Tonight we were welcomed to Austria at a reception at the Kreisky Forum.  This Forum for international dialogue is named after former Chancellor of Australia, Bruno Kreisky and was his family home until his death in 1990.

After being welcomed by the Minister for Women’s Affairs and the Director of the Directorate for Security Policy, Deputy Executive Director of UNIFEM, Moez Doraitz gave the keynote address. 

Focusing on women in conflict and Security Council Resolution 1325, Moez noted that the Austrian Government has led the way on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 and on gender responsive budgeting.

Before commencing his presentation, Moez spoke about the rape of more than 500 women in Congo in recent weeks, and reminded us that despite these terrible stories, hope must prevail.

UNIFEM’s research has found that women make up less than 8% of negotiating teams in post conflict situations, and Moez noted that this figure has hardly changed since the resolution was established.  He noted that the 10th Anniversary of SC1325 gives us the opportunity to address the major gaps that remain for women’s involvement in peace processes.  UNIFEM has been working on developing a joint mediation strategy with UN Peacekeeping to enhance women’s roles.  Moez has also been promoting the Secretary General’s report on women’s participation in peace building in his meetings with the Austrian Government.

The video of Moez’s address will be uploaded to our website in the coming weeks.

Following the keynote address, there was a panel discussion of speakers from Serbia, Israel and the Lakes District of Africa (encompassing countries including Congo, Rwanda & Tanzania).  The panel reminded me that despite the conflicts being discussed being very different in history, scale and scope, women’s disempowerment is a key factor in all of the examples.

The representative from the International Women’s Committee (IWC) noted that women do not just want to participate as women.  We want our ideas to be considered, to sit at the table and promote a political agenda and enhance the peace process.

The evening was a truly inspiring way to start our meetings and frame the discussions for the next 3 days.
For more information about the 10th Anniversary of SC1325, please contact Meghan Cooper, Policy and Research Manager - meghan.cooper@unifem.org.au