2015 The Netherlands - Civil Society input Global Study on Women Peace & Security - WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform

It has been 15 years after the adoption of UNSCR 1325. Besides this first resolution, 6 successive UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions followed. Today the WPS agenda should move beyond ‘being the most advocated but the least implemented’ set of resolutions. There is a great need to accelerate implementation. This WPS Agenda should be reaffirmed and applied effectively by all Member States, both to prevent conflicts and in all current conflict situations. Over the past 15 years a comprehensive normative framework has led the foundation of the WPS agenda, now the challenge lies at the implementation level: in walking the talk and in sustaining and improving progress made to date.

Member States, the United Nations and other international bodies are called upon to:

• Review their policies and (national) action plans on WPS and strengthen them with the outcomes and recommendations of the Global Study on WPS and hence to develop – together with civil society - a  5 years (2015-2020) actionable and budgeted roadmap to accelerate implementation. Set monitoring mechanism to measure its time-bound implementation.
• Reinforce, apply and monitor the implementation of  the UN indicators on Women, Peace and Security (2010)
• Effectively implement CEDAW Recommendation 30  to ensure that governments are held accountable for their UNSCR WPS implementation. Provide political space and support for civil society monitoring and shadow reporting.

Only a transformative approach to the Women, Peace & Security agenda will lead to effective implementation of the resolutions, to effective prevention of conflict and to sustainable change in (post) conflict settings. A transformative approach to the WPS agenda requires:

• Increased attention for the following underdeveloped peace and security elements: conflict prevention, disarmament, non-violence and human security. It is crucial to consider the nexus between peace, security and development.
• Increased attention for underlying gender power relations especially in fragile states and (post) conflict settings that hampers women and girls from being safe and being involved in decision-making processes. Peace and security needs to be redefined from a holistic gender perspective including a masculinities perspective that uncovers the gendered roots of militarism and armed conflict.  Analysis of the gendered roots of armed conflict should inform steps towards a long-term goal of taking a preventive, rather than reactive, approach to conflict.
• Promote gender equality and invest in women’s human rights, economic empowerment and continue support to women’s access to basic services (education including literacy, healthcare etc.).
• Increased attention for intersectionality such as class, culture, background etc. it is crucial to keep in mind that women play a variety of rules. Varying from victims to perpetrators and everything in between. It also allows us to see how in some situations some men may be more vulnerable than some women, for example.