Participation

The main action lines of that document are to apply a gender focus to the respect and promotion of human rights; to promote the equal participation of women both in peacekeeping operations and in related decision-making bodies; to bring a gender perspective in the broadest sense of the term to bear on the design, implementation and execution of our international cooperation policies; to strengthen the technical capacity of both public official

One year ago this month, Canada announced its Action Plan which seeks to enhance the participation of women in peace processes. We encourage the meaningful participation of women in all elements of peacemaking. We also promote efforts to protect the human rights and physical safety of women and girls, including against rape as a weapon of war and all forms of sexual violence in conflict.

During his recent visit to Tripoli, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs the Honourable John Baird met with Libyan women's groups to discuss the important role that women's leadership will play in the new Libya and its democratic institutions. The Minister urged the new government of Libya to ensure the participation of women in decision-making during Libya's transition.

To implement resolution 1325 (2000), the Government of Burundi has decided that no strategy will be adopted or implemented without taking into clear account the gender dimension, so as to guarantee the full participation of women in decision-making, in prioritizing plans of action and in implementing them.

In hiring practices for both civil service and private industry, women and men go through the same selection process and have an equal chance. In many cases, applications from women are strongly encouraged. In matters of peace and security, Burundi's National Security Council includes 2 women among its seven members.

The women and peace and security agenda has been a catalyst for greater civil society engagement with the Council. This has enriched our work, giving us access to new perspectives and information. In all societies, there are real obstacles to women's political participation. Even in countries that have championed women's rights for decades, insidious barriers to true equality persist.

The issue of women's participation in peace talks and other conflict-related negotiations certainly contains more than an element of justice. It is also an issue of effectiveness, which has a direct impact on the success of conflict resolution and mediation efforts. Women can bring to the table unique perspectives on issues such as impunity, accountability, and justice.

Last month, during the general debate and at an event on women's political participation, President Dilma Rousseff made it clear that the empowerment of women is high on Brazil's agenda. We have enacted advanced legislation on the protection of women, established specialized police stations for women's issues, and put women at the centre of our Bolsa Familia cash transfer programme.

Brazil is deeply engaged in cooperation activities with a number of countries emerging from conflict. In Brazil, the participation of women in the decision-making processes that deal with those issues has been steadily increasing, in keeping with the broad trend observed in Brazilian politics more generally, both in the executive and legislative branches.

We firmly believe that women should be involved in the policymaking and post-conflict planning and programming processes. It is also important to increase the number of gender experts on the roster. Furthermore, the various implementation gaps should be addressed more systematically, including through improved coordination and accountability for results.