Women | Tools | Technology: Building Opportunities and Economic Power
Ashoka’s Changemakers, ExxonMobil, and The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) have issued a global challenge for innovations which enable women to access and use the power of tools and technology to expand their opportunities for economic advancement. See Women | Tools | Technology for competition details and deadlines.

Women ONE2ONE
Women ONE2ONE is a growing voice made up of people who know that maternal health, girls’ education, economic opportunity and women’s empowerment are key to fighting poverty and preventable disease for everyone. This campaign recognizes women as change-makers, community-builders and peace builders. Harness your power to connect, take action and shape the future. Learn more about Women ONE2ONE.

Women for Women International
Join Me on the Bridge
To honor the resilience of millions of women survivors of war around the world, Women for Women International is hosting a global campaign called Join Me on the Bridge on International Women’s Day: March 8, 2010. Women from Rwanda and Congo will come together in peace on a bridge between their countries to demand an end to war and to demonstrate that women can build the bridges to peace and development. At the same time and in solidarity, women (and men!) will come together on bridges throughout the world, creating a truly global movement that says NO! to war and YES! to peace and hope. Learn more about Join Women on the Bridge.

On October 16, along with Allida Black, project director of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers of George Washington University, Vital Voices co-hosted Somali parliamentarian and women’s advocate Asha Hagi during a roundtable discussion entitled, ‘Women’s Vital Voices in Peacekeeping’. Hagi will serve as an expert panelist during the Education and Empowerment session at Vital Voices’ upcoming Human Rights Summit, ‘The Courage to Lead’, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. Co-founder and current Chair of Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC), the Nobel Peace Prize nominee has served as a remarkable voice for women’s rights in a nation destabilized by violent and divisive clan warfare. When civil war broke out in 1991 following the ousting of dictator Siad Barre, Somali society was torn apart by inter-clan fighting that left women without an identity of their own, for they were defined in accordance with birth clan or marriage clan loyalties. Since she was part of an inter-clan marriage, Asha Hagi felt that she was neither part of one clan nor the other, she explains:

“I had no full identity…I realized what I needed most, what women needed most, was the womanhood identity.”

Resolved that women must be involved in peacekeeping negotiations, Hagi advocated for the formal recognition of Somali women’s identity and rights, an innovative concept in the state. Recognizing that clans had a legitimacy that women did not, Hagi and her fellow activists formed the Sixth Clan, a clan created entirely for Somali women, regardless of other clan associations. With great struggle and effort, the Sixth Clan was officially recognized in 2000 and Hagi was the first woman to be given a seat at peacekeeping negotiations during the Arta peace talks.

A veritable pioneer of women’s rights and empowerment in Somalia, Hagi shared in her address to the human rights advocates and NGO representatives gathered that she has refused to allow women to be viewed as victims, despite the oppressive circumstances they face. In what has been regarded as “a bloodless revolution,” the movement for women’s equality in Somalia has begun to “change [women’s] lives through giving them a political voice,” said Hagi.

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October 1 – Presiding Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Kerry (D-MA) joined Senators Ted Kaufman (D-DE) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in holding a hearing entitled ‘Violence Against Women: Global Costs and Consequences’, marking “the first time that violence against women, on a global scale, has been the subject of a hearing of the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” Senator Kerry said. On this “ground-breaking occasion,” as described by the Chairman, Senator Kerry announced that he plans to introduce the ‘International Violence Against Women Act’ (IVAWA). This bill intends to extend the principles of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a bill with domestic focus passed in 1994, to the global sphere. Kerry explained:

“[IVAWA is] designed to put the machinery of our government to work on reducing global violence against women.”

Testimonies were heard from two panels, the first of which included Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp. In her comments, Ambassador Verveer insisted, “the momentum is building for us to be able to make a clear and concrete difference in the lives of women and girls who are affected by gender-based violence.” Ambassador Rapp spoke on violence perpetrated against women and girls in conflict zones, suggesting that “internationalized mechanisms” are needed for prevention efforts and stating adamantly, “rape itself can be an act of genocide.”

The second panel consisted of various experts including Major General Patrick Cammaert, Deputy President of the International Crisis Group Donald Steinberg, President of the International Center for Research on Women Dr. Geeta Gupta, and President and Founder of the Family Violence Prevention Fund Esta Soler. Major General Cammaert, who has firsthand witnessed the brutality in conflict regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, said that sexual violence is “cheaper than bullets, more silent than bombs,” and thus increasingly a choice tactic for warring rebels. Mr. Steinberg shared his experience of peace negotiations in Angola, expressly stating that peace agreements have and will continue to fail if women are not included in peacebuilding processes. Dr. Gupta and Ms. Soler both noted the critical importance of engaging men and boys in a global effort to eradicate violence against women and girls. Domestic initiatives such as Coaching Boys into Men, which has proved very effective, must be scaled-up as part of a global commitment, said the experts. Ms. Soler urged that it is essential that a comprehensive, cohesive plan be implemented to address violence against women:

“It is time for a bold and transformative initiative…violence against women is an emergency every day.”

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President Barack Obama secured Tuesday a summit meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting, which took place on the margins of a major UN conference, was the first between the two leaders since December, when negotiations fell apart during the three-week Gaza war. President Obama remarked following the meeting, “My message to these two leaders is clear: despite all the obstacles, all the history, all the mistrust, we have to find a way forward.”

Eight months ago Mr. Obama recommitted the U.S. administration to advancing the peace process to achieve a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking in Cairo on restarting American relations with the Muslim world, President Obama promised that his administration would prioritize finding a solution to the conflict. “I intend to personally pursue [a two-state solution] with all the patience and dedication that the task requires,” the President told a hopeful crowd at Cairo University. His appointment of former senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy to the Middle East parallels the plan forwarded by Vital Voices to leverage leaders with critical experience working toward a solution to the Troubles in Northern Ireland to help train and inspire advocates of peace in Israel. The Young Women Leaders Building Peace and Prosperity was conceived through the same notion held by Sen. Mitchell when he remarked, “There’s no such thing as a conflict that cannot be ended. Conflicts are created conducted and sustained by human beings. They can be ended by human beings.” It is the goal of Vital Voices to invest in young women in Israel who will work together to create a foundation for Middle East peace.

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In a recent opinion piece featured in the Christian Science Monitor, Rachel Brown sets forth a case for women’s involvement in peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Brown describes female representation in peace talks as “inadequate,” and insists that a change must be made since women and children ultimately bear the brunt of violence. The author further posits that the contribution of women towards building a sustainable peace in the region is nothing short of essential.

Read the full article: Middle East peace effort’s missing key: female negotiators- The Christian Science Monitor

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton in Goma. Vital Voices Honoree Chouchou Namegabe first from left. (Photo: U.S. Department of State's Photostream)

In the realization of a pledge to address pervasive sexual violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Secretary of State Clinton unveiled a $17 million initiative on August 11 to combat the gender-based violence that she referred to as “evil in its basest form,” as The New York Times reports. Through the plan, the American government will “help train gynecologists, supply rape victims with video cameras to document violence and dispatch military engineers to help train Congolese police officers to crack down on rapists.”

During a meeting with doctors and human rights advocates in Goma, Secretary Clinton commented:

“This problem is too big for one country to solve alone.”

The Secretary further added that in discussions with Congolese President Kabila, she pressed the leader to take necessary steps to protect civilians and facilitate the safe return of internally displaced persons.

John Prendergast of the Enough Project, a group addressing genocide, praised Secretary Clinton’s visit and said that U.S. engagement with the conflict in Congo must also address the root causes of the war, believed to be tied with economic interests and the illicit mineral trade of coltan: “The U.S. should work with the electronics industry to trace audit and certify this trade, and pressure neighboring states like Rwanda to stop smuggling. Like with the blood diamonds that fuel wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Angola, until the economic driver for conflict is addressed, there is no chance for peace.”

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Deputy UN Police Advisor Ann-Marie Orler recently pressed for UN peacekeeping missions to actively enlist more women officers, citing positive examples of forces in Timor-Leste, Liberia, Kosovo, Southern Sudan, Haiti, Burundi and Sierra Leone, where specialized units focus on gender-based violence. Orler further noted:

“The equal participation of female police officers at all levels of the United Nations…empowers the female population in reporting cases of sexual and gender-based crimes.”

Read the full story: UN peacekeeping missions urged to bolster number of women police officers- UN News Center

In an address before the United Nations Security Council on August 7, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the body for holding a discussion on women, peace and security, and called for a “focus on concrete actions.” The Secretary-General informed the Council that he is “in discussions with UN System partners on appointing a new senior system-wide official to address sexual violence.” Further, he urged that the Council “immediately authorize the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry” to investigate the use of rape as a weapon of war, specifically within ongoing conflict situations in the African nations of Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan.

The proposed commission would be tasked with recommending “the most effective mechanisms to ensure accountability” for “egregious crimes” of sexual violence. Ban Ki-moon went on to urge that the General Assembly conclude its deliberations over the creation of a UN institution dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, pressing that action be taken without further delay. He concluded his statement by emphasizing the need for unity of purpose and realized commitment:

“Victims of sexual violence are among the world’s most vulnerable and traumatized people. For the sake of these innocent women and men, their families and their societies, we must come together and act. That will help victims of war-torn countries and set our world on a course for a better future.”

New York, 7 August 2009 - Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council on women, peace and security

Ban calls for independent inquiry into use of rape as weapon in African wars-UN News Center

The United Nations Security Council meets this morning, August 7, to revisit the issue of women in conflict and women’s role in peacebuilding. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a statement regarding the meeting, in which the organization urges that the Security Council “establish a high-level post to fill a leadership gap relating to women and armed conflict.” HRW describes the creation of such a position as integral to the promotion of equal participation by women in peace talks, as well as the furthering of protections for women against the sexual violence that often pervades conflict.

The UN’s recognition of women’s positive role in peacebuilding has not translated into equitable representation in the field; of 23 leaders in UN peacekeeping missions, four are currently women, according to the UN Peacekeeping Operations website. Marianne Mollmann, women’s rights advocate at HRW, comments on the underrepresentation of women in the peacekeeping field:

“The leadership vacuum on women and armed conflict has enormous consequences. Where women have been more directly involved in peace processes, the negotiated solutions have been more likely to include the concerns of society as a whole.”

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On July 28, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognized the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for its classification of rape as a form of genocide. The ICTR is presently holding hearings for individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide committed during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Ban Ki-moon reiterated the finding of the ICTR, insisting that the sexual violence perpetrated in Rwanda was “a step in the process of group destruction of the spirit, of the will to live, and of life itself,” as AllAfrica news reports.

The Secretary-General went on to describe an alarming trend: “In a number of contemporary conflicts, sexual violence has taken on particularly brutal dimensions, sometimes as a means of pursuing military, political, social and economic objectives.” Ban Ki-moon expressed concern with the “inadequacy of measures to prevent sexual violence” and further called for the ratification of international human rights treaties to address impunity.

Africa: UN Chief Hails Recognition of Rape as a Form of Genocide-AllAfrica News