Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson hosted a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C., last week that brought together women representing the necessary elements to drive forward the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
The National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security issued by President Barack Obama late last year is unquestionably a significant and necessary step towards increasing women’s participation in conflict prevention and peace negotiations. It increases efforts to protect women and children in areas impacted by armed conflict and addresses the specific needs of women and children in post conflict recovery efforts as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and other related UN resolutions.
Among those participating were The State Department's ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, Melanne Verveer, former Ambassador Swanee Hunt, the president of Hunt Alternatives Fund and chair of the Institute for Inclusive Security, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini of the International Civil Society Action Network, Tanya Henderson, the executive director of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Karen Mulhauser, president of the United Nations Association of the United States of America, and Susan Shaer, who moderated the program and is the executive director of Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND),
Noting the attendance of staffers from numerous Congressional offices, Congresswoman Johnson said "It is important for civil society to prod their elected officials on this issue, and that this is an opportunity for the United States to be an example and to demonstrate best practices, not just, 'talk and instruct'."
A report due out later this summer will lay out in more detail how the various federal agencies and departments (notably the Departments of Defense and State as well as USAID) intend to implement the specifics of the NAP that have been tasked to them. At that point we will have a more substantive understanding of the seriousness of the U.S. intent to fully mainstream the voices and needs of women in peace and security policy making.
