Women and armed conflict

• Executing agency: UN/DESA Division for the Advancement of Women
• Senior advisor: Ms. Fatiha Serour
• Start date: 1 January 2000
• Total budget: USD 753,000

Project on "Activities for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action"

This three-year project was approved under the Development Account, and is being implemented by the Division for the Advancement of Women. The overall objectives of the project are to strengthen the capacity of national, regional and sub-regional mechanisms and institutions for the advancement of women, to collect, analyze and apply knowledge, information and expertise to policy development. Emphasis is placed on supporting the increased role of women in leadership and decision making, in particular during the peace-building process.

Security Council

Recognizing the importance of the issue of women and armed conflict, the President of the Security Council (Namibia) organized an open discussion on the topic "Women, Peace and Security" in the Security Council on 24 and 25 October 2000. At the discussion, the Secretary-General, members and non members of the Security Council underlined the importance of protecting women in armed conflict as well as ensuring that women participate in the all stages of peace process. In addition, the Security Council reaffirmed, "the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building", and stressed "the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security" (S/RES/1325, preamble).

Consultation Meeting on "Enhancing Women’s Participation in Peace-Building" held in Addis Ababa in April 2001

The Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) organised a consultation meeting on "Enhancing Women’s Participation in Peace-building" in Addis Ababa in April 2001 in close collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Women Committee on Peace and Development (AWCPD). This aimed to: (1) review current initiatives in relation to women and peace-building to identify strengths and weaknesses; and (2) identify capacity building needs for women to enhance their contribution to the peace process.

The consultation identified the following capacity building needs:

1. to launch and support a women’s peace network in the Great Lakes Region;
2. to train women in political skills, including communication, mediation, and negotiation skills;
3. to train trainers in conflict resolution and in assisting women in exercising their human rights;
4. to build support for alliances with and between grassroots, national, regional and international women’s groups;
5. to support training in stress and trauma healing and counseling;
6. to train NGOs in early warning methods.

Training workshop on Conflict Management for Women held in Cape Town, South Africa, October 2001

In order to address some of these capacity building needs identified in the consultation meeting, DAW organised, under the same project, a training workshop on "Conflict Management for Women" in close collaboration with the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) of the University of Cape Town in October 2001 This training specifically aimed to create a learning situation to enable women participants to: 1) apply theory and tools to analyse conflicts; 2) critically compare and use various negotiation styles; 3) understand mediation approaches, process and challenges through case studies; 4) apply their understanding in simulation exercises; 5) identify and draw key lessons for facilitating intra-state or national peace processes; and 6) learn lobbying and advocacy.

Training workshop on Conflict Management for Women held in Conakry, Guinea, October 2002

The Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), in collaboration with the Centre for Conflict Resolution of the University of Cape Town and the Mono River Women Peace Network, will organize a training workshop on, "Conflict Management for Women", from 21 - 25 October 2002 in Conakry, Guinea to implement some of the recommendations arising from the sub-regional consultation meeting on enhancing women’s participation in peace-building, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 23 to 25 April 2001. This is an advanced course for those who completed the 5-day basic conflict resolution training organized by DAW in collaboration with CCR from 22 - 26 October 2001 in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, several participants who have already been involved in negotiation and mediation in conflict situations in the Mano River region will be invited to the workshop. The training will be conducted by the Centre for Conflict Resolution, and will be hosted by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Advancement of Women, and Children of the Government of Guinea.