From 22 to 24 October, ESCWA held a workshop with 36 women leaders to identify key issues and priorities; discuss options on means to share those with various stakeholders; and develop a mechanism to track responsiveness and build accountability in the implementation of key elements of the Sudan’s new constitutional document. Articles 7(3), 7(8) and 48, and chapter 12, in particular, lay out State obligations and actions to advance gender equality and the status of women, including mentioning the need to develop a national action plan on implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
Representatives from India, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco and Ukraine also shared experiences and lessons learned from their own contexts.
Participants agreed that the time was opportune for capitalizing on the current momentum created by the constitutional document to advance women’s rights in the Sudan. Emphasis was placed on the need to develop a clear women’s rights agenda, around which a coalition of women’s organizations and partners could be formed, while setting engagement mechanisms with government counterparts and other stakeholders.
The need to expedite the establishment of the required national institutions was also stressed, such as an independent commission for peace and a commission for women. An outline for a national action plan on implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which captures the priorities and actions envisioned throughout the transitional period and beyond, was also discussed.
Three key messages emanated from the workshop: (a) centrality of appointing gender advisors to the Prime Minister and senior government officials tasked with mainstreaming gender issues in their work; (b) need for an accountability mechanism to measure implementation of related provisions within the constitutional document; and (c) provision of support to strengthen coalition-building efforts around the women’s rights agenda.
ESCWA has been working with the UN Women in the Sudan and national counterparts to support various women’s organizations in the country in developing a common vision on how to implement the provisions of the constitutional document and transform legislative gains into a reality on the ground.
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For more information:
-Ms Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant, +961-70-008-879; email: harb1@un.org
