Press release: Arab women’s essential contribution to peace and prosperity remains overlooked, according to a new UN Women report.
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(Cairo, 15 June)—Almost twenty years since the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), its implementation in the Arab States Region remains limited, hindering prospects for peace and stability, according to a new UN Women report.
The report, Eighteen Years On: Assessing the Implementation of the UNSCR 1325 Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the Arab States Region, takes stock of progress, challenges and opportunities for the implementation of WPS agenda across the Arab States region.
UNSCR 1325 was unanimously adopted on 31 October 2000. For the first time, the disproportionate and unique impact of conflict on women and their under-valued contributions as active agents in peace, security and recovery were recognized. Since then, eight additional resolutions on women, peace and security have been passed, further reinforcing its call to action. But while states, civil society actors and women’s rights actors heralded the passage of the resolution, its buy-in and implementation have varied considerably across the Arab States region.
According to the report, the changes that swept the region have offered tangible opportunities for women to engage in political and public life. But the intensification of conflicts has exposed women to increasing risks, threats and hardship. Conflict has also deepened inequalities and exclusion, disrupted family and social structures, limited education and livelihood options and increased violence within the home and outside.
Against this backdrop, the visibility and awareness of UNSCR 1325 and the WPS agenda has increased across government, donor and civil society spaces in the Arab States region. The report highlights the notable legislative and policy gains, including the adoption of four country WPS National Action Plans and one regional plan endorsed by the League of Arab States. There have been targeted efforts to increase women’s representation in political dialogue processes. Thanks to the introduction of measures such as gender quotas, there have also been increases in women’s parliamentary representation across the region.
On the other hand, the report finds that there has been limited recognition of women’s often substantial roles in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Across the region, between 1900 and 2015, only 32 out of 119 of peace agreements signed have gender provisions, lagging far behind the current global average of 50%. Women also represent only a fraction of the armed forces, police and general security forces across the region, diminishing their effectiveness. For example, across the four UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Arab states, women make up on average just 5.5% of all military and police personnel. Moreover, accountability for gender-based crimes remains largely absent, despite extensive documentation efforts by the UN and other actors across the region.
In response, the report, which serves as a critical input for the debate leading up to the 20th anniversary of the passage of UNSCR 1325, calls for comprehensive solutions to implement effectively the WPS agenda across the Arab States region through strengthening local ownership of WPS, increasing state accountability and capacity, enhancing women’s influence on political decision-making and promoting flexible donor approaches in the region.
“Almost two decades ago, the international community, including many of the Arab States, recognized the essential role that women play in resolving deadly conflict and ushering peace in their countries.” Said Janneke van der Graaff-Kukler, UN Women Regional Director Ad Interim for the Arab States. “It is high time we translated this recognition into meaningful engagement and participation of women in the Arab States in peace and security.”
Read the report.
For further information, contact Samer Abu Rass