Women: Security and Peacebuilding

Program Mission

To promote awareness and action through education and advocacy in two key areas:

• Women's global security and their role in peacebuilding and peace-keeping efforts.
   
• Ratification of Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (U.S.) and international implementation.

Background

Security and Peacebuilding

Women increasingly bear a major portion of the burden of armed conflict. Sexual violence against women is on the rise in conflict areas. Armed conflict and post-conflict environments exacerbate pre-conflict gender inequalities. Women comprise the majority of civilian casualties during armed conflict and suffer exceedingly from forced displacement, gender-based violence and loss of social structure. Supposed peacekeepers, law enforcement and military are often the perpetrators of such violence during the chaos of armed conflict. There is a widespread lack of recognition and will to address these problems and they continue in the aftermath where women’s protection is not made a priority. In response to this lack of security, on March 1 2010, the United Nations Secretary General appointed Margot Wallstrom as special representative to oversee sexual violence in conflict zones.

Women play a unique role in peacebuilding as the core of the community and role models for future generations. We call for the inclusion of women in peacekeeping missions on the community level as well as military and police membership. Women often do not report instances of abuse and violence because they must report to men. We want to stress that “women and children affected by armed conflict may feel more secure working with and reporting abuse to women in peacekeeping missions, and that the presence of women peacekeepers may encourage local women to participate in the national armed and security forces, thereby helping to build a security sector that is accessible and responsive to all, especially women” (Resolution 1888).

Donate to the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) so that it can continue to work to end human rights abuses against women in conflict areas and promote their voices as peacebuilders.

United Nations Women

On July 2nd, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution creating the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. This new entity, known as "un women," combines four former UN gender agencies: Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), and Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI).

What will UN Women Do?

UN Women is focused on five thematic priorities:

1. Expand women's voice, leadership and participation.
    
2. End Violence against women.
    
3. Strengthen women's participation in conflict resolution and peace process.
    
4. Enhance women's economic empowerment.
    
5. Ensure gender priorities are reflected in national plans and budgets, including capacity to support CEDAW reporting.

UN Women will continue to promote:

1. Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted by the GA in 1979. The USA still fails to adopt the treaty along with Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga.
    
2. UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 which address women's role in conflict prevention, specifically in 1325 and 1820 which addresses women's role in conflict prevention, specifically in 1325 sexual-gender based violence and in 1820 sexual violence in conflict situations;
    
3. Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) which all 191 Member States have pledged to meet by 2015, UN WOMEN will advocate for gender equality in each of 8 goals.