ABU DHABI, September 9 / WAM / The second day of the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security witnessed many sessions dealing with the role that national action plans launched by governments can play in the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 , emphasizing the importance of equal women’s participation and discussing ways to promote gender equality in humanitarian aid, enabling women’s participation in conflict prevention procedures and increasing their participation in peacebuilding activities.
The opening speech on the second day was given by Dr. Moza Al-Shehhi, Director of the UN Women Liaison Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council, and emphasized that strengthening the presence of women in the military sector and implementing the women, peace and security agenda requires that we all work to guarantee women’s fundamental rights and integrate them in the decision-making that affects them in times of peace and war, and that countries through various political and social mechanisms seek to free themselves from the limitations, prejudices and inequality, to change unreal stereotypes about them, with the help of official and unofficial bodies and institutions .
Sessions on the second day of the conference, which enjoy high-level participation, discussed the goals of the Charter on Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action, which originated from the Generation Equality Forum, and its role in activating the status of women in areas of peace, security and humanitarian action emergency aid.
The first sessions of the conference dealt with national action plans related to resolution 1325, in which speakers from different backgrounds participated, some of them such as civil society institutions, some of them came from research and academic backgrounds and some came from an official background UN Women in Latin American countries It is crucial to raise awareness in society about the meaning and concepts of peace contained in national action plans, as it transforms the plan from mere decisions to an actionable reality.
Samia Nahar from the University of Khartoum confirmed that academics have an important role in the national action plans related to resolution 1325, as academics provide specialized technical and information support to decision makers in the phases of the preparation of the plan and also measure the effectiveness of its application on the ground, so the number of research centers specializing in gender has spread throughout the world.
In the same session, Elena Merzak, Executive Director of the Media and Documentation Center – NATO, Republic of Moldova, praised the effective role of UN Women in providing experts, specialists and training, which contributed to the preparation of the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security Agenda and to change many negative stereotypes about women. Sahana Dharmapuri, an expert on women’s peace and security, pointed out that only a few national plans specify financial allocations for them, and stressed the importance of funding to activate national plans.
The second session highlighted the opportunities offered by the Charter on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action, emphasizing the importance of political commitment and calling on all countries to adhere to the Charter to advance the conditions of women around the world.
Anu Puri, Senior Gender Adviser at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), pointed out that the program supports women’s institutions and organizations based on their importance in implementing the women, peace and security agenda. Puri added that UNDP is adopting gender-sensitive analysis and this was a paradigm shift as it enabled it to formulate accurate perceptions of the communities in which it operates.
The session witnessed a dialogue on what civil society can deliver to the charter. Mavic Cabrera Palese, member of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, indicated that the Charter for Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action came as a result of the continued efforts of civil society organizations and institutions and the support of UN Women.
Zahra Lanji from the Alkarama Network, which operates in 13 countries and supports women’s organizations in the Middle East and Africa, participated.
The third and final session, coordinated by Paivi Kannisto, Head of the Peace and Security Section at UN Women, addressed the role of women journalists in covering conflict, their ability to reach those most affected by war and violence, and the need to appreciate their courage. and recognition in revealing the facts.
In it, Caroline Farag, vice president and editor-in-chief of CNN Arabic, spoke about the importance of protecting women’s safety and security during wars, and that female media professionals and journalists working in conflict areas must also be protected.
Giselle Khoury, anchor and talk show host on Sky News Arabia, also attended the media session, who said that a number of female journalists have lost their lives while doing their jobs, as have men, as the work of covering the conflict has a huge humanitarian dimension and involves great sacrifices.
Paivi Kannisto, Head of the Department of Peace and Security at UN Women, delivered the closing remarks on the second day of the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, stressing the importance of addressing gender-based violence in conflict and recognizing the significant legal restrictions. in post-conflict societies that hinder the integration of women in conflict, society and economy, and its access to leadership opportunities, and highlighted the importance of transforming decisions into short- and long-term solutions and strategies, with clear implementation plans and measurable KPI ‘is to measure progress.