiting office doors when
asked to disperse.
For full story, please visit: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/26/18430845.php
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For more Global & Regional Initiatives, please visit:
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For more Country-specific Initiatives, please visit:
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PBC Members Discuss Gender and Security in Sierra Leone and Burundi
The Peacebuilding Commission can play a central
role in the active implementation of Security Council resolution
(SCR) 1325 at the local and national level, by coordinating, promoting
and supporting engagement with women’s groups and in mobilizing
political will at the national level to further advance gender
priorities and policy, including in regard to Security Sector
Reform.
With this in mind, the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United
Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the United
Nations, and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
- led by member organizations International Alert, Human Rights
Watch and WILPF-PeaceWomen Project - organized a roundtable to
provide an opportunity for informal discussion on the gender dimensions
of the security and justice issues identified as priorities for
peace consolidation in Burundi and Sierra Leone. The event was
hosted by the Delegation of the European Commission to the United
Nations and the Liaison Office of the General Secretariat of the
Council of the European Union. The roundtable brought together
a range of governmental and United Nations actors as well as civil
society representatives who are working to consolidate peace in
Burundi and Sierra Leone.
With International Alert, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace
and Security invited four women peacebuilders as part of its women
peacebuilders programme to attend the event. This provided an
excellent opportunity for the PBC members to hear directly from
leading women peacebuilders representing Burundian and Sierra
Leonean civil society, and to gain an insight into the specific
needs and peacebuilding priorities of women and to discuss recommendations
for concrete ways to advance gender priorities at the national
level.
For full recommendations see www.womenpeacesecurity.org
The central outcome of this meeting, particularly the practical
recommendations for maximising impact on the ground in Burundi
and Sierra Leone, is intended to feed into the integrated strategies
for each country which are currently being developed. It is also
anticipated that the identification of priorities and entry points
would inform the decisions and budget allocations made by the
Peacebuilding Fund to ensure that that specific funds are targeted
at protecting and empowering women.
It is important that broader security and justice-related projects
incorporate gender perspectives and inclusive approaches, alongside
women-focused activities. Women are key stakeholders in the Burundian
and Sierra Leonean peacebuilding processes, and as such, this
open and interactive dialogue between members of the PBC, the
women peacebuilders and others is an important contribution to
recognizing the role women play in peace consolidation.
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For more information on the NGOWG & its events visit: http://www.womenpeacesecurity.org/
Gender-sensitive Police Reform discussion paper
In 2006 UNIFEM, the UN Development Programme-Bureau for Crisis Prevention
and Recovery (UNDP-BCPR), and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) commissioned a study on police reform from a gender equality
perspective. The study, which has particular foci on best practices
and lessons learned in post-conflict situations, is the result of
desk and in-country, field-based research. In order to make the
findings of this study widely available to practitioners in this
field, UNIFEM has commissioned a discussion paper that will provide
a concise analysis of the issues to be addressed in gender-sensitive
police reform, as well as lessons learned from past practice.
The discussion paper is expected to be published by August 2007.
For more information, please contact annekristin.treiber@unifem.org
SSR reform in context of post TRC
UNIFEM supports the Moroccan Consultative Council on Human Rights
in the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s
recommendations, with a special focus on the protection of women’s
human rights. The 4-year programme also addresses the area of security
sector reform. Most notably, it provides for the development and
distribution of tools for gender analysis and gender training for
law enforcement agencies. It will further provide technical advice
to parliamentary oversight bodies on gender and security sector
issues, in order to strengthen accountability mechanisms from a
gender perspective.
For more information, please contact annekristin.treiber@unifem.org
UN SSR Taskforce to Formulate First UN Secretary-General
Report on SSR
In response to a request of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping
Operations (C-34) in its 2006 report and a request by the Secretary-General’s
Policy Committee, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
led an interagency process between October 2006 to February 2007
to examine how the UN might approach the issue of SSR in post-conflict
contexts. The Policy Committee considered this work on 16 February,
and noted the lack of a coordinated approach to overall Security
Sector Reform (SSR) as well as the absence of policies and/or guidelines
to support SSR activities in the field. The Policy Committee decided
to initiate the development of a coordinated UN approach to SSR
in support of national authorities. To that end, it established
an SSR Task Force, co-chaired by DPKO and UNDP, as well as the creation
of an SSR Support Unit, to be based in DPKO but managed by the SSR
Taskforce. The SSR Support Unit aims to act as a technical resource
provider and to develop strategic guidance for the UN system on
SSR issues. Member States have addressed SSR in the C-34 (2006 and
2007) and the Security Council (20 February 2007).
Charged with, inter alia, the formulation of the Secretary-General’s
report on SSR, the members of the SSR Taskforce have met, and plan
to meet, to exchange information with a variety of key stakeholders.
The aim of these meetings is develop a coherent, coordinated and
strategic interagency approach to SSR. To-date the Taskforce has
met with representatives of the Government of Slovakia-led ‘Group
of Friends’ of SSR, other Member States, World Bank, OECD-DAC,
NGOs, and UN country-specific desks that support SSR in field missions.
As the Taskforce pursues its work, it will work closely with the
UN Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group and the Disarmament,
Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) Working Group in order to
articulate linkages between the two inter-related areas of work.
In May 2007, the C-34 unanimously adopted its report, ‘Peacekeeping
Operations and its Working Group.’ The report requested “the
Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly (GA) a comprehensive
report on United Nations approaches to security sector reform during
2007.” Given this request, the report will be submitted to
the GA. The report will also be submitted to the Security Council
given its acknowledgement of the need for such a report in February
2007 (S/PRST/2007/3). The Taskforce intends to submit the report
by year’s end.
The SSR Taskforce started its work in December 2006. Membership
of the taskforce is open to interested UN HQ entities involved in
SSR activities and currently includes UNIFEM, UNODC, DPA, UNHCHR,
PBSO and DPKO’s Best Practices Section, Operations Office,
Criminal Law and Justice Advisory Unit and Police Division.
For more information on this matter please contact kara.piccirilli@unifem.org
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UNIFEM’s Web Portal on Women, Peace and Security, CLICK
HERE
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9.
WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY CALENDAR |
HREA Distance Learning Programme
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 1 July, 2007
'Introduction to Human Rights Education' e-learning course
HREA has extended the call for applications for the e-learning course
Introduction to Human Rights Education, which will be offered from
12 September-4 December 2007.
Final call for applications for HREA e-learning course "Armed
Conflict, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law" HREA is calling
for applications for the new e-learning course Armed Conflict, Human
Rights and Humanitarian Law, which will be offered from 17 September-16
December 2007.
For more information on this course and other upcoming HREA e-learning
courses please visit: http://www.hrea.org/courses/
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Seminar and Exposure on
Strengthen Female Spiritual Leadership
1-5 July 2007, Taiwan
International Network of Engaged Buddihsts (INEB)
The program, as the young Buddhist
capacity building program for INEB members, is therefore developed
so as to promote leadership for spiritual resurgence as well as
social innovation among young people of the Buddhist communities
in Asia.
For more information, please contact ineboffice@yahoo.com or
visit: http://www.inebnetwork.org/en/content/view/39/20/
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Gender 2007: East Meets West
UK Postgraduate and Academic Conference in Women's/Gender Studies
3-5 July 2007, University of York, UK
Following on from the very successful 'Thinking Gender' conference
at the University of Leeds in 2006, the Centre for Women's Studies
(CWS) at the University of York now invites proposals for a three-day
trans- and interdisciplinary conference. This conference will provide
opportunities for postgraduates and academics to share critical
discussion, dialogue and reflections on recent, present and future
gender research, and to learn from each other's approaches and experiences
in an informal and collegial environment, especially across national
and international divides.
For more information, please visit http://www.york.ac.uk/conferences/gender2007/
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Third International Women's
Peace Conference - Empowering Peacemakers
10-15 July 2007, Dallas, Texas, USA
Sponsored by Peacemakers Incorporated
Confirmed Speakers include Jody Williams (United States), Betty
Williams (Northern Ireland), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemala)
and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (South Africa).
For more information, please visit http://www.womenspeaceconference.org/
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Identity, Interdependence, and Nonviolent Transformations
14-22 July 2007, Arantzazu, Spain
International Institute on Peace Education
An intensive, multicultural and cooperative learning opportunity
in which participants learn from and with each other about substantive
peace issues and interactive teaching approaches.
For more information, please visit http://www.tc.edu/PeaceEd/IIPE/
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Women unite! Build peace! Generate change!
WILPF 29th International Congress
21- 27 July 2007, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom will
hold it’s 29th Triennial Congress in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Opening with a seminar on the issues facing Latin America and the
changes ongoing in the region, the Congress will also examine broader
women, peace and security issues.
For more information, please visit: http://www.wilpf.int.ch/events/2007Congress/bolivia.htm
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6th Training Institute on HIV/AIDS Counseling and Psycho-Social
Interventions
6 August – 13 October 2007, Mumbai, India
Cell for AIDS Research Action and Training
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
It is an intensive 10- week residential programme that encompasses
various
HIV/AIDS interventions for professionals who are seeking to upgrade
their
knowledge and skills. It includes field work, and action based research
with experienced faculty from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences
as well
as from major NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.peacewomen.org/frame/calendar/August07/www.tiss.edu
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For the complete calendar, CLICK
HERE.
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