Two Years On: What has happened since the passing of Security Council Resolution 1325

1. 1325 NEWS FOR PEACEWOMEN

NEWS FOR PEACEWOMEN NIGERIA: WOMAN SHOT DEAD DURING PROTEST AT TRANSNATIONALS' OFFICES
August 9th, 2002 (IRIN): One woman was shot dead last Thursday in Nigeria's southern oil town of Warri when groups of women protesters besieged the premises of oil transnationals Royal/Dutch Shell and ChevronTexaco, witnesses said. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9545. For another article relating to women¹s protests against ChevronTexaco in Nigeria, refer to: http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=3428 Support the women of the Niger Delta by writing to ChevronTexaco urging them to fulfill its part of the agreement that ended the siege on its oil terminal in Nigeria. http://www.seen.org/pages/urgent.shtml

UN POPULATION FUND REJECTS FALSE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT ITS WORK IN AFGHANISTAN
NEW YORK, 16 August (UNFPA) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today expressed outrage over false allegations made by the Population Research Institute (PRI) that the United Nations is funding èabortion campaignsî among Afghan refugees. èThis disinformation puts the lives of women, United Nations staff and international relief workers in dangerî, said Stirling Scruggs, Director of UNFPA¹s Information and External Relations Division. èNo United Nations agency has provided funding for abortion or forced sterilization in Afghan refugee camps or anywhere elseî, Mr. Scruggs said. èUNFPA is providing life-saving services, which are urgently needed, because one in 17 Afghan women dies during childbirth.î For more information please visit: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/afg204.doc.htm

For More News please see: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/newsindex.html

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2. ANALYSIS OF 1325: TWO YEARS ON: WHAT HAPPENED SINCE THE PASSING OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTON 1325?

Some notable advances have been made since the first anniversary of the resolution of the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security - a wide range of activities and initiatives have emerged from the UN system, governments and non-governmental organisations. It is important to continue documenting the projects and programs around SC Resolution 1325 to monitor the progress and ensure all governments, UN agencies and NGOs are playing there role to ensure the implementation of 1325. This newsletter is a critical starting point of having regular updates on initiatives around SC Resolution 1325.

***PeaceWomen is interested in updating the One Year On document to produce a Two Year On document which will describe activities, initiatives, publications and decisions taken since October 2001 around Security Council Resolution 1325. Please send your submissions for Two Year On to info@peacewomen.org ***

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security produced a document called One Year On, listing activities around Security Council Resolution 1325. The document describes the initiatives of Intergovernmental Bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations and Governments. One Year On can be found on-line at: http://www.peacewomen.org/un/UN1325/since1325.html or in pdf form at: http://www.international-alert.org/women/oneyron.PDF

SUMMARY OF ONE YEAR ON:

INITIATIVES BY INTERGOVERNMENTAL BODIES

European Commission -European Commission, November 2000: Resolution on Women and Peace Building & Report on women's involvement in peaceful conflict resolution submitted by Maj Britt Theorin (2000/2025(INI)

Council of Europe -Council of Europe, 20-21 September, 2001: The Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men, part of the Directorate General of Human Rights, organised a Seminar on the participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Strasbourg.

United Nations
- International Women's Day, March 8, 2001: Official celebration of International Women's Day, 8th March 2001 on Women, Peace and Security. - UN General Assembly, 15 November 2000: The General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children planning a signing conference in Palermo, Italy, from 12 to 15 December. It did so by adopting, without a vote, a related draft resolution. United Nations Security Council

-UN Security Council, 8th March, 2000: Statement by the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Chowdhury of Bangladesh, indicated that, "members of the Security Council recognize that peace is inextricably linked with equality between women and men. For the full text see: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2000/20000308.sc6816.doc.html

- UN Security Council Mission to the Great Lakes Region 15-26 May, 2001, Security Council members met with civil society organisations, including women's organisations. See the Report of the Security Council on the Mission for a brief mention. http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/missionreports/521e.pdf

- UN Security Council Mission to Kosovo 16-18 June, 2001 Press Release of Mission, Security Council expresses support for Kosovo Women NGOs stated that, "Representatives of Kosovo women¹s NGOs and civil society met last night with the President of the UN Security Council, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh, along with the ambassadors of Colombia, Jamaica, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

- UN Security Council June 2001: Report of the Mission to Kosovo: The Mission highlighted that a key factor in reconciliation efforts could be the role played by civil society, NGOs and women's group, who could prove helpful in reaching across the ethnic divide.

- UN Security Council Mission in Kosovo - UNMIK - UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, 11 January 2000 Establishment of the Gender Strategic Planning Group, as an inter-agency and multi-sectorial working group http://www.un.org/peace/kosovo/press/templ.pr.130.html

- UN Security Council Mission in East Timor - United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor - Gender Affairs Unit has done excellent work in the field. See under UN Department of Peace Keeping Operations for more details.

- UN Security Council, Second Arria Formula Briefing of by Women's NGOs, 30th October 2001

UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
- 19th March, CSW adopts resolution on discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan (documents E/CN/.6/2001/L.5 Rev.1)

Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, (OSAGI)
- Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security: In order to ensure collaboration and coordination throughout the United Nations system in the implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325, the Interagency Meeting on Women and Gender Equality, chaired by the Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women

- Ms Angela E.V. King. - Secretary-General¹s study and report: The Security Council resolution 1325 (para 16) invites the Secretary General to carry out a study on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, the role of women in peace-building and the gender dimensions of peace processes and conflict resolution, and further to submit a report to the Security Council based on the results of the study.

Division for the Advancement of Women
- 23-15 April 2001, Regional Consultation on Enhancing Women's Participation in Peace-building http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/news/ye23apr01.htm

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
- Independent Expert Assessment: To follow up Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, UNIFEM appointed two Independent Experts to assess the impact of armed conflict on women and women¹s role in peace building and present their findings by early 2002. The Independent Experts are: Elisabeth Rehn (Finland), former UN Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), former Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.

- UNIFEM¹s framework for action on women, peace and security and its country programmes: UNIFEM¹s work in the field of women, peace and security focuses on four main pillars:
1. Early warning and prevention: Understanding the impact of armed conflict on women UNIFEM provides policy support, information and gender analysis of the political, humanitarian and human rights dimensions of conflicts.
2. Improving protection and assistance for women: Women and girls are often neglected in the delivery of protection and assistance during conflict and in post-conflict reconstruction. UNIFEM helps mobilize humanitarian, psychosocial and economic assistance for women.
3. Making women and gender perspectives central to peace processes: UNIFEM supports women¹s participation in peace building, and helps to leverage the political, financial and technical support needed.
4. Gender justice in post-conflict peace building: As a central element of peace building, UNIFEM seeks to strengthen a gender focus in electoral, constitutional, legal, judicial and policy reform.

- Millennium Peace Prize: Together with International Alert, UNIFEM awarded four women and three organizations the first Millennium Peace Prizes for Women. The prizes, which carry a $5,000 stipend and an Oscar-like statue for organizations, and the statue alone for individuals, are awarded to "women who are bravely and effectively engaged in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and other forms of peace-building work, particularly at the grassroots level."

UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA)
- DPA¹s Under-Secretary-General and the Departmental Focal Points for Women met with Independent Experts, Elizabeth Rehn and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to discuss (i) the aims of the Independent Expert Assessments on the impact of armed conflict on women and on women¹s role in peace building (ii) the objectives of the planned assessment field trips and (iii) measures which could be taken by DPA and its field offices to support the efforts of the Experts and their staff.

- 18 April DPA invited a consultant with Star Network of World Learning to speak on "Effective peace-building at the community level The role of women and international long and short-term support" at a brown bag, which was chaired by one of the Department¹s Assistant-Secretary-Generals. The event generated much in-depth discussion among the participants, which included a visiting SRSG and other senior level DPA staff.

- April 23 25 - Two senior DPA staff participated in the "Regional Consultation on Enhancing Women¹s Participation in Peace-building" held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. - DPA Focal Points for Women are frequently included in substantive meetings convened by the Assistant-Secretary-General with senior staff in order to include a gender mainstreaming perspective in the department¹s substantive work.

- DPA¹s Focal Point for Women, at the request of one of the Department¹s Assistant-Secretary-Generals, submitted proposals for enhancing the Department¹s efforts with regard to gender mainstreaming.

- DPA¹s Focal Points for Women submitted to the Under-Secretary-General an assessment of the Department¹s gender mainstreaming efforts, which included a set of recommendations by which these efforts could be further strengthened. This assessment was based on their 2-year term in office.

United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
- Gender component: With respect to gender issues and peacekeeping, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations recognizes the importance of ensuring that a gender perspective is incorporated into all aspects of peacekeeping operations, and that ongoing attention needs to be given to the implementation of legislative mandates in this area. Therefore, the Department has, in its most recent budgetary request, asked for a dedicated capacity for gender issues in the Peacekeeping Best Practices Unit, with a view to ensuring that a gender perspective is interwoven into the Department¹s work.

- Policy: The Department¹s Plan of Action to implement resolution 1325, part of the system-wide Plan of Action, spells out the measures that the Department is taking or will take in the near future to mainstream gender in its activities, increase the participation of women in peacekeeping, increase the numbers of women at decision-making levels in field mission and consider the needs of women in its activities in the field.

- Training: The Department has prepared a training curriculum on gender awareness and sensitivity for military and civilian police. This has been field-tested in several missions. In collaboration with UNITAR, the Department is preparing a training course for civilian staff on the impact of armed conflict on women and children, which will include a module on gender awareness and sensitivity.

- Field gender affairs units/offices: The Department is also committed to establishing gender affairs offices/units in large multidimensional missions and gender focal points in smaller missions where gender units may not be merited. The missions in East Timor and Kosovo have been able to do a great deal to mainstream gender issues into the activities of each mission as both have dedicated Gender Affairs Offices.

- Status of Women: The Department has strengthened its commitment to appointing women to senior posts and at decision-making levels. The Department participates in the Secretary-General¹s Senior Appointments Group, which is responsible for selecting candidates for leadership positions in field missions. A roster of senior female candidates is maintained by DPKO. In addition, DPKO has urged contributing States to provide more women civilian police officers and military observers to serve in UN peacekeeping missions. - DPKO has ensured that a female gynaecologist or doctor is available to all UN staff in peacekeeping missions. All UN hospitals also must also be staffed and equipped to care for female patients.

- HIV/AIDS awareness has been made a responsibility of national medical units. UNAIDS and DPKO are also in the process of developing an awareness card in different local languages for uniformed peacekeepers where the peacekeepers code of conduct is integrated with HIV/AIDS awareness.

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- UN Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) The 2001 theme of the Inter-Agency Appeal was Women and War. Agencies aim to raise 2.26 billion for programmes to support women's humanitarian and peacebuilding needs in critical war zones. The UK government has pledged to top-up any shortfalls in the fundraising to ensure the target is met. Programmes are in: Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Great Lakes Region, Maluku Crisis, Northern Caucasus, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Eastern Europe, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa http://www.reliefweb.int/appeals/2001.html

- Opening statement by Kofi Annan. "The theme of today's launch is "women and war", in recognition of the special needs and contributions of women in emergency situations. Projects in the consolidated appeals focus not only on women's practical needs -- such as protection, food, health services and wood for fuel -- but also their strategic needs, for example the chance to play their rightful part in leadership and decision-making.

- Gender and Humanitarian Assistance Resource Kit - The Sub-Working Group (SWG) on Gender and Humanitarian Assistance was established by the IASC-WG in November 1998. This group had its first meeting in January 1999. It is co-chaired by WFP and UNICEF, with the participation of FAO, OCHA, OHCHR, UNHCR, UNDP, IOM, UNFPA, ICRC, IFRC, SCHR, WHO, ICVA, and InterAction. http://www.reliefweb.int/library/GHARkit/

Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Since the 1999 a new Senior Co-ordinator for Refugee Women/Gender Equality has been appointed, revitalizing UNHCR¹s commitment to advancing the rights of refugee women and promoting gender equality. At UNHCR's recent Executive Committee (1-5 October), the Senior Coordinator for Refugee Women and Gender Equality facilitated a panel on "Empowering refugee women as peace-builders".

- In Burundi, UN organizations, including UNHCR, sought to draw Burundian women into the peace-building process to ensure that their voices were heard. UNHCR has sponsored the participation of refugee women in the Arusha Peace process and similar initiatives are supported in the Manu River region in west Africa.

- At the local level, capacity-building to ensure that refugee women strengthen their peace-building skills is under way in several countries including Kenya and Uganda. In the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundian refugee women are participating in a non-violent conflict resolution and peace building project. It involves refugee women in educating the community in peace-building mechanisms and creates a forum for women to discuss issues such as peace and reconciliation.

- UNHCR's Senior Coordinator for Refugee Women and Gender Equity, the Protection Unit and the Evalutation Unit are engaged in a one year assessment being carried out by the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children to reviews policies and practices related to UNHCR's protection responsibilities vis-¦-vis women refugees and with regard to gender equality.

- The UNHCR Senior Coordinator for Refugee Women and Gender Equity and the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children co-sponsored a meeting of refugee women from around the world.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 will Develop generic Terms of Reference for gender specialists within human rights components of peace operations

- Monitor whether mechanisms are in place to protect the human rights of women and girls Develop gender sensitive guidelines for re-porting and documenting gender-based violence and for interviewing women and girls victims of sexual violence

- Monitor compliance by State parties through investigations carried out by Special Rapporteurs.

Department for Disarmament Affairs (DDA)
- In cooperation with the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender issues and the Advancement of Women (OSAGI), the DDA released an excellent set of briefing papers on gender and disarmament. http://www.un.org/Depts/dda/msg3.htm

- There are six briefing notes on: weapons of mass destruction, peace and disarmament, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, landmines, development and small arms which were launched on 14 March, 2001 http://www.un.org/Depts/dda/gender/14marilpf.htm

- The Department for Disarmament Affairs has included specific references to gender in its proposed programme budget for 2002-2003.

UN Department of Public Information (DPI)
- UN-TV has produced a wide range of UN in Action/CNN World Report programmes relevant to women's issues. Programmes related to the subject of women and peace and security focused on, migrant women; women and development; human rights for women refugees; women and politics; women in Palestine; and women and food security. World Chronicle TV interviews were conducted such topics as women at the peace table; protection of civilians in armed conflict; men and women victims of landmines; trafficking in women; and UNHCR monitors, who are mainly women, who are assisting refugees in Chechnya.

- Twice a week, the Department¹s daily live programme in English broadcasts feature items devoted exclusively to women¹s issues. Recent programmes produced by UN Radio have highlighted the issues of women and the AIDS epidemic; international initiatives to end trafficking in women; forced marriages; women at the peace table; violence against women; dowry and bride burning; human rights of women; women resolving conflict; the International Criminal Court and the concerns of women; the health situation of women in the occupied Palestinian Territory; and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Department plans to produce a mini-series about youth and women in the Palestinian Territories, which will be aired as part of UN Radio's 15-minute daily live broadcast in Arabic.

- The United Nations Chronicle has published a wide range of articles relevant to the subject of women and peace and security and will continue to do so. - The Department continues to widely disseminate the international instruments emanating from the Fourth World Conference on Women and the General Assembly special session "Women 2000", as well as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol. A booklet containing the texts of the documents emanating from the Fourth World Conference on Women and the General Assembly special session is being prepared for wide dissemination in the six official languages. The Department is producing a brochure containing the text of Security Council resolution 1325(2000) on women, peace and security in the six official languages.

- Recent DPI/NGO briefings relating to women, peace and security included a briefing on the GA special session "Women 2000", which focused on emerging issues, and trafficking in women. Related activities carried out by United Nations Information Centres and Services include briefings, press conferences, radio, and television programmes, seminars and exhibitions.

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INITIATIVES BY GOVERNMENTS:

- Inter-Congolese Dialogue: http://www.unifem.undp.org/pr_congodialogue.html Botswana's former President and current Facilitator of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, has urged the Congolese Parties, signatories to the Lusaka Agreement to ensure women's equal representation at the forthcoming Preparatory Meeting of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. - Canada (DFAIT) and the United Kingdom (DFID) government supported the development of a Gender and Peace Support Operations gender training initiative programme for military and civilian personnel in Peace Support Operations.

- Canada will conduct a three day course using the gender training initiative for a limited number of human

- Canada has established a Canadian Committee on Women, Peace and Security to set domestic priorities for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 and G8 commitments on Strengthening the Role of Women in Conflict Prevention.

- Canada: Gender and Foreign Policy Making, a discussion list hosted by the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development (from September 17 to October 15, 2001). This moderated on-line consultation is a forum where we can discuss the implications and impact of gender on the practice and development of Canadian foreign policy.

- UK: Oct 2001: A UK government mission from DFID met with relevant DPKO departments and OSAGI, DPA, DDA and UNIFEM to develop a strategy of support to the UN in mainstreaming gender throughout peacekeeping operations.

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INITIATIVES BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

- The NGO Working Group on Women and International Peace and Security was formed to push for the open session of the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security. Members have pooled their efforts, networks and expertise to spread the good news about Security Council Resolution 1325, and will continue to work towards ensuring its full implementation. The Coalition made Security Council Resolution 1325 into an attractive brochure and have distributed 15,000 of them around the world. - The NGO Working Group on Women and International Peace and Security, 22 October 2001: Discussion Session organised by the NGO working group relating to the implementation of Resolution 1325 as a tool for Peace building, Protection of Women & Prevention of Violent Conflict.

- Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery, Convened by VAWW-NET Japan, The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, Asian Centre for Women¹s Human Rights (ASCENT), December 2000: The Tokyo Tribunal 6-15 December, 2000 was a women's/people¹s initiative in partnership and solidarity with experts and international lawyers, to set a precedent for the prosecution of war crimes against women from the perspective of women's human rights and move towards a vision of a 21st century free of violence.

- Women's Caucus for Gender Justice: Public Hearing December 11, 2000: The one-day public hearing of testimonies of crimes from on-going war and conflict situations around the world immediately following the Tokyo Tribunal is an occasion to demonstrate that the crimes against the former ¨comfort women¹ during WWII are not isolated incidents specific to the events around WWII.

- International Alert, March 8, 2001: Women Building Peace Campaign, handed over 100,000 signatures from over 140 countries, signed by women, women's organisations and civil society groups working for peace and social justice, in suport of women's demands for protection, participation in decision making, and and end to impunity for crimes committed against women. Also gave Millennium Peace Prize, detailed in UNIFEM section above.

- International Alert, March 2001: 'Raising Women's Voices for Peacebuilding: Vision, Impact and Limitations of Media Technologies' by Dyan Mazurana and Susan McKay, published by International Alert.

- International Alert, July 2001: published, "Women, Peace and Security: A Policy Audit, from the Beijing Platform for Action to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Beyong, Sanam B. Naraghi-Anderlini - International Alert, September 2001: A meeting with the international donor community was held in London by International Alert. Hon. Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika was the key-note speaker on the theme of The Impact of Conflict on Women

- International Alert, October 2001 & On-going: International Alert develops a monitoring framework for core generic issues in Resolution 1325. This will be used in case-study countries (initially Nigeria, Southern Caucasus & Nepal).

- Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, Protection and Participation Project: The Women's Commission is carrying out an assessment to review policies and practices related to UNHCR's protection responsibilities vis-¦-vis women refugees and with regard to gender equality.

- Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, April 2001: Protection and Participation Project: In April 2001, the Women's Commission released "You Cannot Dance if You Cannot Stand: A Review of the Rwanda Women's Initiative and the UNHCR's Commitment to Gender Equality in Post-conflict Situations."

- July 2001: Adolescents and Children Affected by War: From May to July 2001, for the second in a series of four participatory studies with adolescents, the Women's Commission carried out a research study in Northern Uganda that involved 54 adolescent researchers and more than 20 adults from the community to identify key concerns facing adolescents and solutions to their problems as part of an international campaign to increase services and protection for and with adolescents affected by armed conflict.

- Women's Caucus of the International Action Network on Small Arms , July 2001 - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, July 2001: international seminar in Geneva on the Middle East Crisis, featuring women from all countries of the Middle East, and with a special focus on Security Council Resolution 1325

- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, October 2001: launch of the Peace Women project and website http://www.peacewomen.org, a centralised repository of information and links on women and peace.

- Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, The Gender-based Violence Initiative: the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children (WCRWC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are jointly administering an intensive two-year investigation of current resources and field practices related to international Gender-based Violence (GBV).

- Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, The Gender-based Violence Technical Assistance Project

- Peacekeeping Watch: August 2001: Women's Caucus for Gender Justice, Center for the Strategic Initiatives of Women and the Women's international League for Peace and Freedom launched Peacekeeping Watch.

- Violence Against Women in War day, 11 October 2001: panel and reception activities around a book edited by Anne Barstow, War's Dirty Secrets.

Previous Analysis done on the 1325 PeaceWomen E-news can be found on-line at http://www.peacewomen.org/news/1325News/1325ENewsindex.html

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3. FEATURE REPORTS FOR PEACEWOMEN:

The Network of East-West Women has the pleasure to present to you a report: Women and EU. An overview of attitudes and opinions of women from 10 EU Candidate Countries.

The report was developed as part of NEWW-Polska¹s activities in the project, èGender and Economic Justice in EU Accession and Integrationî, funded by UNIFEM. The Network of East-West Women-Polska has developed a ègender-sensitiveî analysis of the opinion polls run by Eurobarometer and by the OBOP (Public Opinion Research Center in Poland). This report presents the results from the ten Candidate Countries from the region of Central Europe and is focused on women. The primary aim of this report is to give an overview of how women from the Candidate Countries feel about various aspects of the European Union and how their opinions differ from men¹s point of view. NEWW - Polska decided to write the report focused on women because there is a lack of gender-disaggregated data and very often significant differences that exist in attitudes and opinions among women and men disappear in the general analysis.

NEWW-Polska wants to use the report in planning its future activities but it is also meant as a reference for other organizations working on EU and women. One can observe many significant differences in opinions, attitudes, expectation and knowledge about the issues connected with the European Union. An analysis of the expected role of the European Union in people¹s daily life in five years varies significantly when we look at women and men. Much more men than women declared that they would vote for EU membership in the referendum (65% of male vs. 57% of female).

Women are also much more undecided than men 24% (only 13% of males gave èdon¹t knowî answer) said that they don¹t know if they vote for or against EU membership in the referendum. That is the general trend, visible in the report that women much more often than men gave èI don¹t know or I have no opinion answersî. They are also more pessimistic and expect less from EU than men.

NEWW - Polska decided to write the report focused on women because there is a lack of gender disaggregated data and very often significant differences which exist in attitudes and opinions among women and men disappear in the general analysis. NEWW-Polska wants to use the report in planning its future activities but it is also meant as a reference for other organizations working on EU and women. One can observe many significant differences in opinions, attitudes, expectation and knowledge about the issues connected with the European Union. An analysis of the expected role of the European Union in people¹s daily lives in five years varies significantly when we look at women and men. Much more men than women declared that they would vote for EU membership in the referendum (65% of male vs. 57% of female). Women are also much more undecided than men are 24% (only 13% of males gave èdon¹t knowî answer) said that they don¹t know if they vote for or against EU membership in the referendum. The general trend in the report is that women gave the answer, èI don¹t know or I have no opinion answersî much more often than men did. They are also more pessimistic and expect less from EU than men do. According to the data, almost every citizen from the Candidate Countries is aware of the EU.

The results show that only one third of respondents feel very well or well informed about the enlargement and accession processes. This data significantly varies between women and men around ten percent less women than men feel very well or well informed about the EU processes. The report also attempts to identify what information about the EU is most interesting for women. It appears to be: the Euro, Youth policy, Social policy, Regional policy, Pre-accession funds and institutions of the European Union. The general trends observed in the research show that women are less aware of the European Union and its implications and they are more likely than men to lack an opinion. It shows the need of targeting women as a priority group for obtaining greater knowledge about the European Union, knowledge which will help women from the Candidate Countries successfully find their place in the new European reality. To see the whole text of the report, please click here www.neww.org.pl

NEWW-Polska¹s team (These are: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. NEWW-Polska is focusing in its activities on the regions of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Newly Independent States (NIS) and Balkans. With regard to the EU accession process, we are looking closer at those ten countries from CEE.

Gendering Demilitarization as a Peacebuilding Tool
Vanessa Farr, Bonn International Conversion Center (BICC) Paper 20, p18.
This report covers women and Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR). These activities are designed to facilitate disbanding military fighters and easing their transition back into society. They are often given priority at the cease of hostilities, as it is important to help former combatants settle into peacetime occupations. The DDR process is covered in paragraph 13 of Security Council Resolution 1325 that èEncourages all those involved in the planning for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration to consider the different needs of female and male ex-combatants and to take into account the needs of their dependentsî.

The report can be found at: http://www.bicc.de/general/paper20/content.html

èWomen¹s Rights Violations During the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from August 2, 1998 to September 30, 2001î
Lisette Banza Mbombo and Christian Hemedi Bayolo The International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
This Report documents the horrors endured by war-affected women during a three-year period of an ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report is divided into two parts. The first offers a commentary on the situation of Congolese women in the context of the current armed conflict, and lays out the conditions for their effective participation in the ongoing peace process. The second part consists of appendices presenting the views of Congolese women on the suffering they have experienced, followed by a series of tables listing specific cases illustrative of the acts of violence committed. The two authors call for the establishment by the United Nations of independent commissions of inquiry to "determine the full magnitude of the violence, and identify all those responsible, regardless of their status (political, military, civilian, official, non-official, national or foreign)... considering the gravity of the facts presented in this paper".

[Full report in English at: http://www.ichrdd.ca/frame.iphtml?langue=0]
[Full report in French at: http://www.ichrdd.ca/frame.iphtml?langue=1]

(This Item is Delivered to the English Service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. Web: http://www.irinnews.org.)

Weaving consensus: the Papua New Guinea-Bougainville Peace Process Conciliation
The Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001 brought to a definitive end the most violent conflict in the South Pacific since the Second World War. Triggered in part by disputes between indigenous local landowners and the international proprietors of the world's largest copper mine, violent resistance met an abusive response from the PNG security forces, resulting in a decade of displacement, death and violence. As the already diverse island society fractured, further violent internal conflicts erupted between different Bougainvillean groups. This publication, produced in collaboration with the Bougainville Inter-Church Women's Forum, documents an array of innovative peace initiatives that succeeded not only in ending the organized violence but also in weaving back together the diverse social fabric of Bougainville. This resource can be found on the web at: http://www.c-r.org/accord/accord12

For a comprehensive annotated bibliography of books, articles and analyses on women's peace theory and activities, as well as NGO position papers, reports, speeches, statements and tools for organizational building, please go to: http://www.peacewomen.org/resources/resindex.html

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4. CALENDAR EVENTS FOR PEACEWOMEN

The Women and Cuba Collaboration invites you to participate in our annual women¹s delegation to Cuba and Mexico October 2-14, 2002
Participate in the 9th AWID International Forum on Women's Rights & Development, Re-thinking Globalization. The AWID Forum will bring together over one thousand women from around the world to develop strategies, share ideas and build skills for gender equality. Policy makers, grassroots activists, students and researchers will consider not only the economic, but also the political, social, ecological and cultural implications of a globalizing world on women's lives. For more information contact Cindy Domingo (206/782-2565 or gomojo@earthlink.net) or Jan Strout (206/547-0940 or janstrout@msn.com) or visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/frame/calendar/cuba.html

2002 Women Waging Peace Americas Regional Meeting November 1-9, 2002
The fourth annual colloquium will be held at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 1-9, 2002. For more information about the regional meetings or colloquium, please contact Meghan Camirand at: Meghan_Camirand@huntalternatives.org. http://www.womenwagingpeace.net/content/whatwedo/rmtgs/index.asp From: AWID Resource Net, Announcements / Issue 125, Wednesday, August 21, 2002.

International Course: Gender and Peace Building, San Jose, Costa Rica November 18-24, 2002 / Application Deadline: October 8, 2002.

* Curso Internacional (en inglŸs): "GŸnero y Construcci¼n de Paz" / San JosŸ, Costa Rica / 18 al 24 de noviembre de 2002 / Plazo: 8 de octubre de 2002. Este curso aunarð a no mðs de treinta participantes de una variedad de disciplinas y con diferentes contextos y experiencia. Para mayores informes, visite la pðgina Web: http://www.upeace.org.

* Cours international (en anglais): ëLe genre et la construction de la paix¸ / San Jose, Costa Rica / 18 au 24 novembre, 2002 / Date limite: 8 octobre, 2002. Pour tous renseignements, veuillez visiter la page Web: http://www.upeace.org. The International Course on Gender and the Challenge of Peace Building is an advanced one-week course organized by the Gender and Peace Studies Department at the University for Peace in collaboration with its international partners, including the University of Jyv¥iskyl¥ in Finland. The course will be given at the main campus of the University for Peace in San JosŸ, Costa Rica. For more information, including application procedures, please visit the UPEACE Website at: http://www.upeace.org.

For more calendar events please visit: http://www.peacewomen.org/frame/calendar/calendar.html

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5. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PEACEWOMEN

Convening the Women's Caucus for the Johannesburg Meeting
At meetings of the CSD and preparatory meetings to the Earth Summit 2002, the meetings of the Women's Caucus are convened by the Women's Environment and Development Organisation:
WEDO
355 Lexington Ave, 3rd floor New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel:+1.212.9730325 Fax: +1.212.9730335
Email: june@wedo.org Web: www.wedo.org
Contact person: June Zeitlin

Women's Caucus to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development: 2000 - 2002
The CSD NGO Women's Caucus The CSD Women's Caucus is picking up the challenge of the process towards 2002, aiming to ensure gender mainstreaming of all decisions to be taken. The caucus is a working group of women and men who are interested in and working towards the mainstreaming of gender into sustainable development policies and practical implementation strategies. The caucus works towards the recognition and adequate action on gender-related aspects of sustainable development issues by providing information and research as well as lobbying on recommendations based on up-to-date analyses and consultation within the caucus. The CSD Women's Caucus grew out of the 1991 Miami Conference, organized by WEDO, and its outcome document Women's Action Agenda for a Healthy Planet. The women's caucus meets at the CSD Sessions, organizes side events and takes part in other caucus to ensure gender mainstreaming of NGO work. We lobby on the basis of position papers developed beforehand, make statements in negotiations and work on line-by-line amendments to text being negotiated. In between CSD Sessions, caucus members communicate via email, phone, fax, and post. We operate an open list server to prepare our positions and lobbying strategies, networking globally with interested organisations and individuals. More information on the Women¹s Caucus can be found at: http://www.earthsummit2002.org/wcaucus/2002/2002.htm

For an extensive database of organizations worldwide working on women and peace issues, go to: http://www.peacewomen.org/contacts/conindex.html

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Best Wishes,

PeaceWomen Team

******* ******* ******* *******
PeaceWomen Team Program Associates, Peace Women Project
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
United Nations Office 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA
Ph: 1 212 682 1265 Fax: 1 212 286 8211
email: info@peacewomen.org web: www.peacewomen.org