German Women’s Security Council

In March 2003, women working in research institutes, politics and non-governmental organisations founded a German network for feminist peace and security policy, the Women’s Security Council in Germany.

Guiding principles
The traditional foreign and security policy from States is still dominated by men. Political discourses and decisions are made and dominated by men, where only a few women can be found in responsible positions. There is little attention given to alternative analysis in the international relationships and they seldom get into operative politics. On the other side, the State and the majority of men actors perceive women in their social context only as victims who suffer passively in situations of conflicts and wars.

  • There is no recognition that women are organising the survey of the community in war times and post conflict situations and that the women contribute a substantial part of the (re-) construction of the society.
  • The active role of women in peace processes, in crisis prevention, non-violent conflict management and transformation, is often neglected.
  • Women are scarcely, if at all, integrated into official peace negotiations of UN missions.
  • The needs of women and girls in conflict zones, refugee camps and in the organisation of development projects are still underestimated.

On the national, as well as on the international level, we are still far away from an implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 from October 2000. It demands equal participation of women on all peace keeping and peace enforcing measures, especially on the highest level of decision.

Aims

  • Focusing on the political competences of women
  • Integration of the Gender perspective in the Foreign and Security policy
  • Impulses for the implementation of the UNResolution 1325 at the national and EU-level Defence of the international and human rights standards.
  • New definitions of security with appropriate gender aspects
  • Development of gender specific criteria’s for civilian peace missions.
  • Sensitivity and support of women in crisis regions.

Working methods

  • Autonomous context of engaged women from feminist, pacifist and development organisations in foreign and security politics, political foundations and peace research institutes.
  • Representation through a coordination group with a maximum of 10 women.
  • Exchange of information by an internal e-mail network
  • Establishment of a pool of experts in gender sensitive foreign and security policies.
  • We invite active co-operation and new ideas.

Activities

  • Activities for the 10th anniversary of 1325
  • Roadmap to 1325 - international/ Pan-Balkan Women's Conference on Peace, Security, Pacifis. Slovenia, June 2008, in co-operation with the Gunda-Werner-Institute of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation (GWI)
  • Conference on gender equality in Peace and Security Policy. Perspectives of the federal government and women’s Security Council, June 2008 → second shadow report, in co-operation with the GWI
  • Roadmap to 1325, European conference May 2007 in Berlin → start of a European relay race
  • First European coordination meeting on the implementation of Res. 1325 “Women at the negotiation tables”
  • Establishment of an expert pool on gender sensitive foreign and security policy
  • European and international coordination of activities towards the implementation of UNSCR 1325
  • Shadow Report to the national report on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Germany 2004
  • Lobbying for Actionplan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325
  • Management of expert meetings and discussion events in co-operation with the Feminist Institute of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
  • Dialogues with politicians and representatives of the German Foreign Ministry, in co-operation with the GWI (former Feminist Institute)
  • Appeal to the German government and German UNrepresentation for the participation of women in the reconstruction process in Iraq, and the respect of women’s rights in Afghanistan, in co-operation with the GWI (former Feminist Institute)

Contact:

Gunda-Werner-Institute

Gunda Werner Institute

Feminism and gender democracy are an all-encompassing shared task of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. The Gunda Werner Institute in the Heinrich Böll Foundation (GWI) combines gender political questions and furthers the debate about feminism and gender democracy.
 

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