Gender equality for peace and security - UN-Women briefing | United Nations

Briefing by Sima Sami Iskandar Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women, on the Women and peace and security.

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UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous expressed concern about “the potential effects of multiple recent decisions to shrink or close both peacekeeping and special political missions,” adding that “these decisions are made even as the number and intensity of conflicts and insecurity grow.”

Bahous briefed the Council today (07 Aug) on sustaining Women Peace and Security (WPS) commitments in the context of accelerated drawdown of UN peace operations.

The chief of UN Women said, “We recommend that the Security Council ensure that UN transitions safeguard gender equality gains and women’s meaningful participation in all possible ways. This includes doing so routinely through decisions and statements, in interactions with host governments and with any regional or subregional organizations undertaking peacekeeping support.”

Second, Bahous continued, “for the Council to continue to invite women from civil society to routinely brief and to provide analysis of their context from a gender perspective. And for the Informal Expert Group to conduct field visits to countries after the departure of a UN mission to monitor and report on the situation of women and girls so that this analysis can be included in decision making.”

She also said, “We recommend that the Security Council turn its attention more fully to financing. The role of the Peacebuilding Fund is essential for this as is stronger collaboration with international financial institutions.”

“In addition, all drawdowns should include plans to sufficiently allocate resources to women, peace and security work, to sustain gains made,” Bahous concluded.