Peace Sisters campaign marks 21 years of Resolution 1325
To mark the 21st anniversary of the UN’s landmark Resolution 1325, our Peace Sisters have been rolling out a vital new awareness campaign on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Over 10 days, six of the Peace Sisters are visiting three local camps to reinforce the need to greatly increase women’s participation in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Despite the Resolution being passed more than 20 years ago, there has been global reticence in implementing the principles of Women, Peace and Security, and much more action is required across the world to address the gendered impact of conflict and to reaffirm the rights of women and girls.
As a result of this need, the Peace Sisters have been handing out leaflets and talking to hundreds of individuals at Rwanga, Essyan and Domiz 2 camps, in order to explain Resolution 1325 and its continued importance more than two decades after implementation. As well as reaching women and girls, the campaign is also targeting men and boys, as they must play a part in all processes to improve women’s participation in peace and security efforts.
First passed in October 2020, Resolution 1325 called for women to be involved in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and community rebuilding. It also urged all parties to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, in situations of armed conflict.
This awareness campaign is the latest activity in our dynamic Peace Sisters project, which is training 50 women and girls to be mediators and peace defenders in their own communities. In cooperation with the German Consulate in Erbil, the initiative encourages inclusion, collaboration and open dialogue across multiple faiths, cultures and generations, and it incorporates skills in critical thinking, teamwork and public speaking, so that women and girls are inspired to take on more effective leadership roles.