A new report on women, peace and security, launched today to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the landmark United Nations Security Council resolution on the issue, highlights the important gains to be made by the greater empowerment of women in peacebuilding efforts.<\/p>\n
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the lead author of the global study, introduced it at a press conference at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Headquarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2000, when resolution 1325 was adopted, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has recognized that women\u2019s leadership and equality are key to international peace and security,\u201d said Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is now an accepted global norm,\u201d she added, while noting that it had been \u201creiterated as many times as it has been ignored in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Introducing the new study, Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka said that it represented the most up-to-date and comprehensive compilation of all the evidence that \u201cwomen\u2019s empowerment contributes to the success of peace talks,\u201d as well accelerates economic recovery after conflict and counters violent extremism.<\/p>\n
She also noted that, in recent years, the positive impact of women\u2019s participation had been seen in Colombia and the Philippines, but that \u201cthese cases are still outliers rather than the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the 15 years since the adoption of resolution 1325, she said, \u201cprogress remains far too slow,\u201d with only 2 per cent of aid to peace and security interventions in fragile States targeting gender inequality, while just three per cent of military peacekeepers are women. In conflict-affected settings, violence against women and girls is higher, as is child marriage, while girls\u2019 school enrolment and access to property falls.<\/p>\n
She also commended the scope of the study, which, she said had incorporated submissions from civil society, member states, regional and international organizations, as well as country visits undertaken by the author.<\/p>\n
Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka also referred to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Council meeting tomorrow on women, peace and security to mark the 15th anniversary of the resolution, noting this as an opportunity for the \u201cpositive stepping up of women\u2019s empowerment and gender equality.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her concluding remarks, she said that evidence shows that when women are at the peace tables, their participation brings a higher rate of peace agreement, adding that \u201csquandering the potential dividends has never been more costly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Coomaraswamy, the lead author of the report, underscored the importance of its independence, for which she thanked the Secretary-General, noting that there are areas not completely in line with the United Nations position on some of the issues contained within it.<\/p>\n
She cited the report\u2019s focus on prevention, the nature of early warning systems, armed and unarmed presences, and the need for dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cLevels of military spending are high and the cycle of escalation must stop,\u201d she noted, adding that force should only be used as a last resort; when dialogue is impossible.<\/p>\n
She also said that the study proves \u201cbeyond any doubt\u201d that women\u2019s \u201cparticipation in peace processes sustains
Ms. Coomaraswamy also stressed the importance of looking at peacekeeping at the local level, because \u201cnot one size fits all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to understand what the society needs and the peacebuilding program should be mapped for that particular area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She also noted that the report contained detailed recommendations for the Security Council, which will be debated tomorrow. One such recommendation was the need for an expert level group that would help the Council deal with issues through a \u201cgender lens,\u201d as well as a proposed change to funding, with some earmarking for projects affecting women. It also calls for an Assistant-Secretary-General at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women to work in the area of women, peace, and security.<\/p>\n
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