Participation

The Participation theme focuses on women’s representation and participation in peace processes, electoral process – as both the candidate and voter – UN decision-making positions, and in the broader social-political sphere.

The Security Council acknowledges the need for strategies to increase women’s participation in all UN missions and appointments to high-level positions in SCR 1325(OP3) and 1889(OP4) and further emphasises the need for women’s participation in peacebuilding processes (1889). 

Specifically, it calls for the mobilisation of resources for advancing gender equality and empowering women (OP14), reporting on the progress of women’s participation in UN missions (OP18), equal access to education for women and girls in post-conflict societies (OP11), and the increase of women’s participation in political and economic decision-making (OP15). Until this language translates into action, the potential for women’s full and equal contribution to international peace and security will remain unrealized.

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In a region where women are too often excluded from public life, Israeli wome...

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In a region where women are too often excluded from public life, Israeli women stand out as leaders in law, politics, mediation and conflict prevention and resolution.

While the passage of Resolution 1325 and the four subsequent resolutions repr...

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While the passage of Resolution 1325 and the four subsequent resolutions represented a paradigm shift in relation to women and conflict, there remains a striking reluctance in many quarters to include women as full and equal partners in peace efforts. Of the nine peace agreements signed during the course of 2010, only two had provisions ensuring women's rights. There is a basic design flaw that needs to be addressed.

The Arab Spring provides a crucible for addressing the questions of represent...

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The Arab Spring provides a crucible for addressing the questions of representation and participation of women. Striking and inspirational early roles in Cairo, Benghazi and elsewhere have given way to a sense of women being side-lined. The risks for women are obvious: revolutions begin on the streets but, at a later stage, key decisions may be taken in smoke filled rooms.

Ireland's principal pledge at last year's debate on women, peace and security...

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Ireland's principal pledge at last year's debate on women, peace and security was to develop, adopt and launch a National Action on Resolution 1325. I am pleased to announce that Ireland has recently adopted a National Action Plan, and that this plan will be officially launched in the coming weeks.

However, as has so often been emphasised, a focus on the way that conflict ca...

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However, as has so often been emphasised, a focus on the way that conflict can victimise women should not lead us to obscure the role that women can play as agents of conflict resolution and recovery – or in the words of the Nobel Committee, “to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent”.

And not just the inclusion of women negotiators, but more broadly a gender pe...

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And not just the inclusion of women negotiators, but more broadly a gender perspective, so that gender is established as a thread running through all major peace-building issues, rather than being parked on its own as a discrete topic. Gender is not a box to be ticked, a nod to political correctness. Its place is not at the end of a long list – it is a concern which should condition the approach from start to finish.

Women's potential as agents of change, skilfully reshaping and rebuilding com...

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Women's potential as agents of change, skilfully reshaping and rebuilding communities affected by conflict, is an important resource to tap into. However, it is not always the case that they can be readily available for such a huge task. In post-conflict situations, the deficit in experience, skills, understanding and knowledge on women and peace issues is often a hindrance to enlisting a greater involvement of women.

We are committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women. We are curr...

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We are committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women. We are currently in the process of drafting a national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000). Efforts are already under way to promote that resolution and to raise awareness of gender-based violence, human rights and peacebuilding through the training of women's groups, survivors of violence, men and youth.

To conclude, let me reiterate that the responsibility to implement relevant S...

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To conclude, let me reiterate that the responsibility to implement relevant Security Council resolutions on enhancing women's participation in peace processes, including the protection of women, rests primarily with individual Governments. Through this debate, we can once again reaffirm our readiness to promote the participation of women in peace processes, including within the framework of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) was hailed as a landmark and groundbre...

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The adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) was hailed as a landmark and groundbreaking resolution. For the first time, the importance of women's full participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding at all levels was recognized.

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