Government of Japan pledges USD 2 million to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Sri Lanka

Date: Friday, September 20, 2019

The Government of Japan has committed USD 2 million to UN Women Sri Lanka to carry out the second phase of the ongoing programme titled “Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Sri Lanka”. This project is to be carried out with the integral support of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and will focus on women’s participation and empowerment in efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts.

Shifting perceptions of gender roles helps all conflict resolution, Timor-Leste group finds

Date: Friday, September 13, 2019

Whether it’s the role of women in the workplace or that of men in the home, shifting attitudes in Timor-Leste can support conflict prevention in several ways, according to local organization Belun. The group, founded in 2004, has been working with UN Women since 2017 as part of the Women, Peace and Security programme, with the generous support of the Government of Japan.

President to launch the Strengthening Peaceful Village project to support safer homes and villages free from domestic violence

Date: Friday, June 21, 2019

More than 90 people living in villages in South Tarawa are taking the lead to promote gender equality and to ensure safe and peaceful families and homes.

Breaking barriers and building bridges for women to reach new heights in the police

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Meet Timor-Leste’s first female municipal police commander, Superintendent Natercia E. S. Martins, who earned the rank within 10 years of service with the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL). Her motivation and zeal has propelled her career development forward. Recalling the many opportunities she was given to develop her capacity, inside and outside the country, she noted, “My full dedication to work and serving the institution has led me to receive training opportunities and promotions.” Just within the 10 years of her career, she was honored as a municipal police commander in the Liquica. Like many working women, she has balanced her role as a police officer alongside her role as a mother.

From where I stand: “Women are a part of society, and they can accomplish anything”

Date: Thursday, June 6, 2019

“In Bangladesh, I see issues like violent extremism, repression of women, and radicalism taking place more and more. This is why I work on the topic of women, peace and security with my NGO, SEED. Our activities in the community include a courtyard meeting with women’s groups. We discuss different issues. For example, today I will discuss sexual harassment and rising intolerance of different religions. If the community members come to me with a problem, I link them with law enforcement.

From where I stand: “Showing respect for the diversity of religion and caste in our community is the secret to being in harmony”

Date: Thursday, June 6, 2019

Kohinoor Begum, 47, is a member of Polli Shomaj, a community-based women’s group that discusses how to prevent violent extremism and resolve local disputes together with other members of the community. “My husband left me when I was pregnant with our only daughter, so I had to come back to my parents’ house. Since that day, I went through endless struggles to support my parents and daughter. I worked for long hours in multiple jobs such as tailoring, which my father had taught me to do.

From where I stand: “Good regulations alone are not enough if law enforcers cannot do their work without bias.”

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2019

“As a judge, I see every day the need for mindsets to change within the judicial community. A few years ago, some fellow judges told me they believed that women should not wear miniskirts, and women should not go outside of their homes at night because it is not safe. Some judges are still questioning whether sex workers can ever be victims. We are making significant progress in implementing a Supreme Court regulation on court procedures for cases involving women.

UN Women and Norway cooperate to support peace process in Myanmar through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325

Date: Friday, April 5, 2019

UN Women Myanmar with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Yangon is implementing the second phase of the project, ‘Centering Women and their Priorities in the Peace Process: Implementing the UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions’. Initiated in 2017, the programme will continue into 2020 with the aim of ensuring the implementation of the national commitments and accountability frameworks on the Women, Peace and Development Plans (WPDP) in south-eastern Myanmar.

Women and youths encouraged to counter extremist groups

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019

Extremist groups are increasingly targeting youths and using gender stereotypes as a tool in recruitment, so young people must take the lead in creating strategies to combat radicalization. On 19-21 March, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime organized a dialogue in Bangkok called, Promoting Peaceful Engagement: Learning from and Empowering the Youth on Preventing Violent Extremism. A total of 75 people from South-East Asian countries.

From where I stand: “I can share, I can speak, and I can teach.”

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019

“I used to have a rice field, but then I borrowed money and put my land as collateral to build a house. My husband did not help, so I had to find a way to pay the debt on my own. In the past, he was very violent, and I could not say anything. Even though I did not want to, I was considering leaving my daughter behind with my parents to migrate to Thailand to find work and pay my debts. Instead, I heard about a programme through CWCC.