From 13 to 15 June, the Working Group on Women & Gender realities in the Civic Solidarity Platform of the OSCE had its 7th conference “Women at Peace Table – More Justice for All”, hosted by the NGO “Democracy Today” in Armenia.
Annemarie Sancar, independent expert consultant on development, gender equality and migration, and an active member of WIDE+ and WIDE Switzerland spoke in the panel: ‘Voices of women must be heard’.
She addressed how migrant women are excluded when implementing Women, Peace and Security plans in Europe, while countries through such plans suggest they are promoters and protectors of human rights.
“Switzerland is a good example: One of the goals of its national action plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS 3, 2018-2022) is the protection of women and girls from sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). However, the field of intervention is limited to international interventions such as the Global Compact (GC) on Safe Orderly and Regular Migration and GC on Refugees (“migration-foreign policy”). When the countries of origin fail to protect women and they are on the road, no country feels responsible to protect women from violence and disruption. In addition, when women lose their clear legal status, defined by national belonging, in a new country, they lose many of the basic rights essential to live a decent life. Lacking a legal status, they thus lose their voices and their power of complaint”.
She concluded that for feminist action, it will be essential to redefine security in terms of a comprehensive understanding of wellbeing and safety. This means not only safe from SGBV, but also providing decent social security for women without assuming that they need to (continue) doing a lot of invisible work for the daily survival. ‘[we need] infrastructure in human wellbeing, in women’s safety, in social infrastructure instead of investing in neoliberal structured profit sectors. Feminists ask for an interdisciplinary approach including a sound economic analysis as a starting point for a gender just security policy centered on care conditions. The evaluation of the implementation of UNSCR such as 1325 (ff) are disappointing”.
She spoke about how WIDE+ network fosters transnational feminist cooperation, analysis and practical work by means of a strong exchange with trans-border networks and actors. It also promotes a holistic approach that includes a sound macroeconomic analysis to understand the root causes of violence.
To read her presentation in full:
http://wide-switzerland.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ASancar_contribution-WomenPeaceConference_Yerevan-June-2019.pdf