New Delhi, 29 Sep 2015: Women leaders of Northeast India met last week in Delhi at an international conference titled “South Asian Women’s Peace and Security Conference: Formulating National Action Plans & the Way Forward”, that was held on 21 and 22 September 2015 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
The Conference was inaugurated by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Honourable Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and attended by Ms Teresita C Daza, Ambassador of the Philippines; Mr. Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh; Mr Cesare Onestini, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to India and representatives from UN Women, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Women leaders across the eight states of Northeast India namely Ms Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and Secretary General, Control Arms Foundation of India; Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu, Associate Professor, Nagaland University, Nagaland; Prof. Lalneihzovi, Mizoram University, Mizoram; Ms Pratibha Brahma, Member of North East Research & Social Work Networking, Bodoland, Assam; Ms. Agnes Kharshiing, President, Civil Society Women’s Organization, Meghalaya; Ms Rose Mangshi,President of Kuki Women Union, Manipur and Ms S Momon, Meira Paibi Leader, Manipur.
The meeting called upon the following appeal and resolved with a draft National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security of India:
- Call upon the Government of India for the formulation of National Action Plans on Women, Peace, Security.
- Honor India’s international commitment to Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR)1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106 and 2122 and to enact legislation for the same.
- Inclusion of more women in electoral processes, judiciary, police forces, economic decision making and other decision making processes for a more gender balanced equitable society
- Develop gender sensitization training of security personnel deployed in disturbed areas
- Inclusion of more women in peace talks and peace processes for a better gender perspective in peace negotiations
- Appeal to all ethnic groups, communities in to rise above the greater common goal of peace and prosperity for all . Women across ethnic, community, religion, state lines to unite to work together to make this possible.
- Adequate protection for women human right defenders
- Reformation of Customary Law for inclusion of more women in decision making
- Recognition and honoring of contribution of women in cultural and social processes,
- Inclusion of Peace Education in Educational Curriculum
- Recognition of women role in peace processes and ensuring the participation of women as decision makers in peace negotiations and present and post conflict reconstructions by both the Central and State Governments.
- The reformation of the security sector, involving a boosted morality especially when it comes to the protection of women by increasing the amount of female police officers in the stations and guaranteeing their presence at all arrests of women.
- For all women to work on a shared vision, through re-establishing relationships, networking and interacting with other workers in the regional, national or international level
- To build a positive peace starting from developmental aspects.
- To work towards empowering women survivors of any form of violence with emphasis on economic justice and rights.
- Till the state builds a dedicated capacity for restoring governance, stability, development and rule of law in disturbed areas, the armed forces leadership will have to constructively engage with the state and civil society in the disturbed areas.
The views forwarded by the speakers, along with insights from other experts and social activists, were also embedded in the draft national action plan on Women Peace and Security for India. Speakers also called for acceleration of the empowerment of women at all levels of peace processes; adequate services for displaced women and rehabilitation of victims of gender-based violence; and zero tolerance of sexual abuse by peacekeepers. During discussions all stressed to the importance of highlighting women’s role as actors and change agents, not just as victim, and stated “Without the inclusion of women in all aspects of life, whether political or in the economy, there can be no sustainable peace and no sustainable development”.
A memorandum on the issue of women, peace and security in India and urging for a National Action Plan was submitted to Union Minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
The conference was organised on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which recognizes that including women and gender perspectives in decision-making can strengthen prospects of sustainable peace. The event was organised by Control Arms Foundation of India in collaboration with Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network (MWGSN).
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Control Arms Foundation of India
B 5 / 146, First Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi – 110 029, India,
Website: www.cafi-online.org, Phone: +91-11-46018541, Fax: +91-11-26166234
