Women Crucial for Peace - HAD

On the 10th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, bicommunal women’s NGO Hands Across the Divide (HAD) urged the leaders in Cyprus to take note of women’s views and concerns and expressed their disappointment at the lack of women’s’ participation in the current peace negotiations, said HAD in a statement.

“The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently stated that: ‘Advancing the cause of women, peace and security must be integral to our peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, not an afterthought’ – this is what we want for women in Cyprus. We believe that we can make a difference to the future of our country but with each peace process women are consistently left out,” said HAD President Maria Hadjipavlou.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 adopted ten years ago (2000) on 31 October, calls for the participation of women in peace negotiations, and in post conflict reconstruction. It calls upon states to incorporate a gender perspective in the negotiations, and in all implementation mechanisms. Furthermore, it stresses that all actors should implement measures that ensure the human and social rights of women and girls. Despite having ratified it, Cyprus has not yet developed a national plan on the implementation of resolution 1325, said HAD.

“Hands Across the Divide” recently organized a series of events and a seminar to raise awareness on 1325 and women’s crucial role in peacebuilding and peace processes.

For more information please contact Maria Hadjipavlou on 99 30 52 83 or Magda Zenon on 99 49 53 64