Today was my last full day at the UN for CSW 58. I met Erica and we both attended the open Economic and Social Council's session where draft resolutions were discussed and statements from the floor were accepted. A nice young woman sitting next to me, Sang Liao, an intern at the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN, has been kind enough to send me her notes. Click here to read:
Commission_on_the_Status_of_Women_ECOSOC_-_20_Mar_2014.pdf
Resolution_Draft_-_Gender_Equality_and_the_Empowerment_of_Women_in_Natural_Disasters.pdf
Resolution_Draft_-_Situation_of_and_Assistance_to_Palestinian_Women.pdf
Resolution_Draft_-_Women_the_Girl_Child_and_HIV_AIDS.pdf
Erica and I then separated, I attended the only panel left on the agenda, a panel on "Women of South Sudan Front and Center: Mobilizing for Peace after the Addis Ababa Cessation of Hostilities Agreement" organized by UN Women and the Norwegian Ministry, along with The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and Cordaid.
Not fluent in South Sudan and its struggles, I was interested to learn more about the issues and the role of women in the process. Upon entering the room, I couldn't believe my luck. On the panel were three women dignitaries from South Sudan, the Executive Director of UN Women, Mrs. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and the Nobel Peace Prize Laureat Leymah Gbowee from Liberia. The messages were clear:
1. 2,5 years ago, S.Sudan achieved its independence, but today, the world looks on with sadness as the current situation is abysmal - displaced persons, particularly women & children fear for their security and face lack of access to healthcare, education and proper food and shelter.
2. Women are not being included in mediation or monitoring efforts. The reason given by men in power is always "there are no qualified women", the panel demands that the qualifications are transparently listed because they believe that many of the men involved in the process would not meet these qualifications.
What the panel would like to see is:
- immediate attention to violence, both parties need to commit to stop violence
- constructive dialogue
- inclusive process - include women from the region in the mediation and monitoring teams
- increase humanitarian efforts to help displaced persons/ health
Nobel Peace Prize Laureat closed the session with some thoughts. She feels like this is deja vu, the issues talked about today have been faced by many other nations in conflict. The key is "not to be sorry afterwards, but to be sorry before and avoid the conflict alltogether. She urges women to not be victims, to take the process in their own hands, to take control of their fight and journey. She says women make up half of the population and "Until We Stop Looking at the World with One Eye ... ", we cannot expect different results.
My-Linh Kunst