Operation 1325
PROJEcTs In SUDAN
Sudan has major problems with inequality and women’s rights. Women are a marginalized group, often facing harassment and sexual and physical violence. Few girls go to school, even fewer can read and child marriage is a present problem.
The struggle for women’s rights in Sudan is longstanding and continues today.
IN RECENT YEARS
In 2022, we implemented a project that brought together women from Yemen, Iraq and Sudan. The countries share a similar conflict status where women are excluded from the political process and, therefore, we saw an opportunity for interaction and impact.
The activities aimed to achieve visibility and give status to the women. Through capacity-building activities on relevant working methods for participating in peace processes and conflict management, women gain legitimacy and thus become visible as peace actors, which in turn leads to pressure for change towards decision-makers.
The activities were well designed to enable the creation of a forum, an egalitarian network, where women’s own needs and wishes for increased knowledge determine the content and where knowledge can be shared and deepened in a trusting manner.
PROJECTS IN SUDAN
2022: FBA Women Peacebuilders Program (Jemen, Irak, Sudan)
The project was implemented in the three countries of Yemen, Iraq and Sudan, and focused on empowering women to participate in peace and conflict resolution processes. The aim was also to make women more visible as peace actors in society. Through the project, the participating women have gained increased knowledge of their rights and opportunities, which has strengthened them as change agents and inspired them to continue their involvement in similar issues.
Project: Women Peace Builder Programme
Country: Yemen, Iraq and Sudan
Partner organisation: Mawada Association for Society Development, All Girl’s Foundation for Development (AGF), Women Empowerment Organization (WEO), Nuba Women for Education and Development Association (NuWEDA)
Donor: Folke Bernadotte Academy
Project period: February – December 2022
Purpose: Strengthen women’s knowledge to participate in peace and conflict resolution processes at local and national level, make women visible as known actors in the same.
Target group: 16 women
How: The project started with two conferences and a capacity building programme that the participants themselves helped to design according to their needs and wishes. The focus was mainly on conflict management, peace negotiation and UNSC Resolution 1325. Participants then held meetings, both formal and informal, where they shared their newly acquired knowledge at local and national level. They also invited local organisations to take part in the capacity-building training, an activity that reached over 300 people. Participants held dialogue meetings with local decision-makers and former parliamentarians to try to achieve change at a higher level.
The project ended with a joint conference in Cairo, Egypt. The conference included several capacity building sessions on conflict management, peace agreement monitoring, dialogue with religious leaders, and role-playing in negotiation and mediation techniques. The conference also included a side event on how UNSCR 1325 interacts with climate change and Egypt’s preparations for COP27, which allowed Egyptian climate experts and our project participants to discuss and exchange ideas on climate change and its impact on women, peace and security.
The project made efforts to raise awareness in Sweden, through several seminars and a social media campaign that reached over 20,000 people.
Results: Women in Yemen, Sudan and Iraq have gained increased knowledge and commitment to participate in peace and conflict resolution processes at local and national level. The intervention contributed to the field by creating a forum for participating women to exchange experiences and capacity building. This forum has increased women’s ability to participate in peace processes, promoted peaceful and inclusive societies and strengthened women’s security. The project contributed to goals 5 and 16 of the 2030 Agenda.
- 16 women from Yemen, Iraq and Sudan have increased their knowledge and shared their own knowledge and experiences with each other.
- A network where women keep in touch to continue exchanging knowledge and experiences.
- More than 330 women learnt about conflict management, peace negotiations and UNSC Resolution 1325.
- Over 2200 people reached at seminars in Sweden.
- Over 24,000 reached via the Swedish social media campaign.
- Joint conference in Cairo
OTHER PROJECTS IN SUDAN
2008: PASSING THE TORCH
Project: Passing the Torch
Country: Sudan, Khartoum
Year: 2008-2008
Donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden
About: Operation 1325: workshop training of trainers (TOT) aimed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the basic tasks of trainers, which included the insights, knowledge and skills needed to successfully carry out their mission. During the two days of the project, training sessions were led by experienced trainers, focusing on imparting knowledge on Resolution 1325 and its implementation. The focus was also on empowerment, leadership and educational tools to improve and strengthen women leaders in their roles within their organizations.
Results: The training provided an opportunity to increase understanding between young women from different ethnic, religious and social groups. Positive feedback from participants, Participants encouraged an intergenerational perspective, with junior and senior participants, as well as the inclusion of leadership aspects, in future trainings. Participants also emphasized the need for capacity building initiatives for local women to act as role models.
2008: TRAINING FOR TRAINERS
Project: Training for Trainers: Consultative Seminar in Juba, Sudan
Country: Juba, Sudan (today South Sudan)
Project period: 2008-2008
Donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden
About: As a first step, Operation 1325 organized a bridge-building seminar in cooperation with various women’s and peace organizations in Khartoum, Sudan. The premise of this second workshop was to take the work further and strengthen and deepen contacts with women working as peacebrokers in all parts of the country, to provide relevant training on UNSC Resolution 1325 and peacebuilding methods and resources for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 in a Sudanese context.
Results: Bringing together women from different regions of Sudan, facilitated their learning and common strategies, in order to build long-term relationships necessary for effective peacebuilding.
Publication: ToT Juba
Operation 1325 & SUDAN
Here’s a video we’ve produced to give those of you who don’t know about Operation 1325 a little insight into who we are and what we do. We are very happy that our heroine Dr. Louise Olsson, Senior Researcher in Women, Peace and Security at the Institute for Peace Research in Oslo, is joining us with her expertise and solid knowledge!
This video has been produced with financial support from Sida through ForumCiv. Neither Sida nor ForumCiv has been involved in the production of this video and is not responsible for the content of the episodes or the opinions expressed.
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS we haVE WORKED WITH
SUPPORTING MEMBERSHIP
Information about supporting membership:
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- Supporting members is open for all individuals sharing the same values as Operation 1325.
- Supporting members does not have voting right at the general assembly.
- Supporting members pay a yearly fee of 120 SEK.
As a supporting member you will:
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- Support our work to enhance women’s rights in peace processes.
- Get access to our updates, newsletters, projects and progress.
- Receive exclusive invitations to our events, seminars and workshops where you have the opportunity to share your specific experiences.
- Feel proud, being a part of a strong community fighting for change.
Share you details below to sign up for membership:
Swish membership fee directly via QR-code below (only for individuals with a Swedish bank account). For others an invoice will be sent.
OPERATION 1325 WAS FOUNDED IN 2003 AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION COMPOSED OF SWEDISH PEACE AND WOMEN'S ORGANISATIONS.
Operation 1325 operates in partnership with peace and women's organisations from across the globe to make United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, a reality.