GAPS Newsletter: October 2019

31 October 2019

Updates

The 10 Steps: Turning Women, Peace and Security Commitments to Implementation

On Tuesday 29 October, GAPS launched its latest consultation report – The 10 Steps: Turning Women, Peace and Security Commitments to Implementation – as part of “Women, Peace and Security week” during the United Nations Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security. The report was launched at a joint event of the International Peace Institute, the UK Mission to the UN, the German Mission to the UN and the South African Mission to the UN. Share the report and follow the conversation on Twitter using #WPS10Steps. Download the PDF here.

UNSCR 1325 + 19 and UNSCR 2493

October 2019 marks the 19th Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The open debate on Women, Peace and Security takes place at the UN Security Council this week. On Tuesday 29 October, UN Security Council Member States adopted a 10th resolution on the WPS agenda: UN Security Council Resolution 2493.

Open Letter to Permanent Representatives to the UN: Recommendations on the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security

The NGO Working Group on WPS published this open letter on behalf of 438 civil society organisations acros 94 countries in advance of the Security Council Open Debate on WPS. The letter calls on Member States and the Security Council to prioritise and commit full political support for 5 key WPS issues.

2019 Themes for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

UN Women’s theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in 2019 is Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.

The Centre for Women’s Global Leadership theme builds on their theme in 2018 on the International Labour Organisation to end violence and harassment in the workplace. See the advocacy guide here.

Research & Resources

Women Peace and Security Index 2019/20

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, in partnership with the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, has launched the second edition of the global Women, Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) at the UN. They have drawn from recognised data sources to rank 167 countries on women’s comprehensive well-being and analysed trends in women’s equality. The findings show that nearly 60 countries have significantly advanced women’s well-being in recent years, and that the most marked gains for women worldwide were in financial inclusion, access to education, and legal reforms—including in some conflict-affected states. However, progress for Women, Peace and Security overall has remained slow and uneven.

Toward A Feminist Funding Ecosystem – AWID Report

Toward A Feminist Funding Ecosystem is both a framework and a practical guide for funders and activists who believe that there is a possibility to move toward a balanced ecosystem in which: feminist movements – particularly in the Global South – are at the centre and equal partners in the political project for global gender justice. In this report, AWID explore what it would take to live in a world where feminist movements are abundantly resourced.

Engaging Women in Sustaining Peace: Guide to Best Practices

The Community of Democracies presented its new publication: Engaging Women in Sustaining Peace: A Guide to Best Practice. This publication takes a global perspective, examining women’s roles in sustaining peace in post-conflict countries in Asia, Eurasia, Latin America, and Africa. Each chapter identifies best practices for engaging women in sustainable peace and includes some challenges emerging from the lessons learned in each region.

Rising to the Challenge

Together First is a global campaign to give civil society a seat at the table when the world’s future is being discussed. The Rising to the Challenge report highlights the important work being carried out by the coalition members, and in five essays; each of the featured individuals and organisations outline their proposals for strengthening, reforming or transforming our global system. At the end of the report, there is a list of other projects coalition members are working on.

Pro bono legal services for survivors of sexual violence

Against a background of media worldwide questioning what to do with foreign fighters and their families and how they should be treated, this article considers the victims of violent crimes perpetrated by foreign fighters. Hogan Lovells and a team of international lawyers acting pro bono for The Lotus Flower, a British-based non-profit for displaced women, are bringing the first civil action to gain compensation for victims of gross human rights violations.

Arbitrary detention of women in Jordan

Amnesty International has launched a new report: Imprisoned women, stolen children: policing sex, marriage and pregnancy in Jordan. The report documents how the Jordanian authorities are imprisoning women where they are perceived to have disobeyed male family members or are accused of sex outside of marriage; how the police take women found to be “absent from home without permission” for invasive and humiliating “virginity tests”, especially where male family members demand it; and how the authorities are systematically removing children born to unmarried women and taking them into state care.

Widows in Crisis and Conflict

In the Human Rights Council Session 42, Widows’ Panel introduced empirical research on violence against widows in Africa and beyond. The aim of the research was to move forward policies to address widowhood. The HRC 42 Panel specifically called for data on widows and for widows’ “mapping” as a catalyst for government engagement and policies.

Events

Launch of the first community centre for the Afghan people in the UK

The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association are opening the first community centre for the Afghan people in the UK. The launch falls on the 20th Anniversary of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association and embarks an important and significant turning point in the history of its operations to support the most vulnerable people in the UK. They would like to extend the invitation for the launch event this November.

When: 22nd November 2019, 11am – 2pm

Where: Unit 9 Griffin Centre, Hounslow, TW14 0HS

The event will be in the format of a talk followed by networking and a tour of the premises, with the audience consisting of local community members, local charities, Afghan and Central Asian embassies, businesses and Afghan Politicians. If you wish to attend, please email myrtostavrikkou.acaa@gmail.com.

The BEARR Trust’s Annual Conference

This year, the BEARR Trust annual conference is on Violence and Coercion against Women and Girls in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They will have speakers from Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and the UK, and will be looking at the subject from both a research perspective and from the point of view of NGO activity in the region in tackling the consequences of gender-based violence and working to prevent it.

When: 15th November 2019, from 9:00 until 17:00

Where: CAN- MEZZ, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YR

To book, follow the instructions here. Ticket prices for this event are £45, with a £20 option for full-time students and unwaged individuals. The ticket price includes the cost of lunch (vegan and vegetarian options available), tea and coffee and a glass of wine after the event.

Opportunities

DAWN Training Institute for young feminists

The DAWN Training Institute (DTI) is an intensive training programme for young feminist activists and advocates from the economic South, where young feminists are exposed to theory, discussions and inter-active processes related to feminism, feminist movements, women’s rights, and local and global strategies to achieve social justice.

The three-week programme draws on DAWN’s feminist analysis, which interlinks issues under the themes of Political Economy of Globalisation (PEG), Political Ecology and Sustainability (PEAS), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and Political Restructuring and Social Transformation (PRST).

When: Between 16th November – 6th December 2020

Where: Izmir, Turkey

For more information and to apply click here, the closing date for applications are 1st December 2019.

Adolescent Girls Advisory Council

Global Fund for Women is a global feminist fund that envisions a world where every woman and girl is strong safe, powerful, and heard. No exceptions. The Adolescent Girl Advisory Council will play a critical role in finding, funding and amplifying girl-led groups and expanding their leadership, activism and movement building. Global Fund for Women invites applications from their current priority regions of the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa to form the 2019 Adolescent Girls Advisory Council.

Deadline: Monday 25 November

For more information and to apply, click here.

Call for experts on on gender, peace and security issues

In the light of the 40th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 and the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, there is a special momentum to work on gender, peace and security. In order to achieve these legal and political gender commitments, Gender Associations identify the need to encourage collaboration and connect the existing expertise from different fields to ensure a comprehensive and effective implementation. They are looking for people to join their expert roster.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Jobs & Volunteering

Saferworld

Programme Support and Learning Adviser, apply by Sunday 3 November

Project Manager, apply by Wednesday 6 November

Project Officer, apply by Wednesday 6 November

Conflict Policy Adviser, apply by Sunday 17 November

Amnesty International

Artist Liaison Volunteer, apply by Wednesday 6 November

Business and Human Rights Researcher Volunteer, apply by Wednesday 6 November

Care International

Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead Technical Advisor, apply by Sunday 10 November

Emergency Shelter Researcher, apply by Sunday 10 November

Intern – Knowledge Management & Communications, apply by Sunday 10 November

Programme Funding Coordinator – Africa, apply by Tuesday 10 November

ActionAid

Interim Senior Advocacy Manager, apply by Sunday 3 November

Head of Fundraising Projects and Innovation, apply by Sunday 3 November

Head of Humanitarian Policy and Technical Support, apply by Thursday 14 November

Child Sponsorship Modernisation Project Manager, apply by Tuesday 5 November

Womankind Worldwide

Impact and Learning Advisor, apply by Monday 11 November

Women for Women International UK

Operations Assistant, apply by Thursday 7 November

Finance Officer (Maternity Cover), apply by Thursday 7 November

Oxfam

Funding Officer, apply by Sunday 3 November

Administration Assistant, apply by Tuesday 5 November

Gender and Partnership Program Manager, apply by Wednesday 6 November

Right in Crisis Program Lead, apply by Friday 15 November

International Alert

Research Consultant on Syria, apply by Friday 8 November

Plan International

Research Officer, apply by Sunday 3 November

Procurement Officer, apply by Sunday 3 November

Head of Communications, apply by Thursday 7 November