Women Leaders From War-Torn Areas to Address UN Security Council Members

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release Contact: Micol Zarb (212)906-5463

Christelle Matou (212) 551-2739

October 25, 2001

WOMEN LEADERS FROM WAR-TORN AREAS TO ADDRESS

UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

WHAT: Day-of-news press conference with women peace leaders from Afghanistan, Kosovo, East Timor and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the outcome of their meeting with the Security Council. In a closed meeting on the morning of October 30, women leaders will speak to Security Council Members about violations committed against women during and after conflict. They will also address the issue of women’s role in peace negotiations and peace-keeping efforts. The press conference is sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the NGO Working Group on Women, International Peace and Security.

WHEN: Tuesday 30 October, 2001 from 1:15 – 1:45pm

WHERE: Press Conference Room 226, United Nations, New York

* non-UN press require accreditation to attend the press conference (see reverse for details)

WHO: Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, UNIFEM (Chair)

Jamila, Afghan Women’s Welfare Department, Afghanistan

Haxhere Veseli, youth leader, Kosovo

Representative from East Timor (name to be confirmed)

Marie-Madeleine Kalala, Cause Commune, DRC

Maha Muna, NGO Working Group on Women, International Peace & Security

WHY: Exactly one year ago, the Security Council passed the historic Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Resolution 1325 linked gender equality to global security and committed governments to include women’s voices in peace negotiations while protecting them from the abuses of war. At the October 30 informal meeting, Council Members will bear witness to the reality for women in war-torn areas and assess progress made and gaps remaining in implementing Resolution 1325.

Contemporary conflicts exploit, maim and kill civilians more callously than ever before. Women and girls are continually threatened by rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking. Even in the most dangerous of circumstances, women have shown leadership as peacemakers, reaching across the conflict divide to seek resolution and common ground. Women’s protection from violence can no longer be neglected and their contributions to peace-building can no longer be marginalized.

PLEASE NOTE: The women peace leaders will also be available for interview at a breakfast event from 8:30 – 9:30am on October 30, hosted by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Location: Church Center, 777 UN Plaza at 44^th Street, 10^th floor. No UN accreditation is required to attend. Please call Christelle Matou at (212) 551-2739 for more details.

Important Press Information:

Non-UN press must obtain accreditation to attend the Oct 30 UN press conference from 1:15 – 1:45 pm. To do so, journalists must send a letter from their Bureau Chief or Editor, on official letterhead, requesting UN media accreditation. The letter should be faxed to the UN Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit. Fax: (212) 963-4642. Journalists should call to verify receipt of fax. Tel: (212) 963-6934/7164/2393/2392.
Press passes can be picked up at the UN Pass and ID Unit located on the NW corner of 45^th and 1^st Ave. Journalists must present two forms of photo ID. Please factor in at least _ hour to pick up passes due to line-ups. Hours are Mon – Thurs, 9:00am – 12:45pm and 2:00pm – 4:30pm. Friday 9:00 – 12:45pm. Tel: (212) 963-7533.

Notable Statistics:

Today a total of 40 million people are displaced by conflict or human rights violations. It is estimated that more than 75 per cent of displaced people are women and their dependant children.
According to testimonies given by survivors, the International Panel to Investigate the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda has concluded that practically every female over the age of 12 who survived the genocide in Rwanda was raped.
Girls voluntarily or forcibly recruited into rebel forces (e.g. Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Uganda) are forced to have sex with one or multiple male fighters.
There were no Bosnian women at the Dayton Peace Negotiations of 1995.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) works to promote women’s empowerment, rights and gender equality worldwide. As follow-up to Resolution 1325, UNIFEM appointed two independent experts, Elizabeth Rehn (Finland) and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia) to assess the impact of armed conflict on women and women’s role in peace-building. The report is scheduled for release in Spring 2002. For more information, visit www.unifem.undp.org

The NGO Working Group on Women, International Peace and Security promotes the participation of women and gender perspectives in peace and security, policymaking, conflict management and peace building initiatives of the United Nations. The NGO Working Group includes Amnesty International, Hague Appeal for Peace, International Alert, International Women’s Tribune Center, Women’s Caucus for Gender Justice, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, and The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact Micol Zarb, UNIFEM, (212) 906-5463 or Christelle Matou, NGO Working Group, (212) 551-2739.