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Euronews
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Lack of funding threatens women-led peace initiatives, UN warns
Amid growing pushback on women's rights in some countries and a general backsliding of gender policies, persistent institutional and societal barriers prevent women from equally participating in peace and security processes. But there is no peace or security without women — a statement the United Nations has been emphasising for the last quarter century. "We know that when women call it, peace follows. When women call it, peace is sustained," UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said at an event co-organised by UN Women in Brussels on Wednesday. Policymakers, civil society leaders, and international organisations met in the Belgian capital on Wednesday to reflect on the progress made and challenges still faced by the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda since its implementation. On 31 October 2000, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325, a landmark bill that acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls and called for women's equal participation in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peace processes. The resolution laid the groundwork for the WPS programme, a framework that seeks to institutionalise the goals set out 25 years ago. The anniversary goes alongside the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which laid the foundation for the WPS agenda five years prior. While they have seen some successes over the past two decades, attendees said, they warned that not enough has been done to fully implement and actualise the agenda's aims. "Paper commitment is not enough, we must transform this into action that is visible, measurable, and inclusive," Poland's Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula said during her opening remarks. This year's anniversary is taking place in an increasingly complex and fractured geopolitical space and a changing security landscape marked by disinformation and hybrid warfare. "Conflict is no longer confined by borders," Kotula said, and warned of the threats posed by information manipulation and cyber violence. "Women bring their lived experiences to the table," Gumbonzvanda told Euronews. "They also come as experts who are able to contribute to the solutions," she added, noting that based on years of work by UN Women, it has become clear that peace talks including women tend to be more sustainable. The Deputy Executive Director of UN Women drew on her own experience — she was born during the 1964-1979 Zimbabwe War of Independence — to emphasise the important role women played during that time. "When early warning signs start to show, it is the women who care for each other and yet they struggle to be part of the solutions," she explained. Women-led grassroots organisations were at the core of Wednesday's discussions. "It's not just about the top level; it's the women on the ground," one panellist pointed out. Yet various barriers remain in place which prevent women from unlocking their full potential in peace and security processes. A lack of adequate funding and resources for women-led organisations was identified and unanimously agreed on as a key hurdle. Data by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) revealed that international aid from donors in 2024 fell by 7.1% compared to the previous year. The OECD noted that this was the first drop reported after five years of consecutive growth. Earlier this month, UN Women warned that the global aid cuts may force organisations helping women in crisis to shut down. A report they published found that 90% of the 411 women-led and women's rights organisations surveyed said they had been impacted by aid cuts. The report also predicted that half of the organisations may have to shut down in six months if current funding levels persist. "Resourcing community and women-led initiatives as part of WPS Agenda is an imperative, it is not a choice," Gumbonzvanda told Euronews. Kotula told Euronews that the European Democracy Shield, a special committee created to respond to new geopolitical challenges, should incorporate financing for women's organisations. Kotula emphasised the role civil society and women's organisations played when the European Union was hit with back-to-back crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which sparked a major refugee crisis. "First in line were usually civil society and women's organisations, it was on their shoulders. So that's why it's one of the reasons that when we now need the funding, it's because we know they passed the test when it comes to [handling] crises, and we know we can count on them," Kotula said. The Polish minister for equality admitted that the topic of gender equality and gender-based violence has been pushed under the rug for far too long, but assured her efforts to incorporate both into Poland's new national action plan. "Poland had been facing backlash for many years, then we won the elections, and we opened the window a bit," Kotula said. She referred back to last year, when the definition of rape was changed under Polish law, and added that she now hopes to use this "window of opportunity," to also crack down on the issue of gender based violence. In 2024, global military spending reached its highest year-on-year rise since the end of the Cold War, a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed. The start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the uncertainty of European security under US President Donald Trump pushed the continent to rethink its defence readiness. As a result, all European countries, with the exception of Malta, increased their military spending in 2024. However, Founder and CEO of International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, argued that shifting the focus to increased militarisation undermines the power of social defence. "We are reducing our own security in the name of militarised security," Naraghi-Anderlini told Euronews. Naraghi-Anderlini, who hosts the podcast "If You Were in Charge", said women peacebuilders take a radically different approach to conflict resolution. In stark contrast to armed conflict, they instead bring "a radical commitment to nonviolence." "Sitting and talking, not shooting, as a driving force," she said. The podcast host said women peacebuilders have the ability "to disarm intellectually, mentally and emotionally." Naraghi-Anderlini said that as a result, women are often stereotyped as soft, but in reality it is an extremely powerful quality when it comes to peace negotiations, where there's often a lot of "mistrust, existential fear, anger and trauma." During her opening remarks, Naraghi-Anderlini outlined how her organisation successfully supported local communities with $11 million (€9.75 million), emphasising the significant impact was made with "just a fraction of the cost of weaponry and military equipment." "This kind of peacebuilding work is actually quite cheap, but it's really important. So if it disappears, we're really wasting investment and good work," she told Euronews. Naraghi-Anderlini said that while conflict is natural, the use of violence is a choice. "And yet they've made it seem as if violence is inevitable, as if war is inevitable because it benefits the arms industry." US President Donald Trump's administration has rescinded Harvard University's ability to admit international students as part of its intensifying conflict with the Ivy League institution. The Trump administration says that thousands of current students are required to either transfer to different universities or leave the country. 'This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,' stated the US Department of Homeland Security in a statement. The agency made the announcement on Thursday, stating that Harvard has fostered an unsafe campus atmosphere by permitting "anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators" to attack Jewish students on its grounds. Furthermore, it alleged that Harvard has collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party, claiming that it hosted and provided training to members of a Chinese paramilitary organisation as recently as 2024. Harvard University has nearly 6,800 international students enrolled at its campus located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which represents over a quarter of its total student population. The majority of these students are pursuing graduate studies and hail from more than 100 different countries. Harvard called the action unlawful and said it's working to provide guidance to students. 'This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission,' the university said in a statement. The conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard, the oldest and most affluent university in the United States, has escalated since Harvard became the first institution to openly resist the White House's requests for changes at elite schools that have been labelled as brewing grounds of liberalism and antisemitism. The federal government has reduced federal grants to Harvard by $2.6 billion (€2.3 billion), forcing the university to self-finance a significant portion of its extensive research activities. Trump has expressed his desire to strip the university of its tax-exempt status. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says the decision to bar Harvard from hosting international students for the upcoming academic year stems from the school's inability to comply with a 16 April request demanding information on foreign students. The request from the Homeland Security department demanded the Ivy League university to provide data related to students who were involved in protests or dangerous activity on campus to be considered for deportation. Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces the desired records on them within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage of the students. Students in Harvard College Democrats said the Trump administration is playing with students' lives to push a radical agenda and to quiet dissent. 'Trump's attack on international students is text book authoritarianism — Harvard must continue to hold the line,' the group said in a statement. The administration drew condemnation from free speech groups, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which said Noem is demanding a 'surveillance state.' "This sweeping fishing expedition reaches protected expression and must be flatly rejected," the group said.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dayton professor to discuss NATO's impact on women, peace, security
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – A local professor will speak on the state of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security Agenda during the 2025 NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session. Natalie Hudson, a professor of political science and law, was invited to speak on behalf of the Committee on Democracy and Security. Hudson is also the executive director of the University of Dayton Human Rights Center. This committee is made up of 60 legislators from member states and partner countries. Volunteers spruce up Dayton for upcoming NATO visit This committee meeting will be on Saturday, May 24. The panelist will talk about NATO's role in supporting policies following the Women, Peace and Security agenda. This agenda began in the year 2000 when the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted. 'The Women, Peace and Security agenda has a lot of relevance to how NATO functions internally as a military alliance and externally in the countries where it intervenes,' said Hudson. 'Even though the agenda originated at the United Nations, I think NATO stands to be a real leader in women, peace and security in the years ahead, especially given Europe's historical support for the work.' Hudson's panel will not be open to the public as it will take place in the NATO village area downtown. However, there will be 12 panels open to the public at the Roger Glass Center for the Arts. These panels are a part of the 'The Dayton Dialogue: Conversations about Peace and Security in the Balkans,' which was announced by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and UD President Eric F. Spina back in March. LIST: Public invited to forums during NATO Assembly The 25th anniversary of The Women, Peace and Security Agenda will be this October. The agenda focuses on the protection needs and unique struggles both girls and women have in war-torn areas. Particularly, gender-based and sexual violence. The agenda also shines a light on the vital role women have in peace processes, from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. To learn more about The Women, Peace and Security Agenda, click here. To view the 2 NEWS NATO Parliamentary Summit hub for the latest information on this historic event, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Four key roles for women that will make the world a better place
Women make up 50 percent of the global population, and studies show that when they participate in political life, economic and security outcomes improve for everyone in society. But showing up and participating are just the start. Research demonstrates there are four key ways in which women create meaningful change in their communities worldwide. Participation: Why Women's Voices Make Peace Endure When women are part of peace deals and decision-making processes, peace lasts longer. It's not enough to protect women and girls from violence in conflict zones. When women contribute to peaceful resolutions to conflict, they can prevent violence from escalating again. This was the case in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, where women proved instrumental in shaping the Good Friday Agreement, ending decades of sectarian violence through the collective action of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. Prevention: How Women's Coalitions Are Changing the Course of Conflict Incorporating women in conflict prevention efforts globally helps stop escalation of violence in the first place. This often takes the form of governments engaging civic organizations led by women, religious leaders, teachers and others in calling for nonviolence. In Mali, Case de la Paix, a multi-ethnic and multi-community coalition of 76 women's associations, has actively worked for regional security, political stability and social cohesion since 2013. Protection: Ending Violence to Strengthen Peace Prioritizing the safety of women is central for peace and security for all people. Terrorist groups and gangs use sexual violence as a tool to gain control over communities. When international observers monitor sexual violence, this can de-escalate a conflict. When authorities prosecute these cases, communities recover faster. Since the 2022 invasion by Russia, Ukrainian women and girls, who have faced increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and human trafficking, have mobilized to establish criminal accountability and transitional justice for survivors. In 2022, Ukraine's War Crime Unit created a specialized CRSV department led by a female prosecutor. Studies show that women's inclusion in peacekeeping leads to improved operational effectiveness in conflict settings. Women peacekeepers often have better access to communities and can help build trust with local populations, especially women, resulting in greater stability and cooperation. This helps communities recover faster from violent conflict. Despite this, according to UN Peacekeeping, women made up only 30 percent of civilian personnel in peacekeeping operations and 7.9 percent of military, police, justice and corrections personnel in field missions. These four key areas form the foundation of the Women Peace and Security framework. Participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery are rooted in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 passed in 2000. The Women, Peace and Security agenda has since been strengthened through the adoption of nine subsequent UNSC resolutions supporting the recognition of women's priorities in peace and security decision-making. The clear relationship between women's participation and security at both national and international levels creates a more peaceful world. It stands as both a moral and strategic imperative. Countries with high levels of inequality between men and women are more than twice as likely to be fragile states. By continuing to champion the WPS agenda, the United States can strengthen its leadership in promoting effective security strategies for itself while making the world more peaceful.
Euronews
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Too few women in peacebuilding can lead to blind-spots: NATO official
Too few women participate in conflict resolution worldwide which increases the risk of certain topics being overlooked during peace talks, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security told Euronews. "Women remain still a minority when it comes to conflict management and resolution," Irene Fellin told Euronews on the sidelines of the Kyiv Security Forum which was held last week on the 80th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II. "What the evidence shows, the research, (is) the absence of women in negotiation leads to the fact that certain topics are less addressed," she added. October will mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption at the United Nations of Resolution 1325 which aimed to ensure the "equal participation and full involvement" of women in "all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security". Yet women represented only 16% of negotiators in active peace processes led or co-led by the United Nations in 2022, a 7 percentage point decrease from 2020. This is despite research highlighting that when women participate in peace processes, the resulting agreement is more durable and better implemented. "The evidence shows that we still need women to have this holistic view of security needs," Fellin said, to ensure that different perspectives are taken into account and because "space is gendered" as it is "used by the different individuals in a specific way". "One of the examples that I often use is about demining," she said. "If you ask only men what areas they will want to demine, the priorities will change because they will maybe use the road from the village to the city or the space where they work, and women will maybe think where children play or where they will go to do other activities. So having this integrated approach is extremely important." But this can also impact how access to health, food, and the protection of children is addressed during and after the conflict comes to a resolution. Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion for over three years, is being commended for putting accountability mechanisms in place very early on to address conflict-related sexual violence, which primarily impacts women, but also prisoners of war, who tend to be male. "This is an extraordinary lesson that we all have to learn from Ukraine," Fellin said. But the increased participation of women in the armed forces - nearly 67,000 women were in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as of January 2024 - has revealed some gaps. "One of the problems that emerged is that servicewomen were not equipped with the right combat uniform which means that women were wearing a uniform tailor-made around men's anthropomorphic data," Fellin told Euronews. "When women fight and they are not comfortable they put their own life at risk, but at the same time, their operational effectiveness is limited. They are not combat-ready in that sense. So it's very important to bring these needs into the analysis and in the way in which the respective armed forces, but also NATO, developed its capabilities," she added. Additionally, ongoing talks between the US and Russia and the US and Ukraine to end the war heavily skew male with few women in high-profile diplomatic positions. Meanwhile at the EU level, while the bloc's top diplomat is a woman, Kaja Kallas, only five out of the 27 member states have foreign affairs ministers and only three, defence ministers. Yet times of war can surprisingly open doors to women that might have been previously closed, Fellin also said. "Looking back at history, women have changed their role during wars. It's sad maybe to say, but wars and conflict create an opportunity to look at gender roles within the society, and they act as an accelerator. So in a way, this is an opportunity for women to take on different responsibilities." But it's during peacetime that steps must be taken to increase women's participation in diplomacy, Fellin nonetheless said. "It's difficult to see women in a high-level position, and as high-level mediators or diplomats If they don't have an active role before within their society. "What we have to build and change is creating opportunities in peacetime in all our respective countries and work on the change of mindset and to make clear how better we are, how more efficient we are in all of our decisions when women and men are equally involved in our decision-making processes," she urged.
See - Sada Elbalad
17-04-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Police Academy, NCM Host Seminar on Women's Role in Peacekeeping
Ahmed Emam The Police Academy, headed by Major General Hani Abu Al-Makarem, in cooperation with the National Council for Women, led by Counselor Amal Ammar, organized a wide-ranging seminar on Wednesday under the title 'The Role of Women in Peacekeeping.' The event marked the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on 'Women, Peace, and Security.' It took place at the Egyptian Center for Training on Peacekeeping Operations, affiliated with the Academy. The seminar was attended by a number of high ranking international figures, including Major General Hani Abu Al-Makarem, Assistant Minister of Interior and President of the Police Academy; Counselor Amal Ammar, representative of the National Council for Women; Marwa Alam El-Din, representative of UN Women; and María Tarancón Sanz, Director of the Spanish Cooperation Program in Egypt. In her remarks, Counselorp Ammar expressed her gratitude to the Police Academy, the Peacekeeping Training Center, and UN Women, emphasizing that such cooperation highlights the critical role women play in peacekeeping and in building resilient, stable societies. She noted that the seminar reflects Egypt's continued support for Security Council Resolution 1325 and reaffirms the country's commitment to empowering women in times of peace and conflict, while promoting gender equality in all areas of peacebuilding. Counselor Ammar also underscored Egypt's dedication to promoting women's participation on international platforms, reinforcing their role in regional and global affairs, and showcasing the true potential of Egyptian women in contributing to global peace and security. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
