Relating UNSCR 1325 implementation to the Iraqi context, Suzan Aref emphasizes the urgent need for policies that cater to the needs of women locally. For her, this means that the implementation addresses long-term strategies for peace as well as provides immediate support for women on the ground. Suzan Aref is the Director of the Women Empowerment Organization in Erbil, Iraq.
This video is part of a series of 10 personal stories from women and men from around the world who work on gender-sensitive peacebuilding within their own communities. These stories are part of the joint action research project ‘Candid Voices from the Field: Obstacles to Delivering Transformative Change within the Women, Peace and Security Agenda’, coordinated by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and Cordaid. The aim is to uncover the deep-rooted issues that hamper women’s participation in peace efforts. Those interviewed participated in a global consultation meeting for the project that took place in The Hague from June 30 to July 2, 2015. The publication of our findings will be launched on October 23, 2015 in New York, coinciding with the anniversary of UNSCR 1325.
Read more about the Global Consultation
Read more about the Action Research
Jasmin Nario-Galace recounts how her childhood experiences with bullying and discrimination have fed her passion for peace and tolerance education. She emphasizes the importance of education for men and women as a tool to create and promote a culture of peace.
