Women and Governments Heading Towards Greater Accountability in Implementing Women, Peace and Security Resolutions

The empowerment of women and the role of governments and national laws in helping move this issue forward took centre stage at a UN Women-hosted conference entitled UN Women Cross-regional Programme, “Women Connect across Conflicts: Building Accountability for Implementation of UN SCR 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889.” The two-day event took place at the Holiday Inn, Tbilisi, from 14-15 March.

The backdrop to this focus on gender equality is a historic United Nations document: Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (2000). For the first time the Security Council addressed the enormous impact of armed conflict on women, including violence against women, and stressed the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in peace and security.

The UN Women’s Cross-regional Programme, funded by the EU, in which Georgia is a key participant, represents a step forward in realizing these goals. Eight countries are covered: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Key elements in the Programme include security sector reform in Georgia via gender mainstreaming to end sexual violence as a weapon of war. Georgia is also a leader in improving conditions for victims of gender-based violence, an important part of the programme, through partial improvements in its National Referral System. According to Guguli Magradze, Georgian Member of Parliament and a member of the Gender Equality Council (GEC): “Women and men have important contributions to make in helping to resolve conflict-prevention, conflict-resolution and peace-building. By involving women in decision-making processes governments are taking a step forward in making them equal participants in society, especially given their activism in civil society.”

In Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan the Programme’s focus is on women’s human rights monitoring in the Fergana Valley, including the practice of early marriage in Tajikistan, and women’s political participation in local elections in Kyrgyzstan.

Key speakers at this Final Conference, which examined best practices and lessons learned from the Programme, included Guguli Magradze, MP and GEC member, H.E. Mr. Ambassador Philip Dimitrov, Head, European Union Delegation to Georgia, and senior ministry officials from Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.

Graziella Piga, Manager and Chief Technical Adviser, Cross-regional Programme, believes the programme’s achievements are considerable: “Including women in governance and peace processes is not only about women in powerful positions, but also about equal participation, inclusive governance and acknowledging women's abilities and needs. The programme equipped women to have a strong public voice and enabled experience-sharing among eight countries. It also helped stakeholders to adopt national action plans and strategies to ensure a stronger state commitment and secure state funding to implement Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.”