4th International Conference, “On the Road to Empowering Women in Politics, Peace Processes and EU Integration”

This publication includes the proceedings, report and key results of the 4th international conference of the Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South East Europe (RWL SEE), “On the Road to Empowering Women in Politics, Peace Processes and EU Integration”, held 18-19 September 2014 in Saranda, Albania.

Convened by RWL SEE in partnership with UN Women and with the support of the Swedish and Albanian Governments, the Conference brought together more than 70 participants from the region. These included deputy prime ministers, ministers and members of parliament and government, women in politics and civil society representatives from the European Union and the region’s seven countries.

The Conference sought to establish a forum where women in politics and civil society organisation (CSO) activists from the region could discuss and recommend ways to increase women participation in Western Balkans peace, security and justice processes. It aimed to do this within the framework of European Integration processes, and thereby improve neighborly relations and regional cooperation.

The Conference sought to achieve this by:

• Strengthening women politicians’ collaboration with women’s organizations at the national and regional level;
• Supporting women with influential positions in their communities as agents of peace and reconciliation so they could help bring people together to support dialogues;
• Creating a dynamic, interactive forum of women’s voices to mobilize support and engagement in a regional partnership with female and male political leaders.

The Conference concluded with participants agreeing:

• On a set of recommendations to enhance women’s role in peace and security in the Western Balkans and in European Integration processes;
• To implement the Brussels Agreement;
• To ensure women’s access and full participation in political structures, leadership and decision making;