Women are Paving the Way Toward Peace in Iraq, Syria and Yemen
Date:
On 19 June, women peace activists with diverse political and social backgrounds from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, along with international experts, convened a three-day meeting in Beirut to share experiences and determination to have their say on how to bring a lasting peace to their respective countries.
Organized by UN Women Regional Office for Arab States, with the support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and in partnership with the Inclusive Peace and Transition Initiative (IPTI), the meeting entitled “Mobilizing women in the MENA region: Roadmaps for peace in Iraq, Syria and Yemen” provided a space for women’s rights actors to engage in strategic planning to build momentum for inclusive peace. Facilitated by experts in the field, the gathering allowed the participants to look into examples of successful women mobilization strategies and experiences on how to enhance women’s engagement in decision-making between in the three countries.
International experts, Ms Randa Slim, Director of Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute, and Ms Thania Paffenholz, Director of the IPTI, provided guidance and technical support drawing on comparative examples[1], to outline strategies women have used to rejuvenate stalled peace processes, reduce violence and rebuild societies.
Women from Iraq looked at how women’s rights actors can participate in and influence national reconciliation and inclusive reconstruction efforts – with a goal of advocating for an increase in women’s representation to at least 25 percent in the government formation process; and the re-introduction a Ministry for Women Affairs. Syrian participants discussed a common vision of peace in their country, focusing on how to engage in a potential constitution drafting process, and to ensure women’s 30% representation in it. c. Women from Yemen looked into strategies to influence different scenarios for peace. They discussed strategies to ensure at least 30% women in any upcoming peace consultations and talks on Yemen and agreed on methods to convene a third-party women’s delegation with expertise on gender issues and experience in peace negotiations and networking, to constructively engage in the political process.
[1] Thania Paffenholz and Molly Kellogg, “Unsticking Peace Processes: What can Women’s Groups and Networks Do When Peace Processes Are Stalled” (UN Women, 2018; Working Paper).