Women’s Voices on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Position Paper launched by ICGBV in tandem with UN Security Council WPS Open Debate

Speaking at the launch of the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence position paper on Women, Peace and Security about the importance of the ICGBV Listening Sessions and delivery of the Consortium’s Women, Peace and Security Position Paper, Mary Van Lieshout, GOAL’s Director of External Relations and ICGBV Steering Committee member said,

‘This paper summarises the learnings from a series of Listening Sessions with global women’s human rights activists working to end Gender Based Violence. The sessions provided an excellent platform for local female civil society leaders to give first-hand information on the reality for women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.  It is allowing Ireland to incorporate these learnings into recommendations that are brought to IEG meetings at Council level.’

The ‘Women’s Voices’ Position Paper focuses on eight areas in the Women, Peace, and Security domain with associated recommendations for each.

1. Women and girls should have full, equal, and safe participation in all areas of society.
2. Women and girls, in all their diversity, should be heard and included in Women, Peace, and Security recommendations and policy development.
3. Regionally diverse women and girls should be included and acknowledged when addressing Women, Peace, and Security.
4. National Action Plans on Women’s Peace and Security should be developed in all UN member states, and these Plans should be developed in collaboration with women, girls and women-led organisations.
5. The Global Community should advocate with the greatest urgency for inclusive justice and medical services for survivors of gender-based violence.
6. There is a need to include the food security issues of women and girls when addressing Women Peace and Security.
7. The Global Community working on Women, Peace, and Security should advocate for safe and accountable legal pathways for survivors, and all perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and brought to justice.
8. Intentional investment should be directed into local women-led and women-focused civil society organisations through partnering, funding, supporting and capacity building.

The ICGBV is an alliance of Irish human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, Irish Aid, and the Irish Defence Forces. The Consortium was formed in 2005 to address the high levels of sexual violence that is perpetrated in international conflict and crisis situations. Its members include ActionAid Ireland, Aidlink, Christian Aid Ireland, Concern Worldwide, Irish Defence Forces, GOAL, Ifrah Foundation, Irish Aid, Irish Red Cross, Oxfam Ireland, Plan International Ireland, Self Help Africa, Trócaire and World Vision Ireland.

Following Ireland and Mexico’s appointment to the UN Security Council in 2021 and co-chairing of the Security Council’s Informal Expert Group (IEG) on Women, Peace, and Security, the ICGBV began hosting Listening Sessions. These Sessions were offered to staff at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, ICGBV members and the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, with female civil society members from conflict-affected countries. The ICGBV Women’s Voices – Local Voices on Women, Peace and Security Position Paper is the key output from the Listening Sessions and highlights issues that require strengthening in the IEG work at the UN Security Council level.

The IEG brings together Security Council experts to facilitate a systematic approach to Women, Peace and Security within the Council’s work and enable greater oversight and coordination of implementation efforts. The IEG hosts approximately nine sessions a year on conflict-affected countries, meeting with the UN Country Resident Coordinator and/or Heads of UN Agencies present in the country.

Please visit https://www.gbv.ie/