Participation

In the WILPF's recommendation which the CEDAW Committee picked up in their General Recommendation on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), WILPF highlighted the importance of strengthening women's participation in peace negotiations, regulating the arms trade, and effectively implementing the DRC 1325 National Action Plan (NAP).

Two hundred women have declared their intention to contest seats in Chechnya's legislature in the September 8 election. In a republic with centuries-old conservative Islamic traditions this is almost incredible. A total of 776 candidates have applied for taking part in the election campaign. In other words, one in four contenders for being elected to Chechnya's 41-seat parliament is a lady.

A University of Queensland researcher has warned that refugee women and children face increased risks under the Federal Government's policy of sending asylum seekers to Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

Researcher Dr Nicole George is one of the organisers of a free seminar in Brisbane tomorrow focusing on Australia's role in upholding the security of women and children from the Asia-Pacific region.

Despite increased international focus on women, peace and security, women are still often viewed as blank slates upon which acts of violence are committed, rather than full human beings with roles to play in negotiating a meaningful peace.

The role of 'innocent victim' is a blameless one, but is also one-dimensional, failing to take into account women's active membership of their own societies.

After intense campaigning throughout Cambodia that took more than 12 months—from the mountains of MondulKiri to the former stronghold of the Khmer Rouge in Samlot—the 2013 general election produced the result we'd all been aiming for: P'dho, Chneas. Change, We Can.

Remarks
Kelly Clements
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
As-Prepared for a Panel Discussion at Event Sponsored by Women's Refugee Commission, Equality Now, and InterAction
Washington, DC

"War is terrible for children and other living things." That's what the Vietnam-era poster used to say. Sadly, not much has changed since then. Women and children living in regions of armed conflict worldwide face distinct and significant economic, personal, and emotional struggles during war and in its aftermath.

Grahamstown — Tomorrow we celebrate Women's Day by commemorating the 20 000 women of 9 August 1956.

However, 2013 marks a number of other important anniversaries for South Africa: the first anniversary of the Marikana Massacre, 100 years since the very first anti-pass march lead by women of Bothaville and Bloemfontein in 1913, and 100 years since the colonial government passed the Native Land Act.

Ondjiva — A team of parliamentary women is since Monday in southern Cunene province, to assess the situation of drought hitting the region since May this year, Angop learnt.

The delegation is being led by the head of the women parliamentarian team, Candida Celeste, and took a donation of foodstuffs to assist the victims.

The official handed over some of those goods to Ondjiva main hospital, the capital of the province.

International Alert's training and learning team recently held a four-day training on gender-responsive peacebuilding for UN Women and the UN's Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in New York.