Feminist Foreign Politics

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women has started it's16th grant cycle. Government authorities at the national and local levels, civil society organizations and networks and UN Country Teams in partnership with governments and civil society organizations are welcome to apply. Deadline is 19 January 2012, 23:59 EST (GMT -5).

Last week Pakistan has passed a bill to protect women's rights better. Anyone who forces a women into marriage or deny them inheritance will be sentenced to prison for 3-10 years or will have to pay a fine of about $6,000.

In the NATO Secretary General's report on implemening United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and related resolutions, the NATO explains their revised Policy. It is based on: operations; mainstreaming UNSCR 1325 in policies, programmes and documentation; cooperating with International Organisations, NGOs and civil society; education and training; public diplomacy; and national initiatives.

On the 28th of October 2011 the UN Security Council met for an open debate on Women, Peace and Security. Read the Review of UN Peacewomen and the Statements of the States and UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon on peacewomen.org.

In recent years, concepts of Transitional Justice have been becoming increasingly important in the context of coming to terms with societies’ past conflicts. The aim is to achieve reconciliation or at least an improvement in relations between the parties that were involved in the conflict, and to find a way for an often divided society to find peaceful forms of coexistence and thus prevent future conflicts.

This groundbreaking resolution sent a significant message to many countries,including Israel. The principles of the decision, which emphasize representation of women in peace negotiations and increased protection of women and children against violence in conflict situations, were found to be very relevant to the Israeli society.

Leymah Roberta Gbowee and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – both from Liberia – and Tawakkul Karman (Yemen), three outstanding women's rights and peace activists, have been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize.