NO WOMEN, NO PEACE
Monday, May 30th, 2011
In March 2011 No Women, No Peace hosted a meeting at the House of Commons to launch a new study of the impact of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (October 2000). More than a decade after the adoption of this Resolution, its practical reality is yet to be substantially felt on the ground, particularly in the societies and regions where women remain disproportionately affected by armed conflict and are grossly under-represented in peace processes. This realisation, in part, led to the adoption in 2008 and 2009 of three other Security Council Resolutions, on sexual violence in conflict, violence against women, and for the development of indicators to measure progress in addressing women, peace and security issues. (Women, Peace and Security – translating policy into practice by Funmi Olonisakin, Karen Barnes and Eka Ikpe).
At the same meeting, copies of another new publication to promote the implementation of commitments on Women, Peace and Security were available: SCR 1325 and Women’s Participation: Operational Guidelines for Conflict Resolution and Peace Processes. Written primarily for people working in the field, its practical approach and concise sections make it a useful resource for activists as well. As with the other big issues – Nuclear Disarmament and Trade Justice to name but two – there are deeply entrenched mindsets to be shifted. This 48-page document can be downloaded from the website of The Initiative on Quiet Diplomacy/IQd (www.iqdiplomacy.org).