International Stability Operations Association (ISOA)’s Post

"Efforts to build sustainable peace, including through the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, will fall short if they do not examine and address the discriminatory motives that underlie much conflict-related violence. It is crucial to attend to power differentials that are exploited during war and to commit to undoing these toxic hierarchies, including hierarchies of gender and sexuality. In an otherwise bleak landscape, the JEP’s recognition of gender persecution against queer people and women in all their diversity provides hope that states, following Colombia’s example, will commit to inclusive approaches to atrocity prevention and peacebuilding." Brilliant analysis from my colleagues Hannah Kohn and Matthew Bocanumenth on the importance of recent developments at Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace.

As we reflect on #women in #peacebuilding in the minth of October, this research is timely with its findings, especially on the increasing amount of women being targeted, silenced and marginalized by physical and digital forms of political violence.

Our article from Monday explores the impact that civil war peace agreements have on gender inclusion, and what can be done, by participants and mediators, to ensure that #women are included and empowered in future peace processes. Read here: https://lnkd.in/eyF5dzkr

We commend the inclusion of gendered disinformation in the 2023 Women Peace and Security Index as a tool used by authoritarian regimes to target opposition, consolidate power and silence the voices of women leaders: https://lnkd.in/gRFqHVAv Women are on the frontlines of the fight to protect human rights and liberal values globally. As champions of democracy and progressive values, women who work to advance women’s rights and human rights, especially those of refugees, immigrants, ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTQIA+ people, are inundated with digitally-communicated violence and abuse. It is crucial we continue to work towards creating globally-minded legislative frameworks and approaches to address gendered disinformation, and to resource targeted, strategic and solution-oriented research and programs to tackle this pressing issue. Read more about #ShePersisted’s suggestions to address gendered disinformation in our report, “Monetizing Misogyny: Gendered Disinformation and the Undermining of Women’s Rights and Democracy Globally.” https://lnkd.in/dN7dTkN5 #MonetizingMisogyny #peaceandsecurity #authoritarianism #democracy #internet #gender #genderbasedviolence #humanrights #technology #socialmedia #digitalharms 

To celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) is acknowledging the women who have opened possibilities for women within the security and humanitarian field and taken steps to make positive change. CTG will be sharing mini-profiles of women through March to acknowledge their commitment to their field and how they have created opportunities for women for generations to come. The first meeting to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) took place on March 19, 1911, after Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, presented the idea at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, and received approval. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland honored the first IWD, which saw over one million women and men campaigning for women’s rights and the end of gender discrimination. In 1913, acknowledgment of IWD shifted to March 8 and has since established itself as an inclusive day to encourage collaborative action to promote women’s equality. For more information about International Women’s Day and how you can get involved: - https://lnkd.in/dGX7T8X - https://lnkd.in/e5hWZneS For information about the creation of International Women’s Day and its history up to the present day: - https://lnkd.in/gx-JBZV Women’s History Month takes place through March in the US, but originally began as Women’s History Week in 1981 when Congress passed it as Public Law for the week beginning March 7, 1982. Women’s History Week was recognized for the next five years until 1987 when Congress petitioned for the whole month of March in 1987 to be recognized as Women’s History Month instead. Congress continued to issue resolutions for Women’s History Month between 1988 and 1994, and since 1995, US Presidents have designated March as Women’s History Month. March celebrates women’s contributions and recognizes their achievements throughout US history.  #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2024 #WomensHistoryMonth #EmpowerWomen #DiversityandInclusion #FemaleLeaders #WomenMakingChange #WomenSupportWomen #OSINT #Friday More information about Women’s History Month can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gFEtfwBv

New article spotlight: How do civil war peace agreements impact gender inclusion? In our latest piece, Marie Olson Lounsbery, Kaitlyn Rose, and Nicole Gerring discuss how many #peace agreements fail to include and empower #women, and how this issue can be addressed, including efforts by third-party mediators like the #UN. Read here: https://lnkd.in/eyF5dzkr

As the host foundation for Our Secure Future(OSF), we are excited to share and highlight OSF’s significant work toward their mission to elevate women's roles in Peace and Security globally. Founded by Cynda Collins Arsenault and led by Vice-President Sahana Dharmapuri, OSF is one of the initiates started by Marcel Arsenault and Cynda Collins Arsenault. OSF works to strengthen the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through ensuring the effective incorporation of gender perspectives into peace and security decision-making at the international and national levels. As Dharmapuri asserts, "The involvement of women in peace processes is not just a moral or ethical choice but a pragmatic one.” OSF focuses on spotlighting #WPS as a critical element of U.S. foreign and national security policy, and on developing ways forward for the U.S. and its network of allies and partners, considering the ever-evolving geopolitical environments. In striving to see UN Resolution 1325 realized globally, OSF commits to furthering the full and meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes. #womenpeacesecurity

▪ NATO International Military Staff Office of the Gender Advisor holds fourth regional Deep Dive session ▪ On 17 January 2024, the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Office of the Gender Advisor convened its fourth regional Deep Dive session, which discussed the Balkans and the Gender Perspective. It focused on the Balkan countries’ progress implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The progress towards gender equality in the Western Balkans includes that most countries have all active NAPs on WPS and therefore representation of women in the defence system has improved significantly. However, although the number of women working in the security sector has increased, research focusing on the Kosovo Police and Security Forces found that they do not assume leadership positions. Dr Hasani of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies stressed that while women's increased participation should remain a priority, it is also important to increase their responsibility in the security sector through managerial and decision-making roles. Read the original article at: https://lnkd.in/dS6JwTZu Keep up to date through our website: https://lnkd.in/eCmV22a4

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 👮♀   We proudly announce that the GS Foundation expands its commitment to gender equality and women rights in the security sector in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Over the past year, we have been collaborating with Gender Associations to assess the working conditions of the national police of Moldova (GPI) from a gender perspective and sustainably strengthen the capacity within the police.   We are happy that we can expand those efforts within Moldova but also Georgia and Ukraine. We will work closely with the police departments in all three nations, but also actively engage civil society actors including women rights organisations.   By including a gender perspective in security sector reform efforts, we aim to contribute to more effective, inclusive and participatory responses by law enforcement agencies to ongoing and upcoming security risks in the region. Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany #women #securitysector #moldova #ukraine #georgia

At WRTHY, much of our work is focused on gender equality. A new United Nations Secretary-General report on women, peace, and security confirms what we know to be true: in conflict situations, women and girls suffer the most. Per UN Women: “These negative trends are setting back both gender equality and global peace”, said Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director. “However, this dire picture is not inevitable. We can reverse it by investing in women’s organizations in crisis settings, increasing the meaningful participation of women in mediation and peace processes, promoting parity in political and electoral processes, and using accountability tools to strengthen the protection of women in conflict-affected countries.” From Ukraine to Yemen to Afghanistan to Gaza, humanitarian crises have led to increased rates of sexual violence, child marriage, and maternal mortality. It is imperative that we continue to invest in girls' and women's empowerment and leadership to prevent further setbacks to gender equality worldwide.