Women Peacebuilders from Yumbe District with support from the Peace Centre, were able to join the Generation Equality Forum and preparatory workshop discussion. This was a part of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)65 pre–Generation Equality Mexico Forum workshop that highlighted key discussions for the meaningful participation of women and youth peacebuilders in the Generation Equality Forum. Catherine Kwanje, a Peacebuilder from South Sudan living in Bidibidi Refugee settlement used the forum to share highlights on the need to ensure that women who are displaced by conflict are included in peace processes in their country of origin.
The Forum in preparation for the Mexico Forum the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders was held virtually on 26th March 2021 by the Permanent Missions of Namibia and Mexico to the UN, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Canadian Coalition for Youth, Peace & Security (CCYPS), NGO CSW/NY, Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization (AYAP), Our Generation for Inclusive Peace, WoMen Dutch Gender Platform, Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre), Amassuru, and UN Women on behalf of the Beijing+25 WPS-YPS Coalition
The Forum presented an opportunity to build solidarity and collaboration between women’s rights groups and youth organizations from around the world. It also presented an opportunity to discuss key issues that women and youth peace builders should collectively advocate for during the Mexico forum.
Women and young people have a voice, power, capacity to be agents of change… their voices, agency, coupled with a real gender perspective are critical to better dialogue, better policies, and more sustainable peace. – Amb. Neville Gertze, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the United Nations
“As a member of the WPSHA Compact and a post-conflict country, we believe in the participation of women & youth-led groups. We must mobilize other stakeholders to become signatories of the Compact, the more the merrier.” Ambassador Victoria Sulimani, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations.
