Nasome "Awakening the Dreamer" Facilitators Group

PeaceWomen.org is a project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) United Nations Office, in New York City.

The PeaceWomen Project monitors and works toward rapid and full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. To these ends:

PeaceWomen hosts Peacewomen.org, a website that provides accurate and timely information on women, peace and security issues and women's peace-building initiatives in areas of armed conflict.

PeaceWomen works to facilitate communication among and mobilization of advocates and supporters in civil society, the UN system and governments working on women, peace and security issues; and

PeaceWomen advocates for the integration of gender analysis in the governance, peace and security work of civil society actors, the UN system, and governmental bodies.

Background

On October 31, 2000, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The adoption of Resolution 1325 was historic and unprecedented for a number of reasons:

• Resolution 1325 marks the first time the Security Council addressed the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, recognized the under-valued and under-utilized contributions women make to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peace-building, and stressed the importance of their equal and full participation as active agents in peace and security;
• As a Security Council resolution, 1325 is effectively international law; it is binding upon all UN member nations;
• Civil society groups, especially women's organizations, played an instrumental and leading role in the adoption of Resolution 1325, in particular, through their advocacy efforts and their participation in drafting the resolution.

While UNSC Resolution 1325 is recognized as a historic and unprecedented document, it does not exist in a vacuum; many resolutions, treaties, conventions, statements and reports preceded it, and thus, form its foundation. For a list of these foundational documents, click here.

In response to the unanimous adoption of UNSC Resolution 1325, WILPF developed the PeaceWomen Project in 2001 to monitor implementation of Resolution 1325 and advocate for its full and rapid implementation.

In addition to WILPF's PeaceWomen Project, a committed and ever-growing global constituency has emerged around Resolution 1325, that spans civil society, academia, governments and the UN system.

Despite the efforts of these many actors, especially women at the grassroots level, there continues to be substantial resistance to implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325, especially by UN and governmental bodies.

Due to the slow progress of implementation, the PeaceWomen Project, in particular, the website PeaceWomen.org, 1325 PeaceWomen E-Newsletter and our advocacy efforts around UN Headquarters and with other NGOs, have become important vehicles for monitoring the implementation of Resolution 1325 and helping maintain the momentum of the resolution within the UN community and civil society community.

PeaceWomen's activities include:

• Maintaining and expanding PeaceWomen.org;
• Producing and circulating 1325 PeaceWomen E-News, a bi-weekly e-newsletter that compiles the most current women, peace and security news, analyses, statements, resources and events featured on PeaceWomen.org;
• Collaborating with UNIFEM through a web partnership on their Women, War and Peace Web Portal, which was launched October 2003;
  
• Coordinating a 1325 Translation Initiative (since February 2003) which includes compiling existing translations and calling for new translations of Resolution 1325;
• Engaging in outreach efforts on Resolution 1325 and related women, peace and security issues, including presentations, seminars and workshops for high schools, universities, and other public fora;
  
• Monitoring, advocating and providing recommendations to UN policy processes through our partnerships;
• Exchanging views and strategizing best practices and collaboration on Resolution 1325 implementation processes with civil society, government and UN officials, and academics;