Seminar on Women, Peace and Security at the launching of Women Count 2014

On the 5^th of December Operation 1325 launched its annual Women Count report, which evaluates Sweden’s implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325. The event was arranged in cooperation with the Canadian Embassy to Sweden, where the purpose of the event was to launch Women Count and discuss women, peace, and security.

We had the pleasure of welcoming a special guest from Iraq, Mrs. Hana Hammood Abbas, a board member of Iraqi Women’s Network.  Iraqi Women’s Network consists of several Iraqi women’s rights organizations that have been involved in developing the Iraqi National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East. Hana presented the developing process and evaluation of the NAP which was within the frames of Women Count.

The event was initiated by Patrick Hébert, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Canada and Ingela Mårtensson, President of Operation 1325. The opening speech was held by the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Annika Söder, who discussed the significance of equal security policies. Thereafter, the Swedish Women Count report was introduced by the director of Operation 1325, Åsa Eldén. The full report can be downloaded here. Hana Hammood Abbas was then given opportunity to present the Iraqi efforts for UNSCR 1325, including the NAP and the monitoring report. Then followed a panel discussion on the topic “What is a Feminist Security Policy?”. In addition to Hana Hammood Abbas, Maria Jansson from Stockholm University, Lena Larsson from the Folke Bernadotte Academy, and Christoffer Burnett-Cargill from the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, participated in the panel. The panel participants addressed the question from their own views and discussed how equality and stability can be accomplished by resolution 1325.

The event ended with mingle and refreshments. We from Operation 1325 are pleased and grateful of all attendees and speakers, and we are looking forward to the future efforts for equal peace and security politics.