Peace and Security

With some electoral gains in Iraq, women candidates work towards change

Amid violence-fraught local and regional elections, in which 14 candidates were killed, 300 women contenders were trained by UN Women and the Iraq Foundation. Many emerged successful and thanks to a quota law, women will probably hold 26 per cent of seats on local councils across Iraq.

Posted in Arab States, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, News, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Tagged candidates, elections, female representation, Iraq, murdered, quota law, training, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

We are integral to sustainable peace, recovery and development, say Malian women

At a conference for international donors in Brussels on 15 May, Malian women will present their recommendations, calling for more effective contributions to economic development and for women to play a greater role in conflict resolution and rebuilding of their country.

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Human Rights, National Planning and Budgeting, News, Peace and Security | Tagged Brussels, conference, donor, Lakshmi Puri, Mali, Sahel, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Girls receive a visit from a different man every night, a ‘new husband’: In the words of Saran Keïta Diakité

Saran Keïta Diakité is a lawyer in Mali and President of the Malian branch of the NGO Working Group on Women Peace and Security (Réseau Paix et Sécurité des Femmes de l’Espace CEDEAO). As the Donor Conference on Mali starts in Brussels, in her own words she speaks about the atrocities occurring in her country, which has been plagued by political instability and the proliferation of armed groups that have uprooted more than 415,000 people since a military coup d’état in March 2012. She also talks about the work of her NGO, supported by UN Women, to assist survivors of violence, provide access to justice, and to ensure women have a say in peace negotiations. She was one of four female mediators who took part in peace negotiations from 15-17 April 2012 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Saran also recently spoke in April 2013 at the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on conflict-related sexual violence in New York.

Posted in Africa, Ending Violence against Women, Human Rights, In the words of..., News, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Tagged compensation, conflict, forced marriage, gang rape, human rights, justice, Mali, negotiations, peace, rape, sexual violence, transitional justice, UN Women, United Nations, violence, war | Comments Off

In Timor-Leste, communities mobilize to confront domestic violence

Posted on April 26 2013 | Asia and the Pacific | Ending Violence against Women | Peace and Security | Stories from the Field

Police and community-based networks in Timor-Leste are working to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence by helping survivors get counseling and judicial assistance. They also raise awareness of the domestic violence law.

Posted in Asia and the Pacific, Ending Violence against Women, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Tagged domestic violence, police, Timor, UN, UN Women, violence | Comments Off

Syrian Women Refugees Stitch Together Trust and Hope

At one of the largest refugee camps in Jordan, Syrian refugees are attending tailoring workshops and taking part in a programme to sew baby outfits for new mothers at camp hospitals. While earning an income, they are bonding with others and speaking up about gender-based violence.

Posted in Arab States, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, News, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Tagged gender-based violence, Jordan, refugees, Syria, Syrian refugees, UN, UN Women, United Nations, Zaatari | Comments Off

Women peace advocates put forth key recommendations for Sahel region

UN Women calls for greater participation of women to achieve peace in Sahel and urge world leaders to protect and advance women’s rights

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, News, Peace and Security | Tagged Africa, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Catherine Ashton, Chad, ECOWAS, Lakshmi Puri, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, peace, Romano Prodi, Sahel, Senegal, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Sahel Conference says women’s full participation essential to conflict resolution and economic recovery

Press release on the Sahel Conference: Some 40 women from the Sahel met today to underline the crucial contributions women from the region are making to economic recovery, political stability and conflict prevention, and to explore ways to enhance their role in these areas.

Posted in Africa, Economic Empowerment, Exclude from Frontpage, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Peace and Security, Press Releases | Tagged conflict resolution, economic recovery, Lakshmi Puri, Sahel, UN, UN Women | Comments Off

Speech by Lakshmi Puri at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel

Speech by Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women, at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel, 9 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium

Posted in Africa, Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri, Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence against Women, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Speeches and Statements | Tagged African Union, Brussels, crises, crisis, decision-making, human rights, peacebuilding, Prodi, Sahel, UN, UN Women, United Nations | Comments Off

Women elected to one-fifth of seats during Kenyan elections

After Kenya’s recent national elections on 4 March, an unprecedented 87 of the 416 seats in the National Assembly and Senate will be held by women. As a new Constitutional requirement to ensure one-third representation, another 52 women will be nominated by 2015.

Posted in Africa, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Governance, Leadership and Political Participation, News, Peace and Security, Stories from the Field | Comments Off

Michelle Bachelet welcomes the appointment of Mary Robinson as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region of Africa

The former UN High Commissioner and former President of Ireland will serve as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region of Africa. Her appointment is an historic first and a major milestone in the progress of women’s rights and gender equality.

Posted in Africa, Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, News, Peace and Security, Press Statement | Comments Off