/ Women, Peace and Security
One of cfd's aims is that women should be full partners in decision-making processes for peace. cfd lobbies for the implementation of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council. This obliges all actors to ensure the participation of women on all levels of conflict management and peace building as equal partners, as well as to consider perspectives of women when negotiating or implementing any peace agreements.
Breaking the Code
On the 4th anniversary of the UNO Resolution 1325 concerning women, peace and security, the cfd joined forces with the Swiss section of Amnesty International and Heks, lancing a postcard campaign titled 'der code ist nicht geheim – UNO-Res. 1325' (there is no secret code - UNO-Res. 1325).
On International Women's Day, Tuesday 8 March 2005, representatives of these organisations were joined by 150 women to hand over 7'000 signed postcards to the Swiss Federal Council, challenging the Council to consistently implement the Resolution: the interests, needs and experience of women should be taken seriously, even when they challenge the economic or military interests of Switzerland. In addition to this, they demanded support for local women's peace initiatives and preventive action against all forms of violence.
Taking the signed postcards from a safe that opened with a code numbered 1325, the organisers handed them to a member of the Federal Council while stating their demands to Vice-Chancellor Hanna Muralt Müller.
Clearly Articulated Demands
During violent conflict, women take on many different roles and tasks, e.g. as heads of families, as victims of violence, in particular of sexual violence, as soldiers and fighters, or as activists and politicians working for peace. Women thus have a broad spectrum of experience, as well as specific and varied needs and interests that must be considered in conflict management processes. Women should therefore contribute to the political debate on peace and security.
/ We challenge all members of the Federal Council to take the experiences, needs and interests of women seriously, and to keep them in mind within the contexts of Swiss peace, development and economic policies.
In many regions of the world, women are still largely excluded from the official political arena, as well as from peace negotiations and conflict management. For example, in Palestine and Israel, women representing the Israeli organisation Bat Shalom and the Palestinian organisation Jerusalem Center for Women have been fighting for the right to participate in peace negotiations for a long time - so far without success.
/ We challenge all members of the Federal Council to actively support the participation of women in peace processes and negotiations. Following her own initiatives for 'good practice', Switzerland should ensure that the women of the participating states, groups or conflict parties are adequately represented.
The widespread availability of weapons of all kinds increases the incidence of inter-state violence, as well as inner-state violence and civil conflict. Armed conflict also leads to a massive increase in sexual violence towards women and girls. The protection of women and girls from all forms of violence, as stipulated in Resolution 1325, cannot be guaranteed as long as the distribution of war material and small arms continues unhindered.
/ We demand that the Federal Council refrains from dealing in arms with states that do not respect Human Rights, in particular the Rights of Women, and that it should not condone any such deals by other states.
/ During the past year, Swiss exports of war material reached their highest level in 16 years. We challenge all members of the Federal Council to put an end to this development now.
When conflicts become violent, it is often too late for civil conflict management methods. Civil procedures that involve all parties, especially women, must therefore play an important role in the prevention of violence.
In conflict resolution, as well as in humanitarian aid, women are frequently marginalised or 'forgotten'. For example, teams of doctors often lack gynaecologists and midwives, and women are often subjected to sexual violence in refugee camps.
/ We challenge all members of the Federal Council to ensure that the Swiss contributions to humanitarian aid pay attention to the particular needs of women and girls, and that they guard against their sexual exploitation.
The Federal Council has recognised Resolution 1325 as a 'fundamental document in Swiss politics'. In addition to this, Switzerland is a member of the 'Friends of Resolution 1325'. We applaud this. As a member of this group and the UNO, Switzerland can actively support the consistent implementation of UNO Resolution 1325.
/ We challenge all members of the Federal Council to take this implementation seriously and to actively support it, even when Swiss economic or military interests might be affected.
The comprehensive implementation of Resolution 1325 concerning women, peace and security can not be achieved by one department alone. The economic, military, defence and peace policies of the various governing bodies must combine to effectively shape a coherent and consistent political approach to all matters concerning women, peace and security.
/ We challenge all members of the Federal Council to give the implementation of Resolution 1325 highest priority and to harmonise the approaches of the various departments. Contrary policies, such as economic policies that contradict policies of peace, are to be avoided.
Ongoing Activities
Throughout Europe, women's peace organisations celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Resolution 1325 with public events. The core issue of the day was a demand for a consistent implementation of the Resolution by the European states. In particular, they demanded that women should be involved in the negotiations concerning Kosovo. cfd, Amnesty International and Heks issued a memorandum, calling upon the Swiss government to ensure an adequate participation of women in the Kosovo status process.
In Switzerland, things have started moving: Following the example of Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, on 8 March 2007 the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs accepted a national plan to implement the Resolution. To this purpose, the department regularly communicates with NGO's that are actively involved in peace and gender issues. cfd manager Cécile Bühlmann articulated the position of cfd at a seminar held on 31 August 2007.
On a European level, the German Women's Security Council has been sounding out possible partners for a European Women's Security Council that would apply itself to the implementation of Resolution 1325, de-militarisation and gender equality, and would be engaged particularly in the areas of European peace and security policies.
With these developments we move forward to the next round. The postcard campaign, 'der code ist nicht geheim – UNO-Res. 1325', has informed an interested public about the Resolution and initiated a discussion of the topic in various NGO's. There is a regular exchange of information on the implementation of Resolution 1325 at the round table for gender issues run by the Center for Peacebuilding (KOFF), which is attended by representatives of NGO's and the authorities.
cfd, Amnesty International and Heks have therefore ended the campaign. What matters now is to closely monitor the implementation. cfd is part of a European network for the implementation of the Resolution and contributes by sharing the specialised knowledge and the experience of her project partners in Kosovo and Israel. In these regions, women are using Resolution 1325 as an instrument to make themselves heard
