In focus: Women, peace and security

[ad_1]
On 20 October, 2022, the UN Security Council will convene for the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (watch it live at 10 AM EST). Guided by briefings from the UN Secretary-General, the Executive Director of UN Women and representatives from civil society, this annual event provides a forum for reviewing the women, peace and security agenda—a key part of UN Women’s mandate.
This year’s debate comes at a moment in which global security—and the role played by women in promoting and maintaining it—is deteriorating. Military spending has reached an all-time high of USD 2.1 trillion; at the same time, funding for women’s organizations in conflict-affected countries is shrinking. So is the percentage of women in peace negotiations—now at a measly 19 per cent in UN-led processes.
Indeed, as the intersecting crises of rising conflict, COVID-19 and climate change threaten global well-being, recent progress on gender equality has already been a casualty. This global regression on women’s rights has been coupled with heightened violence against women human rights defenders—including those involved in UN peace and security processes: since 2018, more than a third of briefers at the Security Council assisted by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security have been subjected to reprisals and intimidation.
[ad_2]
Read More