Asia and the Pacific: Women in peace processes

26 August 2010

Ten years since UN Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security was passed “reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts”, peacemaking still largely excludes women. Casting a specific focus on Asia and the Pacific, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue project, ‘Women at the peace table: Asia Pacific’, aims to both examine and enhance women’s contributions to peace processes across the region.

Roundtable in Nepal, September 27-30

A Roundtable meeting will occur in Kathmandu, Nepal in September (27-30) bringing together women mediators, advisors to peace processes, members of negotiating teams and government representatives and conflict parties from across the region to exchange ideas, experiences and strategies. This event links with ‘sister’ projects in Indonesia, Kenya and Africa-wide.

The HD Centre is commissioning five new and original policy-relevant opinion pieces from leading practitioners and analysts in the fields of mediation and peacemaking, gender relations, international security and peace processes. The first of these is available and penned by Ambassador Günther Baechler, the former Swiss Special Adviser for Peace Building in Nepal (2005 to 2007). He looks closely at the challenges women faced in finding a seat at the negotiating table, despite their strong contribution to the wider peace process, and how he as a mediator tried to support the inclusion of women in peace talks. Günther Baechler also examines how more attention can be directed to the gender content of peace agreements and outcomes.

Publication of blog posts from women across the region

To mark the 10th birthday of UN Security Resolution 1325, 10 blog posts are being commissioned from women across the region on matters related to women, gender and peace processes. The first blog is from Shadia Marhaban on the quality of peace for women in Aceh, Indonesia. As the only woman in the 2005 peace talks that led to the ‘Helsinki Agreement’ she is well placed to comment on the situation for women in post-accord Aceh. Posts can be found on the HD blog, PeaceTalks as well as the MacArthur Foundation Asia Security Initiative blog. This hosts discussions on current events and security challenges in Asia-Pacific. Feel free to repost.

Donors to the project

The HD Centre is grateful for the generous and flexible support of the Australian Agency for International Development and the Open Society Institute in funding this project.

For all the documents mentioned as well as access to the information on the wider work of the HD Centre please visit:

http://www.hdcentre.org/projects/gender-amp-mediation/issues/women-peace-table-–-asia-pacific

About the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue is an independent mediation organisation dedicated to improving the global response to armed conflict. It mediates directly between belligerents and helps others to do the same. Visit www.hdcentre.org

Source:
The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue