Celebrating Feminists’ Voices, Inspiring Global Peace

Can There Be Sustainable Development without Peace?

27 June 2014

Last week, WILPF reiterated its call to promote a conflict prevention approach to the Post2015 development agenda that strengthens women’s participation, rights, and peace.

On the 18th of June, WILPF met with the 28-state initiative, Friends of the 1325, which, under the leadership of Canada works for continued implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325.  It was the first meeting of the Friends dedicated to addressing the Post2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are intended to start once the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) expire in 2015.

WILPF presented our Open Letter, signed by over 100 organisations worldwide, calling for peace and gender to be integrated in the next development agenda through a stand-alone sustainable development goal on peaceful societies, a stand-alone goal on gender equality, and mainstreaming of peace and gender throughout the SDGs.

Where are we now?
Thematic Debate of the General Assembly 68th session
John W. Ashe, President General Assembly, gives the opening statement at today’s thematic debate on “Responding to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st Century: Human Security and the Post-2015 Development Agenda”
Credit: UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

On the 2nd of June, the Zero Draft of the SDGs was released, which contains proposals for goals and targets for the next development agenda. Stand-alone goals to  “Achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law, effective and capable institutions,” and to “Attain gender equality, empower women and girls everywhere” were included in the zero draft.

In addition to these goals, the Zero Draft includes some targets addressing with key Women Peace and Security (WPS) issues. These include: inclusive participation, small arms and light weapons, protection of refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and access to justice.

Inclusions of these issues show progression, however, there is more is needed. In particular, the draft does not address conflict as a contributor to risk and vulnerability or consider innovative financing mechanisms such as reducing military spending to free up resources for gender equitable development, and inadequately integrates conflict and gender throughout.

As negotiations move forward, it is critical to strengthen WPS issues in the SDGs. Opportunities to engage on this include the final session of the United Nations General Assembly (GA) Open Working Group on SDGs 14th -18th July, the financing session on 4th-8th August, and September’s General Assembly.

A STRONG VOICE IS STILL NEEDED

WILPF believes that an integrated approach is necessary to address the root causes of conflict and gender inequality. Unless steps are taken in regards to the root causes, the goal of achieving sustainable development and peace will fail.

WILPF welcomes the steps taken and the progression in the Zero draft, but reiterates that continued support for stand-alone goals on peaceful societies and gender equality is critical. We must prioritise peace and gender equality in the next development framework for sustainable development and peace.

SPREAD THE WORD

With the release of the first draft, now is the time for civil society to reach out to states and advocate for the inclusion of a conflict prevention approach in the next development agenda.

Join us by reaching out or have your organisation endorse our Open Letter.

Follow WILPF Gender, Peace and Security Programme on their Facebook and twitter on this issue through our hashtag #DisarmSDGs.

Share with us your opinion, what do you think of the Zero draft? We welcome your thoughts in the comments below!

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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