Indian civil society organisations, women activists from the Northeast and other parts of the country, scholars, parliamentarians and members of the armed forces are joining hands to assess the call to repeal the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) during a one day conference at India International Center in New Delhi.
The aim of the conference is through dialogue between key stake holders start reclaiming 1325. There is a great need to bridge the divide between the experiences of women in conflict areas and policy and decision makers.
Co-organised with the India-based organisation Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace (WISCOMP), the roundtable will provide a forum for open exchange of experiences and for practical and creative discussions. It will be build on the HD Centre's experience in convening senior level roundtables such as with the Oslo forum retreats and similar Women at the Table events in Africa and Indonesia.
There has never been a better time to work and impact on sexual violence. Globally, a number of important international campaigns are actively shining a spotlight on sexual violence as a gross human rights violation, a weapon of war and a profound public health issue. The UN Secretary General has launched a campaign UNiTE to End Violence Against Women.
AMwA will be holding a Sierra Leone National African Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) on the theme, “Reclaiming Our bodies: Women's Leadership and Movement Building on Gender Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Conflict and Post Conflict Africa”, that is scheduled to take place from 3rd – 16th October, 2010 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
