What Next After Second UN Resolution 1325 Action Plan?
Source: Nation / Moraa Obiria
Ms Winny Chebochok is one of the three women in the 12-member Kuresoi South Sub-county Peace Committee. In the aftermath of the post-2007/08 election, her committee ran spirited peace activities across the sub-county to clear the animosity and unite the people.
“Liza Chelule, I and my other colleague were on the frontline with messages of peace and reconciliation. I am so happy that we touched people’s hearts and we are now living in peace,” she says.
Her wish though is that more women are included in the peace committees as they are likely to be more influential due to their innate abilities such as empathy and persuasion.
Read the full article here.
Press Release: High Level Consultation on the Mediation of Women Leaders of Mali on Ending the Socio-Political Crisis
Source: African Union
At the request of the women of the Republic of Mali, who have expressed the desire to be supported in their initiatives to end the crisis facing the country, a virtual high-level consultation was convened, bringing together fifty nine (59) women leaders from Mali representing different socio-political backgrounds, and the representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union Commission and the United Nations, with the participation of Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of the Republic of Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Patron of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), Her Excellency Mrs. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Her Excellency Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs.
Read the full release here.
South Africa: From The Desk of the President – Monday, 7 September 2020
Source: allAfrica / The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa (Pretoria)
A year ago, almost to the day, thousands of women, men and children marched to Parliament to protest against a spate of rapes and killings of women and girls.
At the time, the nation was reeling from the murders of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Leighandre Jegels, Jesse Hess and a number of other women who had lost their lives at the hands of brutal men.
From all social backgrounds, young and old, students and working women, the peaceful protesters held aloft placards that read ‘Enough is Enough’ and ‘Am I next?’. The anguish and the anger was palpable that day. As I received their clearly articulated demands, it was clear to me that we needed to act urgently and with determination. It was important to me that I did not respond with hollow words and empty promises.
I committed to marshal the substantial resources of the state to tackle gender-based violence and femicide. I gave an undertaking that we would review our laws around gender-based violence. One of the key demands made by many women’s organisations was that the laws of our country should be tightened on granting bail to suspects and enforcement of long sentences for offenders.
Read the full statement here.
Why Women in the Bangsamoro are Essential to Keep the Peace, and to Tackle COVID-19
Source: UN Women
A little more than a year after its creation, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is facing its latest threat to peace and security: the COVID-19 pandemic. Grievances associated with the pandemic, including inequitable access to healthcare and social support, are fueling community tensions, driving discrimination and hate speech, and reigniting violent conflict between clans and with government forces.
As the fabric of social cohesion starts to unravel, now more than ever, the work of women peacebuilders in the BARMM is crucial for repairing social breakdowns, sustaining peace, and building gender-inclusive COVID-19 recovery in support of a stable future for the region.
Read the full article here.
Press Release: Women’s Rights Advocates from the Western Balkans and Turkey Gather to Discuss New Pathways to Gender Equality and Call for Urgent Action
Source: UN Women
On 9 September 2020, feminists and women’s rights advocates from the Western Balkans and Turkey region will gather virtually to discuss an urgent pathway to deliver on the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive and transformative global agenda for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, adopted in Beijing 25 years ago.
This gathering, entitled Future of Equality in the Western Balkans and Turkey, will kick off a series of regional consultations named She Talks which will tackle the challenges that threaten the achievement of gender equality commitments and call for urgent and robust action to create transformative change in the lives of women and girls. The consultations will garner feminist solidarity and collaboration within the region.
Read the full article here.
