Advocate to Add Women’s Voices to Peace Negotiations

I am particularly passionate about defending the rights of women and girls and protecting them from abuse and violence. Because of that, I truly admire the work of UNIFEM and their campaign called “Say NO- End Violence Against Women“. I regularly receive their updates and calls to action and I got one yesterday that was particularly moving. It’s a call to sign a petition which looks truly worthwhile and seems like it might really make a difference. So I thought I’d share. 

Here is the call to action in it’s entirety: (The link to the petition is at the bottom)

Women and girls hardly ever fight the world’s wars, but they often suffer the most. Increasingly, they are the direct targets of fighting, when sexual violence is deliberately used as a tactic of warfare.

And yet fewer than 10 percent of the people who negotiate peace deals are women, and only about three dozen individuals have been convicted and jailed by international war crimes tribunals for committing or commanding widespread sexual violence.

Sexual violence in conflict is NOT inevitable. It can be stopped.

Ten years ago, in its landmark resolution 1325, the United Nations Security Council called for women’s full and equal participation in all elements of peacemaking, and for prevention of this kind of violence. But implementation of this historic resolution has been too slow.

Make women count for peace by adding your name to this petition and ask your government to support three steps to implement Security Council resolution 1325:

• Prosecute those who command and/or commit sexual violence and exclude them from armies and police forces after conflict.
• Ensure that women participate in peace negotiations and all post-conflict decision-making institutions.
• Increase the number of women in troops, police forces and civilians within international peacekeeping efforts

Go now and SIGN THE PETITION. Be a voice for women who don’t have one yet. It’ll take you less than 30 seconds.