Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada (WPSN-C)’s Post

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) , and all the Partners, and Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in South Africa (EISA)as the Funder for the implementation of the Women Elections Mechanism for Peace (WEMP) Project. This was landmark in shaping the trajectory of the involvement of women in local Peace Building mechanisms. The WEMP Project has allowed us to be trained in the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to perform in various positions created to be involved in the much contested 2024 South African National Elections. This was amidst trial, error as well misunderstanding, but the vision and mission was definitely achieved. The bigger picture was that of being placed upon the path of women from all corners of the five Provinces, bringing their wisdom, integrity and most importantly, their experience in building and expanding the Women's Agenda in Politics and Peace. On a Provincial level (Western Cape), being involved with the training and Coordinating the process of the WEMP Project from start to finish was humbling to be given such a task, and the many new relationships and partnerships formed. As with any Project life cycle, the highlights and challenges that was experienced, should only guide us to stick to what worked, and implement the learnings to achieve better outcomes, going forward into the future. Thank you for the cameraderie, especially from the IJR Coordinating Team, for the efforts, flaws and all. It was not easy operating on ancient Organisational Policy decisions and Donor requirements, that made the tasks at hand difficult. Thank you for being open to critique, and embracing it with professionalism. My recommendation is that all reflections, inputs and guidance be considered for the future. The idea of establishing the WEMP Agenda, not only for Elections, but as a mechanism for Violence Prevention and Peace Building as enshrined in the South African National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security Agenda throughout the Country is something that has on the surface shown it is achievable. The research outcomes should be the benchmark that guide the success of the WEMP Project. Lastly, thank you to Professor Cheryl Hendricks for taking on this humongous task, making it a reality and bringing the Peace Keepers from Veterans, to local women together. May your endeavors not be in vain for a South Africa at peace with itself.

🔍 How can we shape National Action Plans for Women, Peace, and Security so they make a real difference? Evaluating how well governments implement international law—especially on the #WomenPeaceSecurity (WPS) agenda—is a key aspect of our work. Over the past five years, we’ve assessed and shaped numerous #womenpeacesecurity National Action Plans for countries including Canada🇨🇦 , Germany🇩🇪 , the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 , and Switzerland 🇨🇭. Each of these NAPs seeks to: ✅ Enhance Women’s Participation in peace processes and decision-making, ✅ Prevent Conflict by addressing root causes and creating early warning systems, ✅ Protect Vulnerable Populations affected by conflict, and ✅ Integrate Diversity across relief and recovery efforts. In addition to evaluations, we actively support the development of new NAPs by working alongside governments and civil society to craft frameworks that are grounded in inclusivity, measurable outcomes, and actionable commitments. Our goal is to ensure each new plan advances gender equity, amplifies women’s voices, and strengthens pathways to sustainable peace. How can we achieve this? Read for example our official evaluation of the policy implementation #WPSNAP of the United Kingdom, here: https://lnkd.in/eVS7jtwK ..and watch the video message from one of our committed partners from Canada, Princessessa Calixte, below. #WomenPeaceSecurity #WPS #NationalActionPlans #PolicyEvaluation #GenderEquality #InclusivePeace #SustainablePeace

Since the 1990s, I was privileged to know the Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan. Over the years, his leadership at the UN has demonstrated the strength and commitment to a better global society by the African community through its active participation in world affairs. As the Ambassador to the UN for the World Safety Organization, I continue to have the pleasure of not only working with the African Nations, promoting safety in all aspects of industry and social welfare, but to assist the African community in developing its network of competent certified safety officers, and, as Secretary General Annan envisioned and promoted, through a deep sense of human rights. ————————- African members are among the most steadfast supporters of the UN and favor institutional reforms to make it a more effective, equitable, and inclusive international system. African members are among the most steadfast supporters of the UN and favor institutional reforms to make it a more effective, equitable, and inclusive international system. Historically, African countries have used their representational strength as the largest single voting bloc to resist efforts to weaken, undermine, or dilute the UN. Rather, they have tried to preserve the integrity of the UN system, address its shortcomings, and make it more responsive to African and Global South concerns. Apart from Egypt (which became independent in 1922) and Ethiopia and Liberia (which were not colonized), African countries had no role in creating the current rules-based international order. However, they all joined the UN almost as soon as they won their freedom. Universal African membership to the UN was followed by the growth in representation of African NGOs and civil society observers in its various organs. African countries, moreover, did not forget the role the UN played in the fight against colonialism and apartheid. (African Center for Stratregic Studies)

Following the passing of United Nations (UN) Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, which calls for increased participation and engagement of women in peacebuilding efforts. Governments around the world have been urged to develop and implement the National Action Plan (NAP), a framework for implementing the UN Resolution 1325. Responding to the need for education and awareness on NAP among women legislators, this week, on March 25th, the Global Network of Women Legislators in Defence, Security, and Peace portfolios (WLID) organized an expert-led training workshop for WLID network members and participants from NGOs working on women, peace, and security agenda. Led by Gender and NAP expert Ms. Lara Saade, the workshop highlighted NAP history and progress on NAP implementation and shared NAP’s best practices from the Middle East, Canada, and Africa. Sharing her experience working on NAP, Ms. Dorcas Sibanda, MP (Zimbabwe) noted that given the low numbers of women in peace-building efforts, especially in male-dominated spaces such as defense portfolios, training opportunities such as these are crucial for women parliamentarians in advancing NAP processes in countries where progress has been slow. Likewise, underscoring the critical role of women's involvement in NAP, Ms. Anita Vandenbeld, MP (Canada) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development thanked the Parliamentary Centre for organizing this workshop for WLID network members on issues where women's participation is highly needed and critical. As the WLID network continues to grow, the Parliamentary Centre, which serves as the Secretariat for the WLID network with the support from the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs) of Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada, will continue to offer similar training opportunities towards advancing knowledge and increasing women's engagement in peace, security, and defense portfolios. Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada ParlAmericas #DefendDemocracy #InclusionMatters #WomenSupportingWomen #WomenInPeace #WomenLegislators #WomenDecisionMakers #WPS

Civil society leader, Ms Kholood Khair briefed the United Nations Security Council today giving focus to the situation of women, peace and security in #Sudan as part of the Security Council's discussion on “Sustaining WPS Commitments in the context of accelerated drawdown of peace operations”. And in doing so, amplifies Sudanese women's voices, often missing and ignored in 'talks' and decisions about Sudan. Her powerful statement (attached) highlights the grave situation for women and girls and their sustained exposure to conflict related #sexualviolence. She says, "There is currently no body in-country to adequately monitor human rights, no body to effectively protect civilians, and no body to sufficiently support women, who have so far been almost entirely excluded from participating in any aspect of resolving the current crisis, despite being on the frontlines of the response". She calls for the international community to work towards a ceasefire while at the same time put in measures for the protection of civilians, including physical protection. She stresses that #womensrights must be prioritized, as well as ensuring that conflict-related sexual violence be included as a component of sanctions. While there may not be full agreement on the value of peace operations, given its deficiencies and shortcomings, including in Sudan, there is resolute agreement that more must be done to protect women and girls, and to end the war in Sudan. #keepeyesonsudan #notatarget #IHL #WPS #POC #TalkaboutSudan #endviolenceagainstwomen #ceasefirenow #womensleadership #famine NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security UN Women Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) International Peace Institute (IPI) Human Rights Watch USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance African Union IGAD SOAS University of London Georgetown University GWL Voices Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Volker Türk UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women Global Fund for Women UN Security Council Briefing on Women, Peace and Security by Kholood Khair - NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (womenpeacesecurity.org)

#LovelyProfessionalUniversity The Role of Politics in Achieving Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: A Pathway to Sustainable Development Goal 16 Promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), which aims to foster inclusive societies and ensure access to justice for all. The role of politics is central to this goal, as effective governance and political will are essential for creating and implementing policies that uphold human rights and promote social equity. Political institutions are responsible for establishing legal frameworks that protect citizens from violence and discrimination. This includes promoting the rule of law, ensuring equal access to justice, and combating corruption. Strong political leadership is necessary to address systemic issues that contribute to instability and injustice, such as organized crime and human trafficking. By fostering transparency and accountability, governments can build trust with their citizens, encouraging civic engagement and participation in decision-making processes. Moreover, the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly women, in political processes is vital. Women often face disproportionate impacts during conflicts and are underrepresented in peace negotiations. Empowering women in governance not only addresses gender disparities but also enhances the effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts. Programs that support gender-responsive reforms in justice and security institutions are essential for creating equitable systems that serve all citizens. International cooperation is also critical in achieving SDG 16. Countries must collaborate to share best practices and resources, particularly in developing regions where institutional capacities may be weaker. By investing in capacity-building initiatives and strengthening institutions, nations can create a foundation for sustainable peace and justice, ultimately contributing to broader development goals.

Check out this insightful and incisive article by one of our WPS Fellows, Charity Borg covering WPS as, "A Non-Traditional Strategy for Building Resilience in the Indo-Pacific." "The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the leading autocratic force, operating with both the intent to reshape the democratic rules-based international order and the resources to advance those aims. States interested in upholding the international rules-based order must enhance their ability to withstand PRC coercion and invest in cultivating a values-based security alliance against the spread of authoritarianism. International collaboration on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda offers a low-cost, high-return opportunity to bolster national and regional resistance to authoritarian coercion while building a coalition of like-minded allies and partners."

Our March issue of the Conflict & Resilience Monitor is Live! In commemoration of the International Women’s month, the issue of the Monitor features an article by Dr Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe (PhD), who reflects on the status of women’s participation in key governance structures in Southern Africa. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dyZjTgUF

Are you interested in conflict and security studies? Then check out the fifth and sixth chapters of my six-part essay series for the Equal Asia Foundation on LGBTIQ+ persons and Women in Conflict and Transitional Justice. The essay series analyzes the existing literature on the vulnerabilities of marginalized communities in conflicts through many different lenses. I then focus on three past and current Asian conflicts - The civil war in Sri Lanka, the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste, and the ongoing civil war in Burma to get a more specific and holistic understanding of how conflicts disproportionately impact women and the LGBTIQ+ community. Lastly, the essay series analyzes both the existing literature on transitional justice and different forms of transitional justice and compares the specific post-conflict TJ efforts of Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste to develop a new and more effective transitional justice framework for the 21st Century, which can bring lasting justice and peace, and center the needs of those most affected by conflict. The following two chapters consist of the analysis of different forms of transitional justice and the comparative study of the TJ approaches in Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste which together are used to develop that new and improved transitional justice framework. https://lnkd.in/dCYET2bi https://lnkd.in/dczd_bkd If you missed part four you can find the link in Chapter 5!

Pleased to highlight the important commitments made by G7 Leaders to advance women's economic security! They underscored the importance of strengthening the care economy as essential to enabling women's economic leadership, and set a target to track progress, "aim[ing] by 2035 to support 200 million more women to join the workforce by investing in efforts to close the global gap in the availability of childcare, including through the The World Bank Invest in Childcare Initiative." USAID helped launch the World Bank Invest in Childcare Initiative two years ago, with a commitment of $50 million over 5 years. This public-private partnership is showing immense impact. In partnership with other G7 nations, hopes are high that we will reach the historic target set last week.