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    German Women’s Security Council (WSC)



Sustainable Security Policy needs a Gender Perspective

   WSC - A Network of Peace and Security Experts  
Traditional state foreign and security policy-making remains a male-dominated domain. Political discourses are shaped and decisions are made predominantly by men. Only few women can be found in decision-making positions. At the same time, the state and the majority of male actors perceive women as victims who suffer passively in situations of conflict and war.

On the contrary, it is usually women who see to the provision of basic needs in war and post-war situations and thereby become the main contributors in reconstruction efforts. Women actually play an important role in peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution. This is, however, ignored by politicians. Instead, women are barely included in official peace negotiations and UN peace-keeping missions. The special needs of women and girls in conflict zones, refugee camps, or in the construction of development projects goes largely unnoticed.

In response to this situation, the German Women’s Security Council (WSC) was founded in March 2003 in Bonn, Germany. It represents over 50 women from research institutes; women’s, human rights, and development organizations; peace initiatives and political foundations. Download the WSC brochure as a [PDF File]. See also the [WSC homepage].

   Focus and Aims
To strengthen the competence of women in shaping peace and security, the central concern of the  German Women’s Security Council is the rapid implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution, passed on October 31, 2003, calls for the equal participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, and in peace-building. Consequently, the WSC critically followed-up on the work of the German government during its two-year seat in the UN Security Council from 2003 - 2004. Since then, the WSC has focused intensively on the German and European security strategies, as well on the UN reform process. The WSC aims to build-up a European-wide Women’s Security Council. The basic aims of the WSC are:1325 Postkard

  • Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325
  • Integrating a gender perspective into foreign and security policy
  • Developing the “human security” concept from a gender perspective
  • Peace mainstreaming
  • Strengthening the UN, and international humanitarian and human rights law
  • Reviewing the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action
  • Analyzing the threat of terrorism and anti-terror measures from a gender perspective
  • Analyzing proposals and measures for war and conflict zones such as Iraq, Israel-Palestine, and Afghanistan
  • Establishing a pool of experts
  • Building-up a European Women’s Security Council

   Activities
As a member of the international community of states, the German government is responsible for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. To speed up the implementation process, the German Women’s Security Council has launched several initiatives that have effectively gained public attention. These include a postcard campaign and the drafting of a shadow report. The postcard campaign ended on the 5th Anniversary of the adoption of UN Resolution 1325 when the postcards were handed over to Kerstin Mueller, former Minister of State. Since its founding in March 2003, the German Women’s Security Council has also carried out many activities. More information about the WSC in the German version [Frauensicherheitsrat].

    “Shadow Report”
The German Women’s Security Council drafted a “Shadow Report” in October 2004 based on the German government’s report to the UN Secretary General on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. In it, the WSC calls for a monitoring position with the UN system and the deployment of UN observers in (post)-war regions. Download the entire “Shadow Report”  as a  [PDF document].

   Organization
Ten people coordinate and organize the German Women’s Security Council. They develop and maintain contacts with politicians, as well as experts and working groups at research institutes, universities, and other organizations. The steering committee is made up of:  

  • Petra Bläss
  • Sylvia Braun
  • Marie-Christine Heinze
  • Sarah Clasen (University of Tuebingen)  
  • Gitti Hentschel (Gunda Werner Institute in the Heinrich Böll Foundation)
  • Heidi Meinzolt-Depner (International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom)
  • Jill Scherneck (Hertie School of Governance, Gunda Werner Institute in the Heinrich Böll Foundation)
  • Ute Scheub (Women’s Initiative “Scheherazade”)
  • Judith Striek (Amnesty International)
  • Simone Wisotzki (Peace Research Institute Frankfurt)

   Press Releases
October 2007:
On the 7th anniversary of UN res 1325, the German Women Security Council declares:
"It is time to implement 1325"

With 1, 3, 2 and 5 knots in the handkerchief - which means "don't forget an important thing" - the German Women's Security Council wants to remind that there is still a big lack in implementing UN Res. 1325. The resolution which requests equal participation of women on all levels of peace processes was adopted unanimously on the 31.10.2000 by the UN-Security Council. In this tricky 7th year, governments have done even less than in previous before to implement the resolution, says the Women's Security Council.

Also in the upcoming year, the Women's Security Council sees the urgency of actions and reactions. One reason is the declaration of the director of the "European Defence Agency"/EDA, perhaps better called "European Death Agency", who in German newspapers on Oct. 24th stated that 2008 should be the "year of armament". Alexander Weis, former department director in the German Defence Ministry, plans to realize two big armament projects with the construction of new military helicopters and satellites. A plan lacking any democratic legitimation and control. The Women's Security Council requests that the money foreseen for theses projects should now be shifted to projects for conflict prevention and the guarantee of equal rights for men and women, in order to implement UN Resolution1325 also on the European level. European activists and politicians of different political backgrounds spoke in favour of strengthening the resolution in this sense during the international conference „Roadmap to 1325“ in may 2007 in Berlin, organised by the Heinrich Böll foundation.

Further information: [www.frauensicherheitsrat.de]

The press release as a >> PDF File

For more on the 7th anniversary of Resolution 1325, read also Dr. Faiha Abdulhadi's article out of the Arabic newspaper "Al-Ayyam" from November 11, 2007 >> PDF File

Further information about the roadmap to 1325 in the [follow up] to the conference "Gender in the European Union's Peace and Security Policy".

   Events

June 21-22, 2008: Women's Conference on Peace, Security, Pacifism "Roadmap to 1325", Slovenia [Staffellauf Slowenien]

June 18, 2008: "Geschlechtergerechte Friedens- und Sicherheitspolitik im Spiegel von Bundesregierung und Frauensicherheitsrat", Berlin [Calendar of Events]

May 4-6, 2007: Roadmap conference ["Gender in the European Union's Peace and Security Policy"]


Further information about previous activities of the WSC, as well as press releases, letters and meeting notes, please visit the German version: [Aktivitäten] [Briefe und Presseerklärungen] [Medienecho] [Protokolle].

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Aktualisiert: 10.06.2008, meb