Dr. Noreen Naseer, founding member KHOR was one of the keynote speaker on the International Women’s Day, 8th March 2018 at Tehran Conference on “Women, Sustainable Peace and Security”. In her talk she discussed the UN efforts on women’s issues in the conflict ridden regions of the world. She mentioned that the United Nations tried to be responsive to the impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Thus, in 1969, the Commission on the Status of Women considered whether special protection should be accorded to the women and children during armed conflict and emergency situations. Hence, in 1974, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict. The risks to women and children, and the importance of involving women in peace issues, were also recognized during the discussions at the United Nations Conference on Women in Mexico, 1975. During the International Decade for Women (1976 to1985), equality, development and peace were central themes, later the Nairobi Forward -Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, adopted at the 1985. Third World Conference on Women, advanced the discussion on women, peace and security. Throughout the 1980s, the United Nations increasingly took account of the impact of armed conflict on women, mothers and caregivers. However, this perspective did not reflect a full understanding of the differential impact of armed conflict on women and UN security resolution 1325. As we can see that the gendered and disproportionate impact of conflict on women largely remains overlooked in policymaking circles. In South Asia, women have been marginalized in all the peace processes . If we look at Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, the inequitable gender power structures not only disempowered them but are more active in the conflicts with different variations and degrees. In militarised zones such as Kashmir and FATA, both the conflict and patriarchal structures have affected the lives of women and girls. The hardship faced by women in the Middle East’s conflict zones are manifolds, unfortunately in such regions, the minorities are not only suffering in the armed conflict but also used by the militants to seek revenge. Forcing of Yezedi Women into sex slaves , the Mosul Women brutal massacre, the forgotten women of Yemen, and the Syrian Women untold stories reflect our failure as peace women of the world. In the conflict world, the displaced Pakhtun women of FATA, the victims of oppressive patriarchal tribal culture and state system needs special attention too by the global women activists. With very heavy heart, wishing happy and peaceful women’s day to all our resilient women of the world.
