Working Group on Women, Peace and Security

Submitted by Jessica on 15 July, 2010 - 15:33

The Working Group on Women, Peace and Security was created by the Parliamentarians Network in June 2010. This group actively works with female and male parliamentarians from around the world to strengthen women’s role in political life, and in conflict resolution and peacebuilding in particular.

The group currently focuses on advancing the role of Afghan women parliamentarians in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. In addition to supporting Afghan women MPs exert their influence on political processes, the working group enhances cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani women MPs as a way to contribute to more stability and sustainable development in the region.

This working group is chaired by Ms. Janelle Saffin, Australian MP and member of the PN’s Executive Council.

Declarations

International Women’s Day, March 8, 2011

DECLARATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK FOR CONFLICT PREVENTION

In commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, this is as an opportune time to review progress on UN SC Resolutions 1325, 1888, 1889.

"We, the members of the international Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, call upon the international community to: ….”

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Strenghtening the role of women MPs in peace and security in Afghanistan

OPEN LETTER TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE KABUL CONFERENCE

The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, in light of the upcoming Kabul Conference, calls upon the international community and the Afghan Government to encourage and support the participation of women representatives and women in all aspects of the security dialogue from peacebuilding to conflict resolution, from stabilization to developmental aspects in Afghanistan.

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Reports

In Afghan Reconciliation Talks, Women Deserve a Full Voice

By Jessica Zimerman

Amidst reports of a Pakistani boycott of the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany, on Dec. 5, many have overlooked an important fact. Thirteen of the 40 official Afghan delegates who will accompany President Hamid Karzai are women.

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Forging New Ties: Report on the First Meeting between Afghan and Pakistani Women Parliamentarians
Forging New Ties: Report on the First Meeting between Afghan and Pakistani Women

On September 19, 2011, the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and the EastWest Institute released Forging New Ties, a report on the first meeting between Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians.

During their two-day visit to Islamabad in June 2011, the Afghan delegates and their Pakistani peers met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Speaker of the House Dr. Fehmida Mirza. They also agreed on a plan for a regular, ongoing dialogue between Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians.

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First-ever visit between women parliamentarians from Afghanistan and Pakistan

Posted by Jessica Zimerman

On June 3rd and 4th, 2011, the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention of the EastWest Institute facilitated the first-ever visit between women parliamentarians from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Over two days in Islamabad, the visiting lawmakers met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari; Speaker of the House Dr. Fehmida Mirza; Prime Minister Gillani’s advisor on human rights, Mustafa Khokhar; Deputy Speaker of the House Faisal Karim Kundi; and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Caucus.

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Afghan Women Lawmakers Need International Support
A New Voice for Afghan Women

On April 4, 2011, the EastWest Institute and the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention released a report exploring how to bolster the role of Afghan women lawmakers.

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Voices

Women Deliver 50 - Vote Here!

  

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"There is always room to improve laws and improve the state of human rights in almost any country"

On November 15, 2011, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a landmark bill on the “Prevention of Anti-Women Practices.” Dr. Donya Aziz, Member of Pakistani Parliament and member of the Executive Council of the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, spearheaded the effort to pass the historic bill.

The bill criminalizes exploitative and discriminatory practices such as forced marriages and denial of women’s rightful inheritance. People who engage in these practices, which are customary in some parts of Pakistan, are now subject to hefty fines or up to seven years in prison.

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Landmark Bill for Women in Pakistan

On November 15, 2011, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a landmark bill on the “Prevention of Anti-Women Practices.” Dr. Donya Aziz, a member of parliament and member of the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, spearheaded the effort to pass the historic bill.

The bill criminalizes exploitative and discriminatory practices such as forced marriages and denial of women’s rightful inheritance. People who engage in these practices, which are customary in some parts of Pakistan, are now subject to hefty fines or up to 10 years in prison.

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The difference of a decade: Golalei Nur Safi and the importance of women in Afghan politics

In June 2001, the concept of a delegation of exclusively female Parliamentarians in Afghanistan was unimaginable to Golalei Nur Safi. When asked about the previous decade, Nur Safi expressed that “ten years ago it was hopeless”. However, now, as a member of the Afghan Parliament and High Peace Council, Nur Safi is living proof of her next statement that “the institutions are changing”.

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