From June to August 2010, the United Nations organized Open Days on Women, Peace and Security in conflict-affected areas. These extraordinary meetings were designed to enable direct dialogue between women’s peacebuilding organizations and women community leaders, and senior UN representation at the country level. The purpose was to seek women’s views on means of improving implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325. These open and inclusive forums for women peacebuilders and activists also provided the opportunity to deepen local ownership of the resolution.
At these meetings, women expressed their expectation that the United Nations will take advantage of the critical opportunity provided by the 10th anniversary of resolution 1325 to act as a partner and lead on women’s rights in conflict and post-conflict settings. At the launch of the Open Day events, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled the core message of the resolution, stating that “sustainable peace is possible only with women’s full participation — their perspectives, their leadership, their daily, equal presence wherever we seek to make and keep the peace.”
On 21 October 2010, the Global Open Day on Women, Peace and Security showcased the results of the 27 Open Day events that took place around the world. At the event, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was presented with the report Women Count for Peace: The 2010 Open Days on Women, Peace and Security and the Say NO to Sexual Violence against Women in Conflict petition, signed by more than 21,000 people around the world.
Women Count for Peace: The 2010 Open Days on Women, Peace and Security (2010). This forthcoming report provides an account of an extraordinary set of 25 meetings held in the summer of 2010 between women peace activists and senior United Nations leaders in conflict-affected countries. It details women’s perspectives on resolving conflict and building peace more effectively, identifies issues of common concern across different contexts — as well as areas of divergence — and makes proposals for improving international, regional and national efforts to protect women and promote peace.
The Open Days were organized by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Open Day News
- Women in the Gaza Strip Highlight the Impact of the Humanitarian Crisis (12.07.2010)
- Kenyan Women Share their Perspectives on Conflict Resolution (08.07.2010)
- Regional Consultation in Dushanbe on Women and Peace (28.06.2010)
- Powerful Messages to Speed International Commitments (24.06.2010)
- Pakistani Women Call for Action Plan on Security Council Resolution 1325 (15.06.2010)
- Afghan Women Concerned about Security and Justice (12.06.2010)
- Working for Sustainable Peace in Nepal by Addressing Social Injustice (11.06.2010)
- Peace Advocates in Guinea-Bissau Call for Gender-Sensitive Evaluation of Interventions (11.06.2010)
- Timor-Leste Women Call for Gender Parity in the Police (11.06.2010)
- At UN Consultations, Women Peace Advocates in Post-Conflict Countries Highlight Urgent Need to Engage Women in Peacebuilding (11.06.2010)
- Sudanese Women Call for Increased Representation in Decision-Making (10.06.2010)
- Somali Women Concerned about High Levels of Rights Violations (09.06.2010)
- Regional Conference on SCR 1325 Implementation Planned in West Africa (08.06.2010)
- National Action Plan on SCR 1325 Launched in Sierra Leone (08.06.2010)
- Kosovar Women Concerned about Economic and Social Security Issues (07.06.2010)
- Global Open Day for Women and Peace (07.06.2010)
