Women's Peace Network’s Post

Today (24 October), the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on women, peace, and security (WPS), this year titled “Women Building Peace in a Changing Environment.”  The WPS agenda’s vision of peace, security, and gender equality has never been so important—or so under threat. The guiding questions for today's debate are: (i) What commitments should the Security Council, the United Nations, regional organisations, Member States and other actors make to move beyond mere political will and promote the concrete implementation of the existing framework for women and peace and security?   (ii) What concrete initiatives by the Security Council, the United Nations, regional organizations and Member States could reverse the current negative trends in women’s participation in peace processes and in the inclusivity of such processes?   (ii) What tools are needed to address the current challenges? How can new technologies be utilized to promote the participation of women in peace processes and protect women in the public sphere from threats, online harassment and disinformation campaigns? My answer to all these questions is: move from talking to acting and put the money where the mouth is!

Thank you for sharing this April Pham, & for your powerful insights into the SC's ruthless silencing of women. I am in such grief tonight as the USA/UK/Israel Axis sets about murdering 400,000 Palestinians, and many other people, with absolutely no effort by the global community or international legal system to stop them. #SCR1325 is burned to ashes along with Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni, Libyan, Sudanese, Congolese, occupied Asian peoples, & on & on. An endless trail of blood and horror, everywhere we look. Everywhere we are told we MAY NOT LOOK. This dystopian state of affairs is exactly what global feminist peace movements have worked for a century to avoid. To prevent. We created the #WPS agenda. Our efforts led to a string of Security Council Resolutions! Good for us. But what has our UN-focused work done for women's peace or security? For the peace and security of all subordinated people? I remember once being a hopeful ambassador of this beautiful vision: that a Women's Security Council Resolution would be the pivoting point in turning our Earthship away from nightmarish horror. That the #UN system would be changed by the inclusion of feminist peace activists like the wonderful women who had brought about #SCR1325 (2000). This year has shown how wrong I was to have ever had such hope. I remember Audre Lorde's warning. The global system is not built for anyone but an inner circle of elites. Women may have eventually forced open the innermost hypermasculine imperialist exchange space, the Security Council, but look at which women are allowed in there. Audrey Lorde warned us. We cannot use the Master's tools to dismantle the International house of horrors. As we approach the 24th anniversary of "our" Resolution, feminists are silenced. The predictable consequences of the institutional exclusion of our work to end war explode around us. #ceasefirenow #WPS #1325@25 #stopwar

Today, as we commemorate the #International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we reflect on the need for collective action to end gender-based violence around the globe. This year also celebrates 24 years since the creation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, which focuses on women's engagement in peace & security. Despite these important milestones, women in conflict-affected areas such as Afghanistan continue to face significant barriers to engagement in peace processes and are even deprived of fundamental human rights. They face various forms of violence, often compounded by deep-rooted socio-cultural and gender-sensitive norms that restrict their rights and opportunities. As we honor this day, let us renew our commitment to breaking these barriers, amplifying women's voices, and ensuring their equal participation in shaping peace and security. True peace can only be achieved when all women are empowered to contribute, free from violence and discrimination.   #EndViolenceAgainstWomen #WomenPeaceSecurity #WPS #16DaysOfActivism

Today is the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security at United Nations Security Council. Twenty-four years since the landmark Security Council Resolution on #womenpeacesecurity #1325 and still women remain poorly protected, and poorly represented in peace discussions, negotiations and processes. The UN Secretary General’s annual Report on WPS just published, with thanks to UN Women , reveals a bleak landscape for women, peace and security, in case you’ve not noticed, and makes linkages between conflict, violence, displacement, climate, increase in militarization, sexual violence, reproductive health, and much more. The report highlights that in 2023: · There were over 170 armed conflicts, forcing 120 million people to be displaced from their homes, and in some settings, the majority of those displaced are women and children. · Over 612 million women and girls live within 50Kms of armed conflict. · The proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled compared to the previous year. · The number of United Nations verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence was 50% higher than the year before. · The number of girls affected by grave violations in situations of armed conflict increased by 35%. · Food insecurity is alarming with one in two women and girls facing moderate or severe food insecurity in conflict-affected settings. · International humanitarian and human rights law and their special protections for women and children are being blatantly ignored in several settings. · Women represented average 19% of negotiators in UN led processes. · Out of 31 agreements reached in 2023, only 8 (26%) included explicit references to women, girls, gender or sexual violence. · The pushback against women’s rights and women’s human rights defenders in places like #Afghanistan, #Myanmar, and #Sudan. It is bleak. And further, war and conflict in #Gaza has also meant that Palestinian women are 3X more likely to die from giving birth than the year previous. There is no peace. There is no security. And certainly will not happen without women. In fact, analysis by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security shows a sharp decrease in the numbers of women briefers at the Security Council, dropping from 56 women civil society briefers in 2022, to 45 briefers in 2023. As of September 2024, the Security Council has heard from 30 women civil society – which means the voices, experiences and priorities of women and girls are not adequately represented or heard. The less the Security Council hears from women, the less they hear women. For what it’s worth, you can watch the Open Debate today, with women briefers at 10am EST https://lnkd.in/dwT5wFbV And read the Secretary General's WPS report here: https://lnkd.in/ded8TMKH Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) #ceasefirenow #svriforum2024

Today is the Open Debate on #WomenPeaceandSecurity at the United Nations Security Council. 24 years since the landmark resolution #1325 was adopted, women’s right are still not protected but violated in crises and conflicts without consequences for perpetrators, women’s voices are silenced and they are poorly represented in peace and humanitarian decision-making spaces, negotiations and processes. The UN Secretary General’s annual Report on WPS just published, with thanks to #UNWomen, and numerous NGOs and other actors contributing, reveals a bleak landscape and alarming trends including anti-rights movements, backlash against feminist movements, shrinking CSO space, attacks on multilateralism, militarisation, and increased linkages between conflict, violence, displacement and the climate crisis, sexual and reproductive violence, and much more. The report highlights that in 2023: · There were over 170 armed conflicts, forcing 120 million people to be displaced from their homes, and in some settings, the majority of those displaced are women and children. · Over 612 million women and girls live within 50Kms of armed conflict. · The proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled compared to the previous year. · The number of United Nations verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence was 50% higher than the year before. · The number of girls affected by grave violations in situations of armed conflict increased by 35%. · Food insecurity is alarming with one in two women and girls facing moderate or severe food insecurity in conflict-affected settings. · International humanitarian and human rights law and their special protections for women and children are being blatantly ignored in several settings. · Women represented on average 19% of negotiators in UN led processes. · Out of 31 agreements reached in 2023, only 8 (26%) included explicit references to women, girls, gender or sexual violence. · The pushback against women’s rights and women’s human rights defenders. War and conflict in #Gaza has also meant that Palestinian women are 3X more likely to die from giving birth than the year previous. There is no peace as long as there are gender rights violations. #NoWomenNoPeace Analysis by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security shows a sharp decrease in the numbers of women briefers at the Security Council, dropping from 56 women civil society briefers in 2022, to 45 briefers in 2023. This means the voices, experiences and priorities of women and girls are not adequately represented or heard. https://lnkd.in/dFgPHfP7 The less the Security Council hears from women, the less their attention is on women’s rights. Watch the Open Debate today, with women briefers at 10am EST https://lnkd.in/dwT5wFbV And read the Secretary General's WPS report here: https://lnkd.in/ded8TMKH

Check out the #WPS Conflict Tracker by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security led by #GWLVoicesMember Melanne Verveer. An initiative that analyzes today’s conflicts through a Women, Peace, and Security lens. Explore it here: 🗺️ https://lnkd.in/eJTeNhTT

🌍 Advancing Women's Role in Peace and Security As conflicts persist globally, women and girls continue to bear disproportionate burdens, facing risks of gender-based violence and being underrepresented in peace negotiations. The UN’s latest report highlights eight key steps to empower women in peace and security roles: 1️⃣ Increase women’s participation in peace negotiations 2️⃣ Repeal discriminatory laws 3️⃣ Strengthen decision-making power 4️⃣ Hold rights violators accountable 5️⃣ Preserve women’s rights post-mission 6️⃣ Protect peace and political activists 7️⃣ Support survivors of conflict-related violence 8️⃣ Prioritize peace over military spending At Unity Beyond Borders, we stand with the UN in advocating for these vital steps to ensure women’s voices and rights are central to peacebuilding and security worldwide. Together, let’s work towards a world where women are empowered to lead in building sustainable peace. #WomenPeaceSecurity #EmpowerWomen #UBB #HumanRights #SDG5 #SDG16

24 years ago today, the #UNSecurityCouncil adopted UN Resolution 1325, formally recognising the role of women in matters of Peace & Security. Across the globe, reality has proven time and again that the active involvement of women and their voices is essential in achieving effective and sustainable outcomes and resolving violent conflicts. Today more than ever, the urgent need for the representation and involvement of women in negotiation and decision-making is impossible to ignore. #UNSCR1325 #womenpeaceandsecurity

Curious about the impact of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)? 💡 Women, Peace & Security is a crucial framework designed to integrate women into peace processes, combat gender-based violence, and empower women in conflict-affected areas. Why is this so important? Because including women in peace efforts leads to more comprehensive and lasting peace agreements. Read a report we collaborated on with United Nations Global Compact on how four key actions can be adopted by organisations worldwide to drive change: https://bit.ly/3Sx2OGY #WPS #GenderEquality

I fully disagree with this month’s rhetoric on this topic, and it’s not because I agree with the Taliban’s position. One can have a conference in which international actors talk about Afghan women’s issues with Afghan women OR one can have a conference that engages with the Taliban to discuss… anything at all. There is no [option C: all of the above] to select. Afghanistan is a face-saving culture. Inviting T to a conference where they will be getting yelled at by anyone about anything is a nonstarter. In the choice between acquiescing on something, which their own guys and the groups looking to poach their fighters would see as a weakness, and doubling down on a stupid thing that the whole world and half of their own people very much hate, they will Always choose Option B. Coming at this subject directly has been a failing strategy for three years. Hammering it once again and harder isn’t actually the road to successville. On the other hand, for a while there, when this wasn’t the hot topic of the day, the edicts stopped coming out, and actors on the ground have been able to slowly and delicately move the needle for women, by tying women’s access and employment to charitable works, by employing them in private businesses which are not restricted from hiring women (unless and until a story about impropriety or socially unacceptable fraternization starts buzzing around town), and by providing private single-gender schooling options - which now go to grade 8 publicly, and to grade 12, with both permission and discretion, and into college in the provinces. Now, in the last month we have seen an uptick in people on social media and the news discussing ways to call the Taliban in for a scolding session - deserved or not that’s the intention. Suddenly a few more edicts and a few more restrictions against women popped up this week. **People NEED to start connecting the dots on that.** Yes these topics are important. No I am not implying people should ignore them, or know the ills that happen and not act to change them. It’s the method that makes it all fail. Get them talking about the subjects all parties want to talk about, like environment (after ten years of drought causing massive loss of crops and livestock, would action here not help Afghans feed themselves?), banking (you don’t think Afghan banking issues makes things hard for Afghan citizens and businesses?) and infrastructure (regional actors need Afghanistan to link major transnational projects together as planned… the west can be involved or not… gotta choose) before diving into the tough stuff, quietly and delicately. Do the Taliban “deserve” the kid glove treatment? No… many of you know how much I loathe “deserve.” The people of Afghanistan and the women of Afghanistan need the painfully slow baby steps of progress to continue, get bigger, and accelerate. This is how that happens. One can make progress on this OR they can scold T. Choose. #Afghanistan #Women