Women, peace and security: A view from the Americas

1. Women, peace and security: A view from the Americas

2. Inter-American Year of WomenWomen and power: For a world of equality • Recognition of the progress made: • International framework that guarantees women’s rights • National-level laws and policies • Identification of good practices and innovative approaches for the promotion of women’s rights • Recognition that human rights are not a reality for many women • Weak public policy framework • Lack of commitment to consistent monitoring and evaluation • Lack of adequate funding to analyse and address problems • Intersection of sex with race, ethnicity, social class, age, etc. • Readjustment of our approaches and perspectives to take into account new realities (economic crisis, natural disasters) • Reaffirmation of our commitment, adopted at the international level, to ensuring women’s rights

3. The Inter-American Commission of Women • Created in 1928 • First inter-governmental organization created to promote women’s rights – first civil and political, then economic, social and cultural • Composed of 34 Titular Delegates, on from each OAS member state • 1994 - Inter-American Convention to Prevent, Punish and Eradicate Violence against Women, Belém do Pará Convention • Only legally-binding international agreement dedicated exclusively to the issue of violence against women • Ratified in every OAS member state except Canada and the United States • Follow-up mechanisms – MESECVI – designed to provide technical support to States Party

4. CIM’s work • “Hemispheric policy forum” for women’s rights and gender equality – translating international law into effective public policy • Women’s rights and gender equality at the centre of the OAS’s work • Organized around the four strategic pillars of the OAS: • Promoting democracy Women’s political citizenship for democracy and governance • Defending human rights Effective public policy to make women’s rights a reality • Ensuring a multi-dimensional approach to security Responding to women’s security needs - public and private • Fostering integral development and prosperity Women’s economic citizenship and security Rights-based Approach

5. Rights-based approach • Holds at its centre the realization of human rights as an essential precursor to development, democracy, security and peace • Rights, as opposed to public policies, are legally actionable • Recourse to address the wide-ranging abuse, violence, discrimination and marginalization • Powerful tool to hold governments accountable for their own lack of interest in women’s rights and empowerment and gender equality • The American Convention on Human Rights • The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights • The Inter-American Convention on the Granting of Political Rights of Women • Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women • The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (Belem do Para Convention) • The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) • United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (2000)

6. Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) Context: • Civilians, particularly women and children, are the majority of those affected by armed conflict, including as refugees and internally displaced persons, • They are targeted by combatants and armed elements Objectives: • Role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building • Importance of their equal participation and full involvement in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security • Need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution • Need to mainstream a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations

7. Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) Areas of action: • Increasing representation of women at all decision-making levels , particularly in mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict • Incorporate a gender perspective into peacekeeping operations • Training on the protection, rights and the particular needs of women, particularly in military and civilian police personnel • Support local women’s peace initiatives and indigenous processes for conflict resolution - involve them in implementation of peace agreements • Ensure respect for women’s rights in re-building constitutions, electoral systems, police and judiciary • Protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse in armed conflict • Consultation with local and international women’s groups

8. Ensuring a multi-dimensional approach to security • Responding to women’s security needs - public and private • Relevance of 1325 in the Americas – VAW transcends peace and conflict • Women and girls’ security needs result from different forms of violence: • Rape and other forms of sexual violence • Physical violence and harassment, including in the workplace • Domestic violence, including rape within marriage • Forced prostitution, including as a result of human trafficking • Genital mutilation Peace Conflict War Other situations

9. Ensuring a multi-dimensional approach to security • Responding to women’s security needs - public and private • Hemispheric agenda for gender-sensitive multi-dimensional security: • “Public security” includes specific threats faced by women (domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking) • Women in security-related policy- and decision-making processes at all levels of government (executive, legislative, judicial, national and local) • Dialogue between Ministries of Women and Ministries of Public Security • Recognition of women’s roles as mediators of conflict, builders of peace • Policy dialogue on building an effective response to women’s security needs: • Democratization of security-related decision-making • Civilian oversight of security institutions • Strengthening monitoring by civil society, particularly women’s groups • Dialogue between the security sector and civil society, particularly local level women’s groups • Bringing women into the security sector: • Participation of women as police, armed forces, judges, border guards, penal officers, etc., within a framework of diversity and inter-culturality • Application of codes of conduct and other gender policies