Category Archives: WOMEN’S EQUALITY

International Women’s Day: Europe

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

A press survey by CPNN

In order to gather photos from the celebration of International Women’s Day, we put the following phrases into the google search engine:
° women’s day photos 2024
° Photos “Journée internationale de la femme” 2024
° Fotos”Día Internacional de la Mujer” 2024
° Fotos “Dia Internacional da Mulher” 2024

Here are the results from Europe.

ALBANIA


People take part in a protest in Tirana, Albania, March 8. REUTERS/Florion Goga, TIRANA, ALBANIA. (from Reuters)

BELGIUM


People take part in a demonstration in Brussels, Belgium, March 8. The sign in the middle reads: “Women give life and reap death.” REUTERS/Johanna Geron BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. (from Reuters)

LONDON, ENGLAND

Protesters dressed as handmaids from The Handmaid’s Tale hold placards reading “Woman Life Freedom” prior to a march from Parliament Square to Iran’s embassy to highlight repression of women in that country on March 8, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images. (from The Citizen).

BORDEAUX, FRANCE


Demonstrators march for the International Women’s Day in Bordeaux, March 8, 2024, CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP. (from Le Monde)

PARIS, FRANCE


Women raise their fists during a demonstration in Paris for the International Women’s Day. TERESA SUÁREZ (EFE). (from El País)

TOULOUSE, FRANCE


Demonstrators march to support women’s rights on International Women’s Day in toulouse, France. Ed Jones/AFP. (from Folha de S.Paulo)

GERMANY


Berlin, Germany. People take part in a demonstration for better living and working conditions for women. Photograph: Christian Mang/AFP/Getty. (from The Guardian)

GREECE


Hundreds of people participated in a rally and march to mark International Women’s Day 2022 in Athens on Tuesday. Besides chanting slogans in support of women’s rights, participants also chanted against the war in Ukraine while a central banner called for the reinstitution of the General Secretariat for Equality.  Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, also added her voice to mark the day in Parliament on Tuesday. Photo: Eurokinissi/Tatiana Bolari. (from the Greek Herald).

MILAN, ITALY



Students and activists wearing purple pañuelos (a symbol of the abortion-rights movements created in Argentina in 2003) congregate in Piazza del Duomo for a rally against patriarchy and violence, Photograph: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty. (from The Guardian)

ROME, ITALY


Women march together on International Women’s Day in the Italian capital, Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP. (from The Guardian)

KOSOVO


S’KI VEND N’KUVEND, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US IN THE ASSEMBLY. Placard from demonstration on International Women’s Day in Kosovo. Frame from video of AP News

Question related to this article:
 
Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

LATVIA


Participants attend the Women’s Solidarity March in Riga, Latvia, 08 March 2024. During the March participants advocated the elimination of violence against women and domestic violence.. EPA-EFE/TOMS KALNINS. (from The Daily Maverick)

MALTA


Women shout slogans during a demonstration in Valletta, Malta, March 8. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi/ VALLETTA, MALTA. (from Reuters)

MONTENEGRO

Women shout slogans during a march in Podgorica, Montenegro, March 8. REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic. PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO. (from Reuters)

NETHERLANDS


Forty-four pairs of red heels on Dam Square draw attention to murdered women who were the victims of domestic violence or revenge killings, Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock. (from The Guardian)

PORTUGAL


Lisboa, Portugal Foto Carlos M. Almeida/lusa. (from Renascença)

ROMANIA


Women demonstrate for their rights in Bucarest, Romania, on Friday, International Women’s Day.VADIM GHIRDA AP/LAPRESSE. (from El País)

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

A soldier of the honor guard offers flowers to women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day in St Petersburg, Russia, Friday, March 8, 2024. DMITRI LOVETSKY/AP. (from Le Monde)

SERBIA

Detail of a placard at the demonstration for International Women’s Day in Belgrade, Serbia. DARKO VOJINOVIC AP/LAPRESSE. (from El País)

BARCELONA, SPAIN


Students march for equality at a demonstration in Barcelona. Photograph: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty. (from The Guardian)

MADRID, SPAIN


People holding candles take part in a protest in Madrid, Spain, March 8. REUTERS/Juan Medina. (from Reuters)

UKRAINE


Kyiv, Ukraine. Activists of different feminist and LGBTQ+ groups protest against sexism, patriarchy and the infringement of women’s rights in front of the department of education and science. Photograph: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA. (from The Guardian)


International Women’s Day 2024: ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress’ 

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from UN Women

In a world facing multiple crises that are putting immense pressure on communities, achieving gender equality is more vital than ever. Ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies, and a healthy planet for future generations.  

One of the key challenges in achieving gender equality by 2030  is an alarming lack of financing  with a staggering USD 360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures.  

The time for change is now! Join us on 8 March 2024 for International Women’s Day as we rally behind the call to “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”. 

Take a stand and join the conversation with the #InvestInWomen hashtag. Here are five key areas that need our joint action to ensure women are not left behind:

Investing in women: A human rights issue

Time is running out. Gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge. Investing in women is a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women benefits us all.

(Click here for the article in French. or here for the article in Spanish.)

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Question related to this article:
 
Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

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Ending poverty 

The COVID pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, climate disasters, and economic turmoil have pushed an extra 75 million people into severe poverty, since 2020. This could lead to more than 342 million women and girls living below the poverty line  by 2030, making immediate action crucial. 
 
Implementing gender-responsive financing

Due to conflicts and rising fuel and food prices, recent estimates suggest that 75 per cent of countries will curb public spending by 2025. Austerity negatively impacts women and crowds out public spending on essential public services and social protection.

Shifting to a green economy and care society

The current economic system exacerbates poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, disproportionately affecting women and marginalized groups. Advocates for alternative economic models propose a shift towards a green economy and care society  that amplifies women’s voices.

Supporting feminist change-makers

Feminist organizations are leading efforts to tackle women’s poverty and inequality. However, they are running on empty, receiving a meagre 0.13 per cent of total official development assistance

Get the facts

Dive into UN Women’s exclusive editorial package this International Women’s Day and discover the power of investing in women. Explore compelling stories, data, and strategies to drive positive change.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH!

This International Women’s Day, let’s come together to transform these challenges into opportunities and shape a better future for all! 

Proposal to the UN Summit of the Future from the International Alliance of Women

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

A submission on the UN Website for the Summit of the Future (abridged)

website: https://womenalliance.org/
President Alison Brown iawpresident@womenalliance.org
Secretary General Tunica Miranda Rosario iawsecgen@womenalliance.org

Chapeau

International Alliance of Women (IAW) is an international non-governmental organization in consultative status with ECOSOC since 1947. It firmly believes that a strengthened well-functioning United Nations, working on the basis of “trust, solidarity and universality” will be able to build peace through “multilateral cooperation and collective security” as well as advance economic independence for all.

Chapter I. Sustainable development and financing for development (not copied here)

Chapter II. International peace and security

IAW strongly supports the New Agenda for Peace and wishes to contribute constructively to Member States’ and civil societies’ deliberations in preparation for the *2024 Summit of the Future.*

At its 39th Triennial Congress 2022, IAW adopted a series of resolutions of relevance to the five priority areas, as they relate to a culture of peace, greenhouse gas emissions and the military as well as the necessary UN Security Council Reform.

Culture of Peace:

The 39th Congress affirming the commitment to secure and foster a global Culture of Peace by ensuring such a culture in the homes, communities, and between nations;

noting that global peace must be restored to ensure human security and sustainable development; is of the opinion that gender equality and women’s empowerment must be at the centre of the UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development so that future generations may thrive;

trusts in the spirit of respect, sharing, solidarity, non-violent conflict resolution, arbitration and reconciliation to be practiced in everyday life and promoted by peace education;

recalls the banner in front of the NGO peace tent in Huairou during the 4th UN World Conference on Women 1995 reading

“Change the Culture of War to a Culture of Peace

calls on the UN and all stakeholders to increase political and financial resources for social protection, prevention, and early intervention for girls and women of all ages and abilities affected by violence and conflict.

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Questions related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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Greenhouse Effects and the Military:

The 39th Congress alarmed by global warming and the neglect of the greenhouse effect caused by the military

is of the opinion that the dangerous pollution caused by the military activities worldwide has to be formally recognized and made public. It is grotesque to scandalize the citizens’ footprints and to close one’s eyes in the face of the monstrous pollution caused by the military worldwide;

is deeply concerned about the fact that since the Kyoto protocol, 1997 (in force since 2005) through the Paris Climate Agreement, 2015 (in force since 2016) until today, the CO² and other climate relevant emissions caused by the military either in times of combat or in times of preparations for military activities is not included in the statistics of worldwide emissions;

believes that there will be no reduction and mitigation on the impact of climate change by the military without holistic and gender differentiated data and that it is particularly important to work on the basis of these data on the scientifically proven immense amount of emissions produced by the military;

is convinced that in order to save the planet and people’s survival and well-being, these statistics are needed to advocate for a profound change of people’s mindset and the military system.

Chapter III. Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation (not copied here)

Chapter V. Transforming global governance

UNSC Reform:

The 39th Congress considering that the UN Security Council structure should be reformed as soon as possible on the basis of equal responsibilities and shared power;

is of the opinion that the UN General Assembly should urgently setup a task force mandated for creating structural changes of the UNSC in order to become operational and serving the UN Charter. This process should urgently come into force and produce a first draft in a timely manner;

calls on the UNGA, UNSG and this upcoming task force to change the structure in such a way that all UN member states will be in charge to keep, shape and sustain peace by shared and equal power of member states of all regions by alternating terms and in a balanced relation of regions. The veto powers’ rights must be eliminated;

further calls on the UNGA and the UNSG and all members states that this task force should discuss their proposals system wide within the UN and ensure that it shall be composed by 50 percent of women delegates and the stakeholders involved as experts shall be consisting of 50 percent of women, also young women, youth in general, indigenous women and men, vulnerable groups and minorities and citizens from regions under war shall be invited for contributions and listened to;

finally calls on the UNGA, the UNSG, the permanent and former and current non-permanent UNSC members and all member states, civil society and all stakeholders to support these efforts and donate resources and capacities for any support to this reforms end.

(Editor’s note: The International Alliance of Women was founded in 1902 as the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Legal Citizenship. At the present time its membership includes 43 women’s organizations in 32 countries.)

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The women leading the fight for peace in Palestine: Women in Black

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Open Democracy

On 4 October, thousands of women met in Jerusalem at an event led by the Israel-based Women Wage Peace and the Palestine-based Women of the Sun to discuss how to bring peace to the region. Three days later, one of the former group’s founding members, Canadian-Israeli activist Vivian Silver, was killed by Hamas in the deadliest attack on Israel in its 75-year history.

The women’s work has become much more difficult in the weeks since. Some 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack and 160 taken hostage, more than 100 of whom are yet to be released. Israel has responded by reducing much of northern Gaza to rubble, killing 15,000 Palestinians and wounding 30,000 more.

Peace now seems a distant prospect. But the women have not given up hope. In a statement released on 14 October, Women Wage Peace said: “Every mother, Jewish and Arab, gives birth to her children to see them grow and flourish and not to bury them.


Branches of Women in Black lead silent vigils around the world to call for peace | Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“That’s why, even today, amid the pain and the feeling that the belief in peace has collapsed, we extend a hand in peace to the mothers of Gaza and the West Bank.”

As Siobhan Byrne of the University of Alberta later said: “This was undoubtedly a difficult statement to write through their grief and anguish.”

Both Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun are relatively recent movements for peace in the Middle East but another women-led group has been calling for Israelis to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza for 35 years.

Women in Black (WiB), a low-profile, remarkably persistent and very global movement, was launched in West Jerusalem in January 1988, prompted by the first intifada the previous year.

The group is distinctive in two main ways: firstly for the role of vigil in its fight for change and secondly, for its varying calls of witness, not just in war but more generally on violence against women.

Its protests often take the form of public vigils by small groups of women, dressed entirely in black, largely silent and bearing messages of their beliefs. The vigils are repeated, often on specific days of the week and in the same place, such as outside a mall or in a city square.

As for its calls of witness, they may vary with country or local circumstance, but they may have a common message of the need for peace, either in a specific conflict or on a generic issue, though they also extend to much more pervasive issues of gendered violence, both in time of war and in wider society.

Feminist activist and scholar Cynthia Cockburn, who was among the most persistent supporters of WiB, began to write a book on the history of the movement in February 2019. Though she sadly died later that year having written only the first five chapters, the book was completed, at her request, by Sue Finch, aided by copious files that Cockburn had left and by people in WiB groups from across the world.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

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Published earlier this year, Women in Black: Against Violence, for Peace with Justice tracks the development of the movement over more than three decades. It details how WiB is not a centrally organised entity but more a coalition of groups that snowballed across the world within six months of the movement’s start in Jerusalem.

Italian feminist activists, who had travelled to Israel and Palestine as part of a project called ‘Visiting Difficult Places’ in the late 1980s, joined WiB’s actions and took their approach back home. A feminist community in Belgrade, in what was then Federal Yugoslavia, in turn learned from them, and a similar approach evolved there. That group remained active throughout the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, bearing witness against the Bosnian and Kosovo wars.

Over time, WiB spread to Colombia, Germany, India, South Africa, Argentina and more than a dozen other countries spanning five continents, and nine international WiB conferences took place.

Introducing the book, Cynthia Cockburn summed up the movement’s evolution over the years, describing the differences between the various groups that had sprung up. “For some, especially those living through war,” she wrote, “theories about the relationship between gender and militarism are the most vital.

“Other women, living in relative peacetime choose combating male violence against individual women, and campaigning for the right to abortion, contraception and control over their own bodies, as the centre of their activism.

“The theories that connect Women in Black across the world, as a result, include the continuum of violence against women, and a causal relationship between gender and war.”

Women in Black is not a rigid centrally organised movement but has considerable autonomy between countries and branches. Any group of women in any part of the world may organise a vigil and while that is the most common action, responses may also involve nonviolent direct action at military bases or simply refusing to comply with orders.

A uniting feature is the value of the sense of solidarity, with women in one branch in a particular country knowing that if they bear witness to a particular happening or circumstance such as a specific conflict or incident of repression, they will be acting alongside a group in the country and also o9thersw across the world.

Because of its structure, the numbers involved in WiB may vary. Writing on its website, the movement gives one example: “When Women in Black in Israel/Palestine, as part of a coalition of Women for a Just Peace, called for vigils in June 2001 against the Occupation of Palestinian lands, at least 150 WiB groups across the world responded… The organisers estimate that altogether 10,000 women may have been involved.”

In recent years, Cockburn’s own writings, including on global disarmament and women peacemakers, have been highly influential. She worked in many regions of tension and conflict – including Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Israel/Palestine, Cyprus, South Korea, Spain and the UK – on a wide range of projects primarily focused on gender, war and peace-making.

Her work was paralleled by many years of activism, much of it stemming from an early visit to the Greenham Common women’s peace camp in 1980, and in 1993 she was heavily involved in establishing Women in Black in London. This book is certainly a very valuable contribution as a hugely informative account of the growth of what is now a worldwide movement but it is also a fitting remembrance of Cynthia Cockburn, a remarkable person.

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Graça Machel: Enhancing women’s participation in peacebuilding is key to building a peaceful world

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from The Elders

At the 5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace, hosted by the Republic of Korea on 30 November 2023, Graça Machel  discussed the importance of women’s leadership as an essential component of peacebuilding and called on leaders to prioritise women’s inclusion at decision-making tables. 


Photo Credit: Tlhabi Monnakgotla

Read Graça Machel’s speech

Greetings to Foreign Minister Park Jin, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the organizing committee of the ‘5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace’ for the invitation to address this important convening highlighting the crucial role of women as catalysts for peace. I commend the Republic of Korea for your focus on the Women, Peace and Security agenda as you take up a seat on the UN Security Council next year. 

I join you today from my native country of Mozambique, and am honoured to share a few words with you on behalf of my fellow Elders.

As we know, it has been 23 years since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325, which set forth a framework mandating women’s meaningful inclusion in peace processes. And yet over two decades later, women are still shockingly in a small minority at negotiating tables worldwide. This is despite the overwhelming evidence which demonstrates that women’s participation is key to ending violence as well as the success and longevity of peace processes. 

As we convene today, we see conflict and war raging around the world: from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the brutal Israeli Occupation of Palestine and horrific siege on Gaza, to civil strife in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar, to name but a few. 

Escalating arms races, increased investments in miliary expenditure, and war mongering narratives are dominating politics on a global scale. All this alongside a deepening of toxic patriarchal norms and reversal of generational gains made in women’s rights – with gender-based violence, military aggression, and militarised responses to political problems on the rise.
 
With so many seeds of destruction being sown the world over, it may feel as though we are headed for complete self-destruction as a human family. There is a silver lining, however: Women and youth are an untapped reservoir as powerful agents for change and for peace. They are the effective force as mediators, negotiators, and peace builders we need.  A more inclusive approach to peace making and peacebuilding must be made a priority by world leaders if we are ever to stand a chance of advancing as a human family.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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Let us focus on women’s agency. Women are not only victims of war, but brave survivors and often leaders of peacebuilding efforts across the dividing lines of conflict; at great risk to their own safety and security. 

I have seen over and over again—in all corners of the world—the power of women and women’s organizations to bring serenity to spaces of extreme contention.

Women are innate bridge builders. They offer a natural capacity to listen, to empathize, and to allow vulnerability to surface. They bring a unique human perspective to the hardened dynamics of war. 

I know firsthand, from my own peacebuilding work in Africa how, when given the respect and platform, women can play an influential role in shaping peace accords and their implementation. They often make sure peace agreements reach to the heart of discord, beyond the competing demands of ego-driven politics. Women mediators and negotiators play a key role in helping to understand root causes of conflict, which then leads to more comprehensive problem solving and a lasting peace.

I have witnessed how women also lay the foundation for the necessary social cohesion in peacebuilding. They think strategically with the long-term end game of a better life for our children and a brighter future for generations to come in mind.

In every corner of the globe, there are great examples of the powerful way in which women have contributed to peace building through their leadership. We must insist, again and again, on the right of women to participate fully and on equal terms with men in conflict resolution and peace-building processes. 


 It is also women who are the first to shine the spotlight on the gendered impacts of war. They raise the alarm the loudest around sexual abuse and gender-based violence and the moral imperative to end these scourges.

This includes work to prevent and address sexual violence as a weapon of war.  The Elders support a survivor-led approach, with survivors’ experiences, rights and needs at the centre of responses to this horrific practice. 
As both history and current affairs show us, it is to our own collective detriment, when women are absent from formal decision-making tables. 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It must remain our guiding star in addressing all issues of women, peace, and security.

Let it be a reminder that prioritizing women’s inclusion in peacemaking is a global responsibility. Enhancing women’s participation in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict processes must be the new order of the day.

I urge us all here to find meaningful ways to develop women’s political leadership and ensure women are seated at the main negotiation and decision-making tables, in their capacities as experts, civil society leaders, scholars, lawyers, human rights advocates–in all their professional diversity. 


We have the most influential of weapons right here in our midst: the power of female leadership. The time is now to act. We must finance, defend, and protect women peace-builders to do their vital work to prevent and resolve conflict.  Any hope we have a for a peaceful and just world, for ourselves and for future generations, depends on it.

I thank you.

Watch Graça Machel’s speech online.

Female resilience in traditional African oral literature (Sociotexte journal)

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from Fabula

Studies assembled and coordinated by Béatrice Kakou Assi, Department of Modern Letters, UFHB, Abidjan-Côte d’Ivoire.

Contrary to popular belief, the genres of traditional African oral literature are not fossils of our current literature and human sciences. Nor are their themes intended to be relegated to the residue stage of outmoded civilizations. On the contrary, traditional oral genres are anthropological universals and indicators of social mutations. They thus help to problematize the progress of man, in the sense that Seneca understood it, in the form of processual stations. They also help to understand and perfect human societies.

This is why Amadou Hampathé Bâ recommends that man “constantly return to the story during significant events in his life”[1]. Therefore, tales, legends, proverbs, myths, and other corpora relating to oral traditions – here, particularly African – should be read as authoritative sources for current issues: sustainable development, ecology, climate and the environment, human rights, the culture of peace and conflict management, the protection of biodiversity, women’s struggles, etc.

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(Click here for the original in French.)

Questions for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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This last theme about feminine and feminist discourses in an oral and traditional African context validates the relevance of this thematic call from the journal Sociotexte. It will be a question of reflecting on the resilience of female and/or feminist figures in our oral texts, whether they are illustrious by their fame or anonymous by their invisibility. Contributions should therefore include:
`
– The struggle of women in tales, myths, legends and epics

– Figures of women, resistant or revolutionary

– Maxims and proverbs to the advantage of a shining image of women

– (Ancient) stories of the power of women (the myth of the mother goddess for example)

– Model figures for current feminist movements

– Stories of protection, celebration or deification of the “woman-mother”.

– Rebellions and revolts of women against the conventional places and roles assigned to women (warrior women or Amazons, etc.)- The female-male

– The mother or single woman (single, widowed or divorced)

Proposals are received at the following address:
kakousociotexte2024@gmail.com

The deadline is set for February 16, 2024.

— [1] Amadou Hampaté Bâ, Petit Bodiel, NEI/EDICEF, 1987, p.86.

Women, Peace, and Security Conference underway in Juba, South Sudan

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from the Catholic Radio Network

The Annual National Conference on Women’s Peace and Security began in Juba on Wednesday 25th October 2023, calling for civic education and preparation for anticipated general elections in 2024.

The Conference focuses on women’s political participation, the constitution-making process, federalism, electrical, the role of media, and many other topics. More than two hundred women across the country are taking part in the conference.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Angelina Teny says this is the high time for women to start engaging in preparation for the elections.

“So we need to now think consciously, how we are going to be part of all these instruments and mechanisms that are going to be involved in ensuring a safe environment, for all the women and all the candidates to campaign.”

Hon. Angelina encourages the women to work hard to ensure their internal democratic processes contribute to a free, fair, and credible election in 2014.

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Questions for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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“You have to work hard to ensure that your internal democratic processes contribute to a free, fair, and creditable election that will ensure the participation of the women and other sectors of society.”

Hon. Teny revealed her Ministry role to promote free, fair, and credible elections through maintaining security across the areas in South Sudan.
`
Eve Organization for Women, representative, Jacqueline Natepo, says this is a moment for women to position themselves and effectively contribute to shaping the future of South Sudan.

“This period presents an opportunity for all women in South Sudan to position themselves and effectively to the shaping the future of South Sudan, for us, our children in the future generation to come especially peaceful stable inclusive and developed South Sudan.”

Natepo adds that women need to participate in the coming election as it’s getting to the end of the transitional period. She calls on women to take the conference seriously because women are a key part of democracy.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Miriam Choppers says much has been achieved since the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution.

She is worrying that the implementation of women’s peace and security is left behind. Choppers believes that a real measure of the strength of democracy is to measure the strength of women.

The two-day annual National Conference on Women is organized by Eve Organization under the theme, “Building Inclusive Democracy: Women’s Leadership and Political Participation.

Secretary-General Tells Security Council Open Debate ‘Standing with Women Is Good for the World’, Stresses Patriarchy ‘a Massive Obstacle’ to Culture of Peace

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the United Nations

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council annual open debate on women, peace and security, in New York today:

Thank you for inviting me to brief the Council on this vital issue.  And for reminding us of the key contribution Bertha Lutz made to the UN Charter and to women’s rights.

Many of you here today will have visited the exhibition on display outside the United Nations building.  You will have seen the images of the women who embody the agenda we are discussing — women who are fighting injustice, building peace, and taking their rightful place at the table.  It is a snapshot of the immense contribution women are making to peace and security around the world and a testament to the power of women’s leadership.

The world must take note.  And it must take inspiration.  Because today, we are on a knife’s edge.  Conflicts are raging.  Tensions are rising.  Coups are erupting.  Authoritarianism is on the march.  The nuclear threat has mushroomed.  Climate chaos is inflaming security challenges.  And mistrust is poisoning global politics — weakening our ability to respond.

The figures speak for themselves on the dire state of our world: military spending is at a record high; displacement due to violence, conflict and persecution is at a record high; and 50 per cent more women and girls are living in countries threatened by fighting than in 2017.

Where wars rage, women suffer, where authoritarianism and insecurity reign, women and girls’ rights are threatened.  We see this around the world.  In Sudan and Haiti — women and girls brutalized and terrorized by sexual violence.  In Afghanistan — the denial of women’s basic rights is wrecking lives and depriving people of life-saving assistance.  And women and girls fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are at risk of being preyed on by traffickers and abusers.

In the Middle East, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the ongoing violence, bloodshed and displacement.  Women and girls are among the many victims of Hamas’ brutal atrocities.  And women and children are more than half the victims of the relentless bombing of Gaza.  Tens of thousands of pregnant women are desperately struggling to access essential health care.

This grim backdrop gives renewed urgency to efforts to ensure women’s full and meaningful participation in peace and security.  Twenty-three years after this Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), women’s participation should be a default, not an afterthought.

But that is not the case.  Women are leading efforts on peace, justice and rights around the world. But still, far too many women’s organizations struggle to fund their essential work, as military spending soars; far too many perpetrators of sexual violence walk free; and far too many peace processes exclude women.

Of 18 peace agreements reached last year, only one was signed or witnessed by a representative of a women’s group or organization.  Despite our best efforts, women represented just 16 per cent of negotiators or delegates in the peace processes led, or co-led, by the United Nations.

We live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture.  Centuries of patriarchy are a massive obstacle to gender equality and, in turn, to a culture of peace.  Around the world, women’s rights are under attack.  So are the people that defend them.  At least seven women who briefed this Council last year report facing reprisals for having done so.

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Questions related to this article:

UN Resolution 1325, does it make a difference?

Does the UN advance equality for women?

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Violence against women — both on and offline — is endemic; a massive barrier and disincentive to participation in civil and political life.  At the current rate of progress, it will be almost another half century before women are fairly represented in national parliaments.

Addressing this is not a favour to women.  It is a matter of rights, justice and pragmatism.  Standing with women is good for the world.  We know processes involving women lead to more enduring peace.  We know gender-equal parliaments are more likely to increase spending on health, education and social protection, and reduce corruption.

There are pockets of hope.  This year’s report shows good practice and success stories on the women, peace and security agenda from around the world:  from gender parity in Colombia’s peace negotiations to perpetrators of sexual violence in Iraq, Syria and the Central African Republic being brought to justice.

The United Nations is committed to working with countries to drive progress on women, peace and security.  Our operations are supporting women, highlighting their vital work, and amplifying their voices.  The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund of the United Nations has supported more than 1,000 local women’s organizations since it was established in 2016. And we’ve made progress towards gender balance within peacekeeping missions.  But overall, when it comes to women peace and security, the world must urgently bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality.

This annual debate regularly has the longest speakers’ list of the year.  But concrete progress is slow, stagnant or even going backwards.  We need to implement the women, peace and security agenda in full, now.  Because women have had enough of being shut out of the decisions that shape their lives; enough of their work going unrecognized; enough of threats and violence; [and] enough of promises left unfulfilled.  Women demand concrete actions to make real strides forward.

First, that means steps to ensure women are in the room for peace talks.  I encourage Governments supporting conflict mediation to set ambitious targets for women on negotiating teams.

Second, it means money on the table.  If you want to stand with women driving change, if you want to support women enduring conflict, if you want to remove barriers to participation, and if you want women’s organizations to deliver, we need to pay for it.  Yet, the latest figures show aid funding for gender equality in conflict falling.  I urge countries providing overseas development assistance, or ODA, to allocate 15 per cent to gender equality.  Fifteen per cent of funds for mediation work must support women’s participation.

I also call on countries providing ODA to allocate 1 per cent — at a bare minimum — to direct assistance to women’s organizations mobilizing for peace.  By the end of 2025, the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund Invest-in-Women campaign aims to raise $300 million.  I urge you to throw yourselves behind this effort.

Third, we need concrete measure to secure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation at all levels of decision-making on peace and security, and all levels of political and civil life.  That means pushing fair representation in national and local governments, cabinets and parliaments.

I was a prime minister and leader of a political party.  I know quotas, targets and incentives work.  We need robust, comprehensive legislation to tackle violence against women — both on and offline — and to put an end to impunity for perpetrators.

And we need to make the most of the Summit of the Future next year to push for progress on women, peace and security.  The Summit is a chance to reform and revitalize multilateralism so that it meets the challenges of today.  In preparation, the policy brief on “A New Agenda for Peace” puts women’s leadership and participation at the centre of decision-making. I urge you to consider its proposals carefully.

Amidst a world in chaos, the clock is ticking down to the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000).  A quarter century is ample time to make progress.  We need to translate the energy, commitment and focus in this room into change on the ground and money on the table.  No more stalling, no more coasting, no more delays.

We need to back the change-makers whose images we proudly display outside this building, starting today.  The state of the world demands it.  And women and girls, rightly, expect nothing less.  Thank you.

Yemeni peace laureate to deliver keynote speech on the matter in Cape Town today

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Independent Online

As the global community faces incessant threats to peace and stability – and there is more violence within communities in South Africa – the voices at a Peace Dialogue and Youth Conference taking place this weekend should be amplified.

Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman, a human rights activist, journalist and politician from Yemen, will be a keynote speaker at the Power of Peace Dialogue in Cape Town today.


Tawakkol Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Picture: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelinio

The 7th Annual PeaceJam South Africa Youth Leadership Conference will start today and runs until Sunday. It is hosted by Mentoring PeaceBuilders South Africa, an affiliate of the PeaceJam Foundation.

At the age of 32, Karman is the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate as well as the first Arab woman and the second Muslim woman to receive the prestigious recognition.

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Karman in recognition of her “non-violent struggle for democracy” and advocating for women’s rights in Yemen.

During the Arab Spring, referred to at the time as “The Mother of the Revolution” and in the face of increasing threats made to her life, Karman led peaceful protests for democracy and freedom of speech in Yemen.

She is also the founder of Women Journalists Without Chains and was imprisoned and persecuted as a result of her active engagement, according to a Nobel Prize statement.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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A Power of Peace Dialogue, in partnership with the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, will start at 6pm today at the Old Granary Building, Buitenkant Street, Cape Town.

The dialogue session will take the form of a panel discussion and will include Karman, PeaceJam Foundation vice-president Lauren Coffaro, Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation CEO Janet Jobson, Mosaic Training Services and Healing Centre for Women executive director Tarisai Mchuchu-Mac Millan, and community leader and advocate Talethia Edwards.

The Peace Conference tomorrow and Sunday is expected to see hundreds of young people, aged between 14 and 24 years, who are interested in becoming agents of positive change in their communities and world gathering at the Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town.

Approximately 400 learners from 19 different high schools and youth organisations, along with over 50 university mentors, will attend.

Mentoring PeaceBuilders South Africa NPC is a non-profit organisation that aims to create a culture of peace by empowering young people to become leaders and peacemakers.

The organisation is part of the PeaceJam Foundation, a global movement of 14 Noble Peace Laureates who mentor young people to change the world through service and education.

“The world is in need of new ideas and approaches and this new generation of young people is uniquely qualified to understand and address the complex problems of violence facing humanity.

“Our Youth Peacebuilding Conferences and Lectures offer engaging and safe spaces to nurture young people and help them realise their potential to tackle issues head-on,” Mentoring PeaceBuilders South Africa NPC co-founder and director Earl Mentor said.

“We want to build awareness of the Power of Peace in the light of the ongoing violence in our high-conflict communities in South Africa. We want to also discuss peace to help transform our collective consciousness through the courageous pursuit of healing our nation through dialogue and action.”

From Rwanda To Beyond: New Collaborations And Collective Action At Women’s Conclave

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article by Ridhima Shukla in Forbes Africa

Attendees at the just-concluded Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali exchanged ideas and experiences through thought-provoking discussions that set the stage for the unveiling of new and transformative policy frameworks supporting women’s rights and issues.

In the heart of Kigali, Rwanda, the BK Arena and Kigali Convention Centre buzzed with excitement as women from all corners of the world gathered for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023), from July 17-20, held for the first time in Africa.


The Women Deliver conference witnessed participation from over 6,000 stakeholders and advocates dedicated to advancing gender equality. Photo: UN Women/Emmanuel Rurangwa

Held under the theme, Spaces, Solidarity, and Solutions, the sixth Women Deliver Conference aimed to ignite collective action, empower the feminist movement, and foster a world where gender equality and women’s rights thrive.

A wide range of topics, including abortion access, LGBTIQQ rights, gender-based violence and impact of the climate crisis on women and girls, were discussed, along with focus on fostering youth engagement and elevating the perspectives of young women in the global gender equality movement.

The event saw an impressive turnout with thousands in attendance. Notable speakers included renowned personalities such as activist Malala Yousafzai. Also in attendance were four heads of state including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame – with his wife and first lady Jeannette Kagame – Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, and the President of Hungary, Katalin Novák.

One of the most significant announcements came from the collaboration between Women Deliver and Open Society Foundations, a grant-making network founded and chaired by Hungarian-American business behemoth and philanthropist George Soros.

Together, they unveiled a new funding facility to address, among other things, neglected areas of female sexual health and reproductive rights. The room erupted in applause as the audience recognized the potential of this facility in empowering marginalized women and girls who have long been denied access to basic healthcare.

As the conference progressed, it became evident that the commitment to drive change extended beyond the arena’s walls. More than 40 organizations came together to launch a powerful campaign addressing the gender nutrition gap. Their collective call urged governments to take transformative action, shining a spotlight on the stark inequalities that persist globally in women’s and girls’ nutrition.

Another momentous step forward was the unveiling of the RESPECT Women website. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this policy framework and online platform has been designed to combat and respond to violence against women and girls. The website’s potential to create a safer environment and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment was met with resounding support and recognition.

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Question related to this article:
 
Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

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Perhaps the most moving moment at the conference was when UNFPA introduced Kigali Call to Action: United for Women and Girls’ Bodily Autonomy. This powerful call placed bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and gender equality at the core of the agenda. With a clear focus on women-led organizations and the feminist movement, the call aimed to drive coordinated and collective action towards gender equality by 2030.

The conference’s commitment to empowering future generations was expressed with the launch of the Women Deliver Emerging Leaders Program to provide young people with trust-based funding, knowledge, resources, and leadership opportunities in the pursuit of gender equality and reproductive health advocacy. As the torch was passed on to the next generation, the attendees celebrated the potential of these emerging leaders to create a lasting impact on the global stage.

Throughout the conference, attendees engaged in thought-provoking discussions, exchanging ideas and experiences, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for progress. Challenges were acknowledged, and the urgency to address them collectively was clear.

The importance of funding for gender equality advocacies resonated strongly among the attendees. Julia Fan, Senior Manager for Youth Engagement at Women Deliver, emphasized that funding remains a critical aspect in driving forward the agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Alongside the vibrant discussions and inspiring stories of progress, Soraya Hakuziyaremye, the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, too offered valuable insights. She acknowledged the strides Rwanda has made in promoting women to leadership positions, highlighting that this progress did not happen overnight but has been the result of extraordinary leadership that recognized gender equity as a vital indicator of the nation’s progress, almost three decades ago.

While there were successes to celebrate, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Board Chair of Women Deliver, also addressed a pressing concern shared by many attendees.

She remarked: “What concerns most women today here is that progress in gender equality has been slow and uneven, and a major space where all countries have failed is violence against women. It is sad to sit and talk about this here again; I was talking about this 10 years ago.”

While gender issues still persist, efforts to combat them also have a history, starting with the Beijing Declaration in 1995 that opened the door for women’s issues to find mainstream recognition globally, leading to the Platform for Action adopted unanimously by 189 countries. In the words of Mlambo-Ngcuka, “it was a defining moment when women’s rights received the status of human rights”.

The development and acceptance of the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights in 2005 has also come a long way. The protocol has one of the highest number of ratifications for an instrument in the African Union (AU) and has objectively established a uniform basis for protecting the rights of women and girls in Africa. Forty nine of the 55 AU member states have signed the Maputo Protocol thus far.

Reflecting on the week’s transformative experience. Rania Dagesh, the Deputy Regional Director for eastern and southern Africa at UNICEF, expressed her sentiments: “The past week at Women Deliver has been phenomenal; there have been moments of reflection, profound exchanges, and valuable learning. I am truly grateful for participating.”

As the final moments of the conference unfolded, the atmosphere was one of hope, determination, and camaraderie.

(Editor’s note: For another perspective on the conference, see UN Women Executive Director visits Rwanda, applauds remarkable progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment.)