Years ago, I bore witness as a journalist to the brutal violence in the Balkans. There, mass rape was used as a tactic of war and the means of accountability had to be created through the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia – but it was created only after tens of thousands of people had already died.
Today's debate, as we know, focuses on one particular aspect of this linkage, which is the rule of law. That focus is appropriate because the law is diminished in any country where half of the population is denied the chance to shape it.
This reality is, in turn, linked to achievement of all eight of the UN's Millennium Development Goals, whether directly – as in women's empowerment – or as a logical consequence – as in the areas of universal education, maternal health, child mortality, and environmental protection.
This past year, as we've heard, women were included in every formal peace negotiating process led or co- led by the UN. Gender experts were present in eighty-five percent of delegations and, in each case, representatives of women's civil society groups were consulted. Women are playing a more prominent role in crisis prevention, most notably in Darfur and the Great Lakes Region.
Mr. President, I welcome the chance to participate in this debate on issues that are central to the mission of the United Nations and to the future of us all. I thank the Secretary General for his most recent report, for his presence here today, and for the personal commitment he has made to women, peace and security.
"We've seen in Kenya civil society deeply engaged in a five year campaign – endorsed by the UN – to enshrine the rights of women to own land, live equally in marriage, and be free from the threat of violence. And on Election Day this past spring, a record eighty-seven women were chosen for parliament, a number that – pursuant to the country's new constitution – will increase further in the years ahead."
"My government announced its own blueprint two years ago after broad consultations with civil society. The plan lays out a comprehensive strategy for incorporating women in efforts to prevent conflict, provide humanitarian protection, foster food security, and ensure fair treatment under the law."
"At least since the approval of Resolution 1325 thirteen years ago, the international community has agreed on the direction that we want to move. As we continue to go forward, let us confront honestly the obstacles that remain before us. Let's create a spin-free zone on 1325 and its implementation, and let's not conflate effort with results. They are different.
"As the Secretary General's report acknowledges, there remain troubling gaps in what we know about women and security, but one thing we've learned is that there is a correlation between gender inequity and the potential for civil strife. Consider, for example, the Central African Republic, which ranks 138th out of 146 on the UNDP's gender inequality index.
