Participation

Additionally, research shows that female participation improves dispute resolution. Women need to be at the table during peace negotiations. The United Nations should strive to include female representation in negotiating bodies and mediating teams.

We believe that greater representation of women in governance, especially those from rural communities, would raise the profile of these issues, and facilitate positive change. In addition to this, we also support community mobilization campaigns through community and religious leaders, aimed at shifting the stigma of sexual violence from victims to perpetrators.

We in Ireland firmly believe that the role of civil society at the grassroots level is essential for empowering women in conflict prevention

Sustaining peace cannot be conceived without the participation of women and girls and the integral consideration of their needs. The systematic exclusion of girls from education leads to discrimination and at the end results in the marginalization of women from political, economic and social life. This marginalization is one of the most evident structural causes of conflicts and produces a fertile ground for sexual violence.

Intergovernmental cooperation is extremely significant, however, everyone needs to be heard. Civil societies and non-governmental organizations, and in particular, women’s organizations have the ability to provide new insight and data that could otherwise be missed. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that NGO-s have larger platforms and more access in the UN meetings and Forums.  

By including women and gender perspectives in prevention, peacekeeping and conflict resolution, we can diminish sexual violence in conflict, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse.

In keeping with the Secretary-General’s commitment to women’s leadership and gender equality as a vital element of his prevention agenda, Italy launched the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network. The Mediterranean region, as we all know, is key to international peace and security, is currently facing a number of threats, including violent extremism, transnational organized crime, human trafficking and humanitarian emergencies.