NEWS ARCHIVES


Another interesting reflection
Ravi Karkara

This is a personal account of my interest, engagement and commitment of working with boys and men to end GBV and for the promotion of gender equality.

Full report click here

UN RIGHTS EXPERT WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF FIRST FEMALE JUDGES IN THE MALDIVES

13 July 2007, UN News

A United Nations independent expert on judicial independence today welcomed the appointment of the first-ever women judges in the Maldives and called on authorities in the Indian Ocean archipelago to continue to take steps towards “an appropriate gender balance within the judiciary.”

Full report click here

PNG WOMEN SUFFER HIGH RATE OF DEATH DURING BIRTH

13 July 07 - PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, July 12) - Papua New Guinea's maternal mortality is amongst the worst in the world and represents one of PNG's greatest development challenges.

Full report click here

UN OFFICIALS URGE MALE INVOLVEMENT IN MATERNAL HEALTH TO
SAVE WOMEN’S LIVES

11 July 07

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) marked World Population Day today by calling for greater participation by men in maternal health to reduce the number of women who die each day in childbirth and to ensure safe motherhood.

Full report click here


New publication from BRIDGE: "Gender and Indicators," which is the latest publication in their Cutting Edge Pack series.

Full report click here

AT WOMEN’S SUMMIT ON HIV AND AIDS, UNIFEM CALLS FOR ACTION
TO BREAK VICIOUS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
AND HIV AND AIDS

United Nations, New York and Nairobi - At the first international conference on women and HIV and AIDS, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, will stress the importance of new approaches to tackle the link between violence against women and the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Full report click here

Suva, Fiji Islands - 29 June 2007

Members of the National Council of Women Fiji rallied together at their Annual General Meeting in Suva on Thursday June 28th to establish standing committees (working groups) to assist their elected officials address a range of critical areas of concern as well as provide support for operational matters.

Full report click here

NO GUNS - HUMAN SECURITY PLEASE

Suva, Fiji Islands
29 June 2007

The Pacific Forum Regional Security Committee presently underway in Nadi, Fiji must urgently adopt a Regional Human Security Framework for the Pacific Forum member countries, given the growing concerns of the Solomon Islands National Council of Women and other NGO and Civil Society groups, including women’s peace groups, who remain opposed to the attempts by the recently appointed Commissioner of Police, Jahir Khan, to revive the Rearming Exercise earlier proposed by the Sogavare Government, says femLINKPACIFIC Coordinator and member of the regional Women, Peace and Human Security Network, Sharon Bhagwan Rolls:

Full report click here

UN-SPONSORED MEETING CALLS FOR MORE MALE FACILITATORS
IN GENDER TRAINING

Increasing the number of qualified male trainers in gender training for security personnel is one of the key conclusions of an online expert-group discussion hosted by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and its partners in Santo Domingo.

Full report click here

UNESCO CHIEF CONDEMNS MURDER OF FEMALE IRAQI JOURNALIST

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom worldwide has condemned the murder of Iraqi journalist Sahar Hussein Ali al-Haydari, whose murder follows those of two female Afghan journalists in recent weeks.

Full report click here

DR CONGO: UNICEF AMBASSADOR LUCY LIU URGES PROTECTION
OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Having recently returned from a visit to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ambassador Lucy Liu called on the nation’s Government to bolster its efforts to protect women and children caught in the continuing violence.

Full report click here

Investigation by the ICC in CAR welcomed by Women's Rights Group

ICRC - 25 May

The decision to open an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into crimes committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) will help to end decades of impunity.

Full report click here

Pacific Delegates Presented with CEDAW Legislative Compliance Report

UNDP Pacific Centre and UNIFEM Pacific Joint Press Release

May 29 - Noumea, New Caledonia
Delegates at the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women were presented with a new tool to use in achieving gender equality -“Translating CEDAW into Law: CEDAW Legislative Compliance in Nine Pacific Island Countries.”

Full report click here

UN AGENCY CHIEF CALLS FOR BUILDING OF 'HEALTH LEGACY' FOR WOMEN, AFRICA

UN Daily News Digest – 15 May

The chief of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today called on global leaders to build a “health legacy” for women and the people of Africa, as she addressed the annual policy meeting of the body in Geneva Switzerland.

Full report click here

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS DESERVE BETTER GOVERNMENT POLICIES,
SAYS ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Governments around the world can play a crucial role in helping to lift women and their families out of poverty by introducing more gender-sensitive policies that offer greater employment, taxation and investment opportunities for women, especially those who want to be entrepreneurs, the General Assembly President said today.

Full report click here

WOMEN'S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PANEL OPENS SESSION AT UN

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) set up to monitor compliance with a landmark treaty on the issue today opened its session at United Nations Headquarters in New York with plans to review reports from Mauritania, Serbia, Syria, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Vanua.tu

Full report click here

OFFICE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN ­ A MILESTONE FOR PNG WOMEN, SAYS DAME CAROL KIDU

The inclusion of funds in the 2007 budget to start establishing the Office for the Development of Women (ODW) is a long overdue milestone for the women of Papua New Guinea, according to Minister for Community Development, Dame Carol Kidu. 

Full report click here

Stop the War of Words

27 November 2006

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre has called for an end to the War of Words that is currently taking place amongst leaders in the country and for those involved to come together for meaningful dialogue.

Full report click here

Fiji NGO Coalition, Concerned Citizens for Peace, says NO to regional intervention: "We need to do more at the national level"

SUVA , November 28th, 2006:

FIJI NGOs have come out strongly against the possibility of regional intervention in the escalating standoff between Fiji's disciplined forces and the Government.  Concerned Citizens for Peace, a coalition of Fiji NGOs working towards peace, justice and non-violence, are calling on decision-makers to work with national processes and mediation instead of encouraging regional forces to play a part.

Full report click here

GENDER AND SECURITY SECTOR REFORMS

The United Nations International Research and Training institute for the Advancement of Women (UN INSTRAW) and Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) have jointly launched the Gender and Security Sector Reform Working Group (GSSR WG) which aims to serve as an initiator, resource and facilitator for efforts to mainstream gender issues into SSR initiatives, policies and tools. The GSSR WG brings together key institutions and individuals working on gender and security issues. It had its first meeting at the 27th of October 2006 in New York.

For more information:

http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.php? option=content&task=
view&id=1060&Itemid=262

http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.php?option=content&
task=view&id=1060&Itemid=262

The GSSR WG aims to:

  • Create practical research, training and assessment tools on gender and SSR.
  • Build the capacity of SSR practitioners, security policy-makers, and parliamentarians to mainstream gender into SSR initiatives.
  • Promote the mainstreaming of gender in SSR policy and programming.
  • Strengthen understanding of linkages between the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and SSR, and dialogue between the 'Women, peace and security' and SSR communities.
  • Bring together those working on gender and SSR in southern and northern countries.

For more information please contact INSTRAW Gender, Peace and Security Program: GPS@un-instraw.org

UN REPORTS SOME PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING UN SCR 1325

10 October 2006

Significant progress has been made to include more women in peace and security efforts throughout the United Nations system but much more can and should be done at all levels, both at Headquarters and in the field, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a report to the Security Council.

Full report click here

Sharon Bhagwan Rolls to present Fiji and Pacific experiences in the development and implementation of National Action Plans during this year's Advocacy Programme commemorating the 6th anniversary of UN SC Resolution 1325.

Full report click here

Canadian woman oversees launch of the UN's peacebuilding fund

An outstanding woman is appointed as the first head of the UN peacebuilding support office, a new position created by the newly formed United Nations Peacebuilding Commission.

Full report click here

Building Peace through Gender Equality
New UN-INSTRAW Guide on Women, Peace and Security

To commemorate the International Day of Peace, September 21st 2006, the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) offers a new manual on how to design, draft and implement a successful action plan on women, peace and security.

For more click here

First National Women's Forum in Vanuatu

The first-ever National Women's Forum in Vanuatu is under way with 100 delegates spending this week mapping out an action plan for women's development to 2011, the Suva-based regional news agency Pacnews reported Tuesday.

Full report click here

Kirsty Sword Gusmao: Women suffering in silence

All voices need to be heard in rebuilding East Timor, writes Kirsty Sword Gusmao, especially the voices of women since they are uniquely placed to build peace and security,

The Australian, OPINION, July 07, 2006

Full text click here

Don't be fooled women's progress still slow, says new SPC women's advocate

Tuesday 4 July, 2006, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Headquarters, Nouméa

Women are rising to positions of influence throughout the Pacific but that doesn't mean gender equality has been achieved, says the new Women's Advocacy and Communication Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

Full statement click here

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (ACT)
PO Box 934, Dickson, ACT 2602



 Security Council Resolution 1325, “Women, Peace and Security”,
asserts the crucial role women must be enabled to play in every aspect of the peace process, in conflict prevention and in peace negotiation, not just in post conflict reconstruction.

Women in the Pacific have the lowest representation in their parliaments of any countries in the world and are excluded from crucial decion-making, yet they have been at the forefront in brokering peace at times of conflict.

Barbara O’Dwyer
from the Humanitarian and Emergency Section of AusAID
where one area she works on is Gender & Peacebuilding and

Helen McDermott
from the Australasian Council of Women and Policing
will report on

the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Workshop
GENDER, CONFLICT & SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC
Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325
June 15 to 17 June in Nadi, Fiji
where women from Pacific countries have reported on their progress

Monday 26 June, 2006
6.00pm to 8.00pm
Friends Meeting House
Cnr Condamine & Bent Sts, Turner

ALL WELCOME
Donation. Refreshments: home-made soup, tea & coffee

Further information: Margaret Bearlin 6251 4607

Download Word document

Materials from Wilton Park Conference June’ 06
“The Difference UN Resolution 1325 has made”

Last week's conference on UN Resolution 1325 was the 816th Wilton Park Conference www.wiltonpark.org.uk/documents/conferences/WP816/pdfs
WP816prog.pdf

It was organised in co-operation with the UK Government‚s Global Conflict Prevention Pool, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Canadian International Development Agency, and in partnership with Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS).

For an overview of the debate and the full list of articles discussing the difference UN Resolution 1325www.peacewomen.org/un/sc/1325.html has made visit:
www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-resolution_1325/issue.jsp

For further articles on UN Resolution 1325 and Testimonies to SCR 1325 in practice in Somalia, Iraq, Nepal etc. click here

Timor's women and children have their say
Peace Rally of Women and Children of Timor-Leste
June1, 2006

A peace rally of 150 women and children of Timor-Leste gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office in Dili on 1 June.  Women said they will not cooperate with leaders who lack the capacity to govern, and will actively advocate a vote against political candidates who do not listen to them. The rally was organised by a group of ngos  including the Alola Foundation, and Fokupers.

This report from Robert Johnson on www.crikey.com circulated by Diane Goodwillie on [pacwin].

Full statement click here

Fiji's peace in a suitcase

Rosemary Bechler, openDemocracy.net via pacwin@lyris.spc.int
June 6, 2006

Sharon Bagwan Rolls, Coordinator - femLINKPACIFIC: Media Initiatives for Women, talks with Rosemary Bechler at the Wilton Park Conference on 1325. She discusses women's roles in politics and peace and how in Fiji they are using mobile radio to educate women in the political process and ensure women's voices are heard.

Sharon welcomes the Wilton Park conference as an opportunity to 'get more strategic' about implementing 1325, to look at who is responsible for 1325, within the UN system and how we make governments, all of whom signed up to the Security Council Resolution, more accountable in its implementation.

Full statement click here

A Step Further for 1325

Next Week's Gender, Peace and Security Regional Workshop in Nadi is an important step in advancing the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, titled Women, Peace and Security, says femLINKPACIFIC, a women1s media NGO which has been a key advocate of the full implementation of the security council resolution in the Pacific region through the development, production and distribution of women1s peace-media initiatives.  

Full statement click here

Canberra 1 June 2006

WILPF (Australian Section) at its Triennial Meeting in Adelaide May 26 to28, 2006, following a recommendation from women leaders in the Solomon Islands, called on the Australian Government to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in its Peace Keeping Operations in the Pacific and beyond.

Details click here

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR GREATER PROGRESS FOR WOMEN'S ROLES IN PEACE AND SECURITY, Wilton Park, 30 May, 2006

Inadequate resources, insufficient data, lack of political will, under- representation of women and disconnections between government and civil society hold back progress on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said this at a Wilton Park conference in the UK on 30 May 2006.

Details click here

International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) announces the publishing of a monthly E-newsletter as a way for Australian and International users to share information.

IWDA is committed to collaborating with project partners and stakeholders to promote and support dialogue in relation to women, gender and development on their gender and development work, both nationally and internationally, as well as sharing international resources and items of interest. They are keen to feature information about resources, events and opportunities in Australia and invite  contributions.

Further information and May 2006 edition of E-Gender click here

SPECIAL femTALK 1325 REPORT on the SOLOMON ISLANDS SITUATION

This special report provides a powerful  analysis of the situation  in the Solomon Islands and outlines the concerted attempts of the SI women's movement to warn of the impending outbreak of violence and  their attempts to broker peace.

On their way home from the regional workshop on Advancing Women in Parliament held in the Cook Islands, leaders in the SI women's movement, Josephine Teakeni and  Serah Dyer spoke to femLINKpacific1s Sharon Bhagwan Rolls about how now, more than ever, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 titled Women, Peace and Security must be incorporated into the RAMSI intervention, and future defence and security initiatives for Pacific Island Countries.

Full report click here

1325: deeds not words
Lesley Abdela
17-10-2005

Why are women absent and warlords present when conflict-torn societies sit down for talks and rebuilding after war? Lesley Abdela charts the progress of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and calls for more action to involve women in politics.

Full report click here

A warm invitation is extended to everyone, women and men, to join us in creating a

FESTIVAL OF PEACE
celebrating 90 years of the
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom

Theme: “Supporting each other in building Peace”

ACT Legislative Assembly, London Circuit, Civic
October 17 – 24, 2005

PROGRAM

Monday 17 October: International Anti-Poverty Day

12 – 1.00 pm Solidarity Vigil: World March for Women’s Global Charter Relay ends

600 –800 pm Opening of the Festival of Peace

  • Chorus of Women presentation:- Welcome to Country

    Messages from Sponsoring MLAs:- Jacqui Burke, Katy Gallagher,
    Deb Foskey
    Speaker - “A Tribute to WILPF”:- Ruth Russell

Tuesday 18 October: WILPF working for Peace: from its beginning in 1915 to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 ‘Women, Security & Peace’

  • *10.00am “Reclaiming our Heritage of Courage”
    Hellen Cooke & Laslo Strasser
  • 12.30pm “How is Australia implementing UN SCR 1325 through its overseas aid policy?”
    Barbara O’Dwyer, Humanitarian & Emergency Section, Aus AID
  • 2.30pm Workshop: “Increasing women’s participation in decision-making about peace and security in Australia. What can we do at the grass roots?
  • *4.15–4.45pm A pause for peace: closing reflection

Wednesday 19 October: Supporting each other building peace within Australia?

  • 11.00am - 12.30pm - On indigenous issues: Roslyn Brown & Ricki Dargavel: Sustaining Ngunnawal Culture Project
  • 130 - 2.30pm - On issues of cultural diversity, particularly in relation to Islam: Yulia Immajati (Indonesia) & Mersjia Maglajlic (Bosnia)
  • 4.15 – 4.45pm - Closing Reflection: Lorraine Gatehouse & Meryl Bollard

Thursday 20 October: Supporting women building peace in Pacific & South Asia

  • 12 noon: Ruth Sprigg (Bougainville), Lulu Turner (PNG& Philippines),
    Girija Chetty (India) Regina McKenzie (Bougainville)
  • 6pm Youth Forum:” Building a world without war” Ros Dundas,
    Will Fitzgibbon, Simone Gubler, UNYA : Millie Rooney

Friday 21 October: Women in Black

  • 11.30am “Being a non-violent witness for peace” Waratah
  • 1.00pm - Standing with Women in Black near Merry-go-round in Petrie Plaza, Civic
  • 2.15pm- Sharing about WiB International Conference, Israel: Wilma Davidson and Maureen Harrat

Saturday 22 October: 2.30-4.30pm Sharing stories about weaving the web of WILPF

Afternoon Tea, Sydney Chorus of Women: Sharing WILPF stories

Monday 24 October United Nations Day: Building a Culture of Peace

  • 12 noon “Educating the Young for a Culture of Peace” Margaret Bearlin
  • 1.00 pm Panel & Workshop: “Defending Human Rights – the role of non-violent action”
  • 6pm Closing Ritual: “Building a Culture of Peace” Sara Dowse. Dances of Universal Peace

*“Reclaiming our WILPF Heritage” & Pause for Peace will be held each day, Tuesday to Friday at 10am and 4.15pm respectively.

Enquiries, please ring 6251 4607 - program updates
www.1325australia.org.au/newnews

This Festival of peace is hosted by ACT Greens MLA Dr Deb Foskey.

Download print version of program

Women's organizations at the World Summit are shocked and disappointed by the statements made yesterday by President Bush and Prime Minister Blair before the UN General Assembly.

President Bush thanked the international community for its assistance with post-Katrina rescue and reconstruction. Yet he personally unleashed Ambassador John Bolton on the Summit negotiations three weeks ago, dealing a severe blow to international cooperation and the final result. President Bush claimed that the US has a moral obligation to help poor countries. But Ambassador Bolton made it clear throughout the negotiations that the US will not adopt the target of 0.7% of national income for foreign aid, and he even tried to prevent other rich countries from mentioning it in the Summit agreement. President Bush can no longer speak with a straight face about his commitment to defeating HIV/AIDS, when his Ambassador refused to allow language that would have ensured full funding for the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB. Neither can President Bush continue to point to his 3Millennium Challenge Account2 program as an alternative to concrete targets for foreign aid - the MCA has proven to be an exercise in public relations that has disbursed little money to poorer countries.

Prime Minister Blair called the Millennium Development Goals 3a specter.2 Instead of reiterating Britain1s commitment to these goals, he only referred to the weaker agreements reached at the G8 summit in Gleneagles. But 3doubling of aid2 that is already paltry amounts to much less than meeting the 0.7% target. Bush and Blair talk about trade as a critical strategy in poverty eradication. But until the EU and the US eliminate the millions of dollars spent for farm subsidies to their own agribusiness, this is just one more empty promise. 3Opening trade2 will also hurt the poor unless the EU and the US stop using patents to prevent affordable access to essential HIV drugs. Farm subsidies and patents were to be included in the agreement for this Summit, but the US successfully got them off the table. Britain should stop the race to the bottom began by the US, not acquiesce to it.

Statement by:
ActionAid International
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development Gender Program
Center for Women1s Global Leadership (CWGL)
Choice for Youth and Sexuality, Netherlands
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
Forum on Women and Development (FOKUS)
Gender and Education Office
Girls Power Initiative, Nigeria
Inform, Sri Lanka
International Council on Adult Education (ICAE)
International Institute for Cooperation Amongst People
Milenio Feminista
Red de educacion popular entre mujeres de America Latina y el Caribe (REPEM)
United Methodist UN Office
Women1s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Youth Coalition

PNG: Women In Black Plead For Peace

More than 6,000 women gathered in Kainantu, Papua New Guinea on Monday (11 July) and marched for peace after years of being subjected to violent crimes, especially rape, with virtually no police intervention.

Full report click here
   

CALL FOR CANDIDATES FOR OCTOBER 2005 ADVOCACY ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY AT UN HEADQUARTERS

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security is calling for candidates who have been actively working on SCR 1325 and related women, peace and security issues, in areas affected by violent conflict, to participate in our October Advocacy Program at United Nations Headquarters in New York

Full report click here

The 2005 Peace Building Cyberdialogues on UNSCR 1325: Linking New York, Kampala, Monrovia, Oslo, Dili, Bougainville, Bangkok and more

The International Women1s Tribune Centre, in collaboration with partner organizations, is planning to convene cyberdialogues to bring the views of women on issues of peace and security to the attention of government officials at the national and international level during the 10th International Forum to be convened by the Association of Women1s Rights in Development (AWID) in Bangkok, Thailand, October 27-30, 2005.

Full report click here
   

PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI WOMEN CREATE GLOBAL PANEL TO WORK FOR JUST MIDDLE EAST PEACE
New York, Jul 28 2005

Palestinian, Israeli and international women leaders and activists have established the first-ever global commission working to guarantee women's full participation in formal and informal Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Full report click here
 

Peace Begins With Mothers, Daughters, Sisters
by Anja Tranovich

UNITED NATIONS - Women are at the forefront of community-level conflict resolution but are rarely included in higher-level peace processes, leading to a sexist politics of peace, declared four experts on women's involvement in peace negotiations

Full report click here
 

UNIFEM CALLS FOR STRONGER INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN PEACE PROCESSES

United Nations, New York — The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) called on the international community today to recognize women's efforts to prevent and resolve conflict in their communities, and to strengthen support for women's inclusion as full and equal participants in formal peace processes.

Full report click here

 
 


Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Advocacy

A Human Rights Training Program for Indigenous Advocates in the Asia-Pacific Region. 20- 29th June, 2005 , Darwin, Australia

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) is calling for applications for its Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Advocacy training program, to be held in June 2005. The program will be conducted for Indigenous community advocates from both Indigenous Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region.  The training program will be held in partnership with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.     

Full details click here
 

49th session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW)
United Nations Headquarters in New York

Regular updates will be posted from the pacwin e-list sent by Sharon Bhagwan Rolls - femLINKpacific: Media Initiatives for Women / AMARC-WIN*

#1 Monday 28 February 2005

49th session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) opens at the United Nations Headquarters in New York

Full report click here

 

#2 Monday 28 February 2005 Lobby and Advocacy Tools for 1325

This is a story about a new red book which I will be using as we try to influence regional peace and security processes in our pacific island region.

Full report click here

 

#3 Tuesday 01 March 2005  

 
Peace agreements are vital tools for promoting gender equality and ensuring the participation of women. Report of the Expert Group Meeting (EGM Ottawa, Canada, 10 - 13 November 2003)

"If gender equality is omitted from the peace agreement a window of opportunity is lost. Silence in a peace agreement about the position of women perpetuates and institutionalises the marginalization of women in the political processes after the conflict and allows those implementing the peace process, to commence their mandates without reference to how their operations impact differentially upon women and men."

Full report click here

#4 Wednesday 02 March 2005, Beijing +10, New York

6000 women have come to the United Nations because it is the only
institution which can support the women’s movement.

Full report click here


#5 Thursday 03 March 2005

NGOs mobilise to secure further government support to women and peace

Full report click here


#6 Thursday 03 March 2005

Make economic policies more flexible to ensure sustainable development
The benefits of globalization must be equally shared among all countries
to promote equitable development and women’s economic rights

Full report click here


# 7 Thursday 03 March 2005, Beijing +10, New York

ISIS-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE)  has set the course for the documentation of women’s experiences

Full report click here

 

We women have been marching a long time to denounce and demand an end to the oppression of women and end the domination, exploitation, egotism and unbridled quest for profit breeding injustice, war, conquest and violence.

Our feminist struggles and those of our foremothers on every continent have forged new freedoms for us, our daughters and sons, and all the young girls and boys who will walk the earth after us.

We are building a world where diversity is considered an asset and individuality a source of richness; where dialogue flourishes and where writing, song and dreams can flower. In this world, human beings are considered one of the most precious sources of wealth. Equality, freedom, solidarity, justice, and peace are its driving force. We have the power to create this world.

We represent over half of humanity. We give life, we work, love, create, struggle, and have fun. We currently accomplish most of the work essential to life and the continued survival of humankind. Yet our place in society continues to be undervalued.

The World March of Women, of which we are a part, views patriarchy as the system oppressing women and capitalism as the system that enables a minority to exploit the vast majority of women and men.

These systems reinforce one another. They are rooted in, and work hand in hand with, racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, colonialism, imperialism, slavery, and forced labour. They breed manifold forms of fundamentalism that prevent women and men from being free. They generate poverty and exclusion, violate the rights of human beings, particularly women’s rights, and imperil humanity and the planet.

We reject this world!

We propose to build another world where exploitation, oppression, intolerance and exclusion no longer exist, and where integrity, diversity and the rights and freedoms of all are respected.

This Charter is based on the values of equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace.

Web version: click here

Print version: Womens Global Charter.pdf

To obtain more information about the World March of Women
http://www.marchemondiale.org/

Print version of brochure: layout inglese.pdf
   

Launch of www.1325australia website

Women Members of Parliament from various political parties spoke at the launch of the WILPF website www.1325australia.org.au on December 1 in Parliament House, Canberra.

Full report click here

Print version of brochure: 1325brochure.pdf

Print version of card: cardweb.pdf
   

What could happen if the Australian Government decided to implement Security Council 1325 across portfolios?  Some recommendations
 
These recommendations form part of a paper which was developed in response to a request to WILPF (ACT) from the Office of the Status of Women for ideas relevant to an agenda item of the UN Commission of the Status of Women Meeting 2004  in New York: CSW 2004 Theme #2: Women1s equal participation in conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peace-building

Recommendations:

Policy Development and Monitoring

1. Establish and resource a co-ordinating unit in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet or some other central mechanism to ensure the overseeing and monitoring of the implementation of SCR 1325 across all portfolios


Civilian Peace-building

2. Establish a Standing Civilian Peace-building force or contingent trained in conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peace-building, with an ancillary Peace-building Reserve, the arrangement to be similar to the Regular Army and the Army Reserve.  Women should comprise 50% of this force.


Public and Professional Education and Research

3. Provide funding to tertiary institutions to establish or extend peace building institutes or units which would support and strengthen the work of all aspects of peace-building. To receive assistance these institutes would have to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to 1325 principles: women to be fully involved as decision-makers and all activities to have an integrated gender perspective and be culturally sensitive


Women in Non-Governmental Organisations

4. Fund regular national meetings of relevant women's organisations to enable women to develop strategies on 1325 to advise government.  Representatives of these meetings to meet regularly formally and informally with elected politicians and relevant bureaucrats as in Arria Formula meetings with the UN Security Council in New York


Peace Building: Foreign Affairs, Aid and Trade

5. Require reporting against 1325 for aid spent specifically on peace-building and emergency and humanitarian aid related to conflict situations


Full document click here

   


Australia’s Statement to the UN Security Council on 4th Anniversary of Resolution 1325

Statement on the 4th Anniversary of Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security, 28 October, 2004 by H.E. Mr John Dauth LVO Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations


The Ambassador reaffirmed strongly Australia’s commitment to the principles of the resolution. He outlined the incorporation of concepts of 1325 into training of the Australian Defence Force and military personnel in the Region; into developing guidelines to encourage women’s role in peace building in Asia and the Pacific; into Australian development cooperation programs affecting women in the Philippines, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands, and the provision of funding for WILPF to develop a website to provide information on Resolution 1325.

Web version: click here

Print version: SC1325Aust2004.pdf
 

     

 

Two new reports on the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security:

1. Report of the UN Secretary-General on women, peace and security;

This report is based on the input of 25 UN Member States and approximately 30 UN entities. While, this is the second report of the SG on women, peace and security, it his first report on the follow-up on the implementation of Resolution 1325

2. The civil society alternative report to the SG's, produced by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, entitled Four Years On: An Alternative Report and Progress Check on the Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.

The civil society alternative report is based on the input of 44 civil society organizations, including 7 WILPF National Sections. WILPF-UN Office co-authored the report with other member organizations of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

To obtain the full text of the civil society alternative report, visit
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/ngo/ngopub/FourYearsOnOct04.pdf

To obtain the full text of the Secretary-General’s report in English, Spanish or French, visit
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/unindex.html [under New Additions]

To obtain the UN press release on the SG’s report, visit
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/International/Oct04/
SGreportWPS04.html

  
     


United Nations Security Council Open Debate on women, peace and security, on 28 October 2004, statements available

The PeaceWomen Project of WILPF has posted on-line the statements made by UN Member States, including Security Council members, UN entities and civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on women, peace and security on 28 October 2004.

Visit the statements on-line at
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/4thAnniversary/4thAnniversaryindex.html

  
     


Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade underlines importance of women’s active participation in decision-making in all facets of Fijian life, in foreign affairs, in trade negotiations, and in implementing SCR 1325.

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