TAP-EDM / PAT-MDE’s Post

Last week, Inclusive Peace and UN Women hosted a peer exchange bringing together women peacebuilders from across the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya. In the peer exchange participants shared their perspectives, experiences, and lessons with influencing and engaging in gender-sensitive ceasefires. By bringing these women peacebuilders together, the exchange provided a space to share reflections and strategies for addressing similar kinds of challenges, while still recognising contextual differences. Reflecting on the discussions during the exchange, Alex Shoebridge and Qabas Al-Musawi highlight the following key insights 🔎 ➡️ Participants highlighted that comprehensive peace agreements often were limited in their ability to include meaningful gender-sensitive provisions. ➡️ Many countries in the region have seen closed-door negotiations (or attempted negotiations) between conflict parties, which has limited the scope for meaningful inclusion of a wider set of stakeholders, including women. Participants across country contexts were equally sceptical of inclusive outcomes emerging from non-inclusive processes. ➡️ In the wake of these trends and dynamics, and given the ongoing violence in Palestine, Sudan, and Yemen, many participants also called into question the efficacy and utility of the WPS agenda more broadly. The substantive focus and rationale for the WPS agenda are apparent when considering the ongoing violence across the region, but the political will and capacity to apply the agenda in the context of peacemaking efforts were seen to be largely absent. ➡️ Women peacebuilders from Yemen, Sudan, and Libya shared examples of initiatives that have sought to fill this void - for example the Feminist Peace Roadmap in Yemen or a gender-sensitive shadow peace agreement in Sudan. The exchange highlighted the value of providing closed-door spaces for exchange and discussion amongst women peacebuilders from across the region. Many areas of interest were flagged by participants that would benefit from such spaces going forward, including negotiation strategies and trust-building measures, transitional justice, reconciliation, and security / military issues. For further insights on gender-sensitive ceasefires see this report ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/d3RsR9cR #ceasefire #peerexchange #womenpeacebuilders #gendersensitive

Mahder Dadi of the African Women’s Peace and Security Institute (AWPSI) is dedicated to advancing women’s roles in peacebuilding across Africa. The Institute focuses on several key areas: ✅ WPSI works to ensure women are actively involved in peace negotiations, advocating for their presence at decision-making tables to influence the outcomes of peace processes. ✅ WPSI provides training aimed at empowering women, boosting their leadership roles within security and peacekeeping missions across the continent. ✅ The organization focuses on strategies to tackle gender-based violence in conflict zones, ensuring that women’s voices and experiences are central to addressing such issues. Through these efforts, WPSI strives to enhance the impact and involvement of women in shaping sustainable peace and security across Africa. #WPSForum2024

The Peace Advocacy Dialogue on “Strengthening the Social Capital of Young Afghan Women” took place on the 25th of March 2024 with the presence of different stakeholders, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund, and young Afghan ladies from inside and outside Afghanistan. The dialogue was a follow-up session for the Tajikistan conference held by Omid International in December 2023 and aimed to share relevant demands of Afghan women with the Special Rapporteur from Call to Action and raise awareness on the four Themes of Call to Action: 1:Young Afghan women’s participation in peace processes and dialogues. 2:Women's Safety and Security. 3:Education and Peacebuilding. 4:Economic Empowerment for peace dividend. #AfghanWomen #HumanRights #SocialCapital

New publication! 🌟 📰 Irem Sengul and I explored how the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda can empower refugee women in Turkey to participate in decision-making. We highlight how WPS helps localize international policy & amplify grassroots initiatives. #WPS #RefugeeWomenRights If you want to check it out: https://lnkd.in/ed7MpUhJ

MoU ceremony was led by Ma'am Maheen Amjad (Founder and President of Women Ascension) alongside Cliffton Chifuwe (President of the Centre for Peace Research and Advocacy). The MoU, signed between Women Ascension and the Centre for Peace Research and Advocacy (CPRA), aims to bridge and extend efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16). Under the Peace and Justice program at Women Ascension, the Centre for Peace Research and Advocacy (CPRA) will participate annually, focusing on capacity building in research and leadership related to SDG 16. The Centre for Peace Research and Advocacy (CPRA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Lusaka, registered under Zambian law. Its mission is to build robust institutions, catalyze positive change, and support partnerships to foster sustainable peace and development through research, advocacy, and evidence-based approaches. CPRA envisions a vibrant Southern Africa anchored in peaceful and inclusive societies. Since its establishment, the organization has forged networks with various local and international organizations working on themes such as human development, governance, political participation, elections, human rights, migration, humanitarian assistance, peace, and gender, as well as peace and security. Internationally, CPRA is a member of the Arms Control Coalition and has collaborated with numerous international organizations. It has signed several petitions urging the UN Security Council to take decisive action to end human suffering in conflicts such as those in Sudan, Ukraine, Russia, and Israel-Palestine. #Women #Empowerment #Inpower #Leadership #Peace #Justice #SDG16 #CPRA #WAPJ #WomenAscension #Global

_ سنشارك النسخة العربية لهذا المنشور قريبًا جدًا_ Since 2011, Libyan women peacebuilders (LWPs) have played a crucial role in advancing peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts across the country. Their contributions have been significant and varied, including advocating for sustainable and inclusive peace, mobilizing support for the implementation of peace agreements, mediating local conflicts, and preventing the escalation of tensions between warring factions. LWPs have also been involved in confidence-building measures, providing humanitarian aid, facilitating the return of displaced communities, promoting national reconciliation, and spearheading peacebuilding initiatives focused on social cohesion and addressing the underlying causes of conflict in Libya. Their efforts have been instrumental in establishing the groundwork for sustainable peace and stability in the country. The objective of this report is to highlight the diverse roles Libyan women play in peacemaking and peacebuilding across the country. The report also identifies strategic approaches to support their work. Key findings of the research include identifying these women, defining their contributions to peacemaking and peacebuilding, analysing whether a quota system for women’s participation would be a helpful tool, and finally identifying the unique challenges faced by women peacebuilders in Libya. The attached factsheet summarises key highlights and insights from the report on 'Opportunities and Constraints Facing Women in Peacemaking and Peacebuilding in Libya', produced by our partners, the 'Together We Build It' organization. The SAWT project has generated valuable insights through seven country-specific research reports and a comprehensive regional overview, looking into the intricacies of gender dynamics in conflict, particularly women’s political participation in peace and political initiatives in countries of intervention. Studies have shed light on the intersectionality between conflict and gender and how discriminatory policies and practices disproportionately affect women’s situation. Ultimately, they have demonstrated that women’s political participation and sustainable representation are crucial missing pieces in the puzzle of peace-making and state-building processes. Learn more about SAWT: https://lnkd.in/djK9Tcep Find the report here: https://lnkd.in/d7Zxf3eh P.S We will be sharing the Arabic version of this post very soon. #WomeninPolitics #WomensPoliticalParticipation #Libya #Peace #Peacebuilding #Knowledge #Research #Policy #Gender #Conflict #MENA

🌍 Day 3 of #16DaysOfActivism against Gender-Based Violence Today, we spotlight Simone Mbodé Diouf, the African Youth Ambassador for Peace (#AYAP) for West Africa, who is working to ensure that young people—particularly young women—are at the forefront of decision-making and peacebuilding initiatives, shaping a future free from violence. “To achieve lasting peace and security, we must actively elevate the voices of young feminist and youth-led organizations working on the frontlines of conflict. Promoting their work and sharing their stories is not just about representation, it's about empowering a generation to shape a more just and peaceful future. As an AYAP, my mandate is to ensure that youth perspectives, particularly those of young women, are central to peacebuilding initiatives and decision-making processes in West Africa.” #YouthInPeacebuilding #EndViolenceAgainstWomen #FeministVoices #PeaceAndSecurity #EndVAWG #NoExcuse #WestAfrica #Africa

1 day to UNHRC56 and two weeks till Afghanistan Special Enoys DohaTalks: UNHRC must establish investigative accountability mechanism for Afghanistan. International agenda setting on Afghanistan should be conducted through transparent, inclusive and participatory mechanisms centered on human rights and demands of the people of Afghanistan. Whenever and wherever (whether Geneva or Doha and New York), the international community must prioritize accountability so the people especially the victims of 40 year long conflicts in Afghanistan are heard, and perpetrators are brought to justice. Engagement with Taliban without consideration of human rights is in fact a double betrayal to the millions of people in Afghanistan especially women and girls living under the conditions of gender apartheid and ethnic and religious minorities such as Hazaras facing prospects of a genocide. People of Afghanistan deserve justice. June, 2024 is a critical month for Afghanistan. Next week, the United Nations Human Rights Council convenes its 56th session, which includes an extended interactive dialogue on Afghanistan. Towards end of the month, the 3rd round of Doha Talks on Afghanistan will take place amongst special envoys of key partners of Afghanistan, Taliban as well as civil society organizations. #Afghanistan #HumanRights4All #Acccountability

Today, I had the opportunity to share my experience working on the Women, Peace and Security (#WPS) agenda. The WPS agenda includes UNSCR 1325 which came out 24 years ago and was regarded as ground-breaking because it was the first resolution focusing on gender issues and women’s experiences in conflict and post-conflict as well as in peace-building. The entire agenda centers on the experience of women in conflict and this is critical to our understanding of #FeministPeace. I also reminded the participants about the four pillars of the resolution and they are: Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery. In Africa, the resolution supported in pushing better women's political participation and representation, but we are behind when it comes to the other pillars. I am glad to see more countries developing 1325 National Action Plans (NAPs) and in Africa, I am noting that there are 36 countries with National Action Plans (NAPs) and that a third of the NAPs worldwide are in Africa. 20 countries are implementing their first NAPs while others are on their second and third NAPs and three African countries have already developed their third NAP. To support better implementation of the resolution, I am urging the African Union to better support its special envoy on WPS and focus on better strategizing to support its member countries.

#Throwback Women’s participation in peace processes has a profound impact at all levels, yet their contributions are often overlooked. During my postgraduate studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and for my graduation paper I conducted an in-depth study on Promoting Women's Participation in Peacebuilding in the Case Study of Libya." Under the supervision of Dr Katia Papagianni. In Libya, women have played pivotal roles in peacebuilding efforts, from leading early protests during the Arab Spring to negotiating with armed actors, providing humanitarian aid, and rebuilding communities. Despite these remarkable contributions, they remain underrepresented in formal peace processes. Through my research, I examined the resilience and leadership of Libyan women in the face of socio-political challenges and argued that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without gender inclusivity. This case study not only highlights the importance of women’s participation in Libya but also underscores the global necessity of integrating women into every level of peacebuilding efforts.