For the past 19 years since its adoption, the groundbreaking UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security has highlighted the impact of conflict on women and girls and underlined the importance of women’s meaningful participation in conflict resolution and peace-building.
The Women, Peace and Security
agenda cuts across the work carried out by the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in
Georgia through its mandate centred on post-conflict stabilization,
normalisation and confidence building. In line with UNSCR 1325 and subsequent
resolutions, EUMM integrates a gender perspective into different aspects of the
Mission’s work, including planning, data collection, analysis, reporting and
monitoring. Engaging with women’s civil society organisations and increasing
women’s meaningful and equal participation in the Mission’s work is crucial.
The Mission monitors
post-conflict developments in Georgia, including a focus on Georgia’s National Action
Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325, women’s participation in conflict resolution
mechanisms, as well as instances of gender-based violence, and other human rights
violations, affecting conflict-affected populations.
“Gender equality and women’s equal participation are key for effective conflict resolution and maintenance of peace and security,” says EUMM Head of Mission Erik Høeg. “EUMM remains committed to full implementation of UNSCR 1325 through mainstreaming gender in all aspects of Mission’s monitoring activities and taking steps to increase gender balance.”
Women currently comprise 25% of
international staff and 60% of local staff at EUMM. Increasing women’s
representation in the Mission ultimately depends on EU Member States introducing
more female candidates through secondments. However, EUMM has introduced
measures to increase gender balance through actions such as revising job
descriptions to ensure they contain gender-neutral language and encourage more
women to apply.
To step up effective gender
mainstreaming, EUMM is in the process of adopting a comprehensive Gender Action
Plan to guide its work internally as well as externally in all aspects of
mandate delivery.
EUMM welcomes the recent adoption
of the EU Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to further accelerate
progress towards full implementation of UNSCR 1325 and subsequent resolutions across
all EU institutions. Sustained commitment, increased capacity and gender-responsive
leadership are prerequisites for strengthening the implementation of the Women,
Peace and Security agenda in EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
missions and beyond.
Further reading:
2018
EUMM Gender Mainstreaming Assessment – Lessons Learned
EU
Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
Head of Field Office Gori, Ms, Mihaela Gherasim,(center) shows Deputy Head of Mission, Ms. Kate Fearon (right) and Depu ty Civilian Operations Commander/Chief of Staff, Birgit Loeser (left), borderisation features at the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line
EUMM monitors observe “borderisation” features in the area of Koda/Kobi near the Administrative Boundary Line with South Ossetia