Conflicting Identities: The Nexus between Masculinities, Femininities and Violent Extremism in Asia

Date: Monday, March 30, 2020

Violent extremism has emerged as one of the leading challenges to the realization of sustainable peace globally. Across South and South-East Asia, violent extremism poses a direct threat to inclusive development by fuelling intolerance, forcibly displacing communities, exacerbating cycles of insecurity and armed conflict, exploiting existing inequalities, and obstructing the enjoyment of human rights and the rule of law. Underpinning this violence are gender stereotypes that are used to radicalize and recruit men and women, as well as girls and boys, to violent extremist groups.

Women Peace and Security, and Covid-19 In Asia-Pacific

Date: Monday, March 30, 2020

In countries across Asia-Pacific, the response to COVID-19 is escalating with serious implications for peace and security, and the rights of women and girls. The enactment of national emergency powers, introduction of military checkpoints and lockdowns, closed borders, and restrictions on citizens’ movement and speech, all mirror a governance context similar to that of a conflict setting. This brief introduces the issue, presents considerations of the implications of COVID-19 in the women, peace and security agenda and offers some recommendations on the way forward.

Programme Brief: Extractive Industries, Gender and Conflict in Asia Pacific

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020

The exploitation of oil and mineral deposits is becoming more intensive across Asia and the Pacific. Rapid industrialization and the development of technologies have led to new large-scale mines and discoveries of ore deposits throughout the region. These new technologies also mean that extraction can take place in sensitive, remote and unstable environments – the same environments that are often sites of recent or ongoing conflict.

Chega! Women for Peace – A Manual to Understand the UNSCR 1325

Date: Friday, February 14, 2020

Designed for adult learners, it provides trainers & leaders with culturally appropriate tools and expertise to deliver the principles of two important documents on peace building in Timor-Leste; The National Action Plan (NAP) on the UN Security Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security) and the Chega! Report (the final report of Timor-Leste’s Truth and Reconciliation Reception).The manual also compliments other training manuals which focus on the transmission of more specific skills in leadership, mediation, conflict resolution, and trauma healing.

Improving the Lives of Women Survivors in Timor-Leste

Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020

The research report provides an insight into the lives of 77 women survivors across three municipalities, Baucau, Covalima and Ouecusse; and shows results from Participatory Action Research (PAR) that many women survivors remain vulnerable because of existing inequalities, such as limited access to social assistance, information, and their rights, which then restricts their ability to meet their needs and escape conditions of economic vulnerability. To address these issues, ACbit concludes with five recommendations to present to the Government, civil society groups and the community in 2020.

The Peace Village Initiative: Women Leading Peace in Indonesia

Date: Monday, November 4, 2019

The Peace Village Initiative is a women-led initiative to promote peaceful and resilient communities. The idea of Peace Villages was conceived by UN Women and the Indonesian NGO Wahid Foundation, and implemented under UN Women’s regional programme “Empowered Women, Peaceful Communities”, funded by the government of Japan. There are now ten Peace Villages across Indonesia, and the idea continues to spread.

The National Police of Timor-Leste Gender Strategy 2018-2012

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Developed by the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) through a participatory process involving a wide range of stakeholders from within and outside of the PNTL Gender Cabinet, the National Police of Timor-Leste Gender-Strategy (2018-2020) complements the PNTL Strategy to support a professional, trust­worthy and inclusive police force. The five-year Strategy, approved by the General Commander and launched on 16 August 2018, highlights the multiple challenges that Timorese women face in the...

Misogyny & Violent Extremism: Implications for Preventing Violent Extremism

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Many analysts see terrorism and violent extremism as a part of a “man’s world”. Mostly men engage in violent acts; men lead groups like Islamic State or the Ku Klux Klan and tend to be the main protagonists of “lone wolf” attacks. As a result, men’s extremist violence is normalised, while women are stereotyped as non-violent. Because of this bias, violent extremism conducive to terrorism has been insufficiently analysed from a gender perspective.

Women on the Outside: The female spouses of men incarcerated for terrorism in the Philippines

Date: Thursday, September 5, 2019

The research found that common problems existed within the families, including psychosocial and socio-economic vulnerabilities, a lack of access to justice, and no gender-sensitive religious or other platforms for support. The research concludes that these issues must be addressed. Minimizing stigma toward the wives of men detained on terror-related charges and supporting them to prevent the radicalization of their children can limit their vulnerability to engaging in violent extremist activity themselves.

Gender Considerations in Preventing Violent Extremism: Perspectives from Women’s Groups and Civil Society in the Philippines

Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019

[Policy Brief] In early 2019, UN Women in the Philippines convened conversations with a total of 32 male and female community peace advocates from women’s groups and civil society organizations. These leaders, from around the Bangsamoro, provided their perspectives on violent extremism and their recommendations for strengthening gender considerations as a method for preventing violent conflict going forward.