United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2010

Peace, Security and Development are Linked to Women’s Rights and Empowerment

The 2010 State of World Population report, entitled “From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change,” shows that while women rarely wage war, they suffer the worst of its consequences. And women’s participation in peace-building is a prerequisite to its success. When women have access to the same rights and opportunities as men, they are more resilient to conflict and disaster, and can lead reconstruction and renewal efforts in their societies.

The report’s release coincides with the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council’s landmark resolution 1325, which aimed to put a stop to sexual violence against women and girls in armed conflict, and to encourage greater participation by women in peace-building initiatives.

“When women and girls suffer deep discrimination, they are more vulnerable to the worst effects of disaster or war, including the weapon and humiliation of rape—and less likely to contribute to peace-building, which threatens long-term recovery,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid at the launch of the report.

“If we’re serious about preventing conflicts, recovering from war and natural disaster, and building lasting peace, we need to empower women to become agents of positive change,” Ms. Obaid added.

Through the stories of individuals affected by conflict or catastrophe in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Liberia, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Timor-Leste and Uganda, the report shows how communities and civil society are healing old wounds and moving forward. However, more still needs to be done to ensure that women have access to services and have a voice in peace deals or reconstruction plans.

Security Council resolutions guide the international community’s response to conflict and establish the framework for actions to protect women and assure their participation in peace-building and reconciliation, “but they are not a substitute for grassroots efforts to empower women and to build long-term resilience to crises of any sort,” Ms. Obaid wrote in the foreword to the report.

“Governments need to seize opportunities arising out of post-conflict recovery or emerging from natural disasters to increase the chances that countries are not just rebuilt, but built back better and renewed, with women and men on equal footing, with rights and opportunities for all” the report argues.

While conflict and disaster can worsen inequalities between men and women, Ms. Obaid said, “recovery from conflict and disaster also presents a unique opportunity—an opportunity to rectify inequalities, ensure equal protection under the law, and create space for positive change.”

She added, “the State of World Population report makes the case for replacing the vicious cycle of crisis and underdevelopment with a virtuous cycle of peace, justice and stability. It is time to tear down the false barriers between crisis, recovery and development. Investing in development softens the impact of crisis and natural disaster, and whatever is invested during humanitarian response can become a solid foundation for development and rebuilding a society.”

So far, more than 30 countries are receiving support from UNFPA to implement parts of resolution 1325. UNFPA is working with United Nations agencies to address and measure the extent of gender-based violence in conflict-affected societies and the extent to which countries are funding and providing services to survivors.

UNFPA’s State of World Population report shows how much some countries, and some remarkable individuals, have accomplished in healing the wounds of war and catastrophe. It also shows that recovery cannot be left to the survivors alone. It takes solidarity.

It is time to end brutal attacks against women and girls during and after conflict, to put the right laws in place to bring offenders to justice, and to engage more women in peace processes. This requires increased commitment and funding.

The compelling stories in this year’s report tell what it means to finish what the Security Council started 10 years ago, to work towards a world where peace is secured, human rights are protected, and conflicts prevented.

UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programs to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. The entire report is at www.unfpa.org/swp/register. For more information contact: Richard Kollodge, tel. 212-29- 4992, email: [email protected]