“We are fashioning new ways to involve women at all stages of negotiation and decision-making. From kitchen tables to peace tables women propose to turn the tables on the status quo,” said the feminist Bella Abzug during the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, 25 years ago. Subsequently, 189 countries committed themselves to achieve gender equality and respect the rights of women and girls by adopting the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Five years later, another milestone was reached regarding Women, Peace, and Security; UN Resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council. It calls for women’s participation in conflict prevention and peace processes, the protection of women during conflict – including against sexual violence – and the prevention of violence against women through the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality.
For some, 2020 is a year of celebration; others will refrain from any festivity given the progress that remains to be made. In this September issue, the critical voices of Switzerland’s civil society explain why.
Wishing you a pleasant read,
Sanjally Jobarteh, Editor of KOFF magazine
