Afghan Women to challenge NATO at Chicago Summit

Press Release

The Hague 16th May 2012 

Afghan Women to challenge NATO at Chicago Summit

Women’s and civil society organizations in Afghanistan have been busy making preparations and strategizing in the gear up for what is set to be the largest NATO summit ever held. Over 30 representatives from Afghanistan civil society will travel to Chicago this week to take part in events and side-events scheduled before and during the summit on 20 -21 May 2012.

In our press release issued last month, Gender Concerns International asked where the women were in these fundamental peace talks.

Gender Concerns International is pleased to report that a number of prominent women from Gender Concerns International’s partner organization, the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN), will attend the summit. A joint declaration is in the process of being agreed by AWN (the largest network of women’s organizations in Afghanistan) following extensive consultations and discussions with member organizations. The declaration will outline the joint position of the network’s member organizations on key issues affecting Afghan women and will provide recommendations to NATO. Gender Concerns International fully supports the position of the Afghan Women’s Network and will publish the declaration once it finalized this week. Stay tuned!

Although Gender Concerns International commends NATO for including women in the summit, there is still a way to go to ensuring that women are adequately included in peace and security processes on the ground in Afghanistan. In the week leading up to the summit, Gender Concerns International reminds the international community of its commitment to Afghan women during the transition of full responsibility to the Afghan National Security Forces by the end of 2014. As a minimum, protection of women must be at the forefront of all transition agreements. But we must also work to ensure women are fully integrated into the planning and delivery of the security and protection framework itself—to provide them with greater control over their own security, not just as victims of a seemingly unavoidable process. Chicago presents an opportunity to drastically increase the numbers of women making decisions about security in Afghanistan, from the National police to the Department of Defense and the Afghan National Security Forces.

Gender Concerns International strongly urges the international community to ensure that the international commitments made in UNSCR 1325 are both respected and enhanced by agreements reached during the NATO Summit in Chicago.

For more information, please contact Mellaney Rodriguez, Program Coordinator Inclusive Governance and Transition  tel. 070 444 50 82, email: mellaney@genderconcerns.org  | www.genderconcerns.org

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