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The Role of MENA Women in the Constitution Reform Process in Transition

20 March 2014

WILPF MENA Agenda 1325 is hosting a side-event at the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council on the integration of women’s rights and gender equality in the constitutional reform process in transitional MENA countries.

Voices from Libya, Tunisia, Yemen

In the past year, Tunisian women played a central role in drafting one of the most progressive constitutions in the region. Yemini women participated in the national dialogue conferences and had a significant input on the functions of the civil state. Libyan women engaged in discussing their national priority while addressing the critical transitional period. Under the title “Can women’s rights and gender equality shape the new constitutions in the MENA region?” WILPF International arranged for three prominent women human rights activists and strategic thinkers from Libya, Yemen and Tunisia to speak about their experiences, challenges and prospects within the constitutional reform process in their countries.

CEDAW and women’s participation

The event will also address the impact and implementation of the new General Recommendation 30 to CEDAW that strongly reaffirms the role of women’s real and meaningful participation in shaping the new constitutions. The aim is to capitalise on the immediate transition period being a strategic opportunity to adopt legislative and policy measures to eliminate discrimination against women and ensure women have equal opportunities to participate in the new governance structures.

The speakers will share the lessons learned within the process and discuss with the audience and representatives of Member States how can the international community contribute to strengthen the women’s rights agenda in transition periods.

The speakers at the event will be,

Radhia Vej Haj Zekri: Former President and co-funder of AFTURD, Tunisia

Amal Basha: Chair person for Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights, Yemen

Zahra Langhiz: Co-funder, Libyan Women Platform for Peace, Libya

The welcome address will be presented by Ms Pramila Patten, member of the CEDAW Committee and Madeleine Rees, Secretary general of WILPF International, will moderate the event.

 

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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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