Policy | Financial
1. However, we have taken some concrete steps, and the plans for the next two years include the development of a strategy to ensure 20 percent participation of women in the security sector by 2011. Presently, women constitute 30 percent of immigration officers and 15 percent of the national police. We also plan to earmark funding for long-term plans and the sustainability of the programmes; develop a fund-raising exercise and strategy and a donor roundtable to raise funds for the effective implementation of the plan; develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy; initiate affirmative action processes that will address the gaps in women’s participation at all levels; and promote strong partnerships and strategic linkages.
Commitments made October 26, 2010 (see SC Open Debate)
1. Governments like Liberia should look at the process of constitutional reform as an opportunity to set the legal groundwork for ensuring women’s equality in all areas namely, economic, social, cultural, political etc. We also believe that avenues must be created for the provision of human capital, support, and training must take place for women at various levels. In Liberia, the majority of women are illiterate and we must institutionalized programs to make them first literate while incorporating human rights training and encouraging their increased role in decision making.
2. We think that women will be targeted for economic interventions. Not only are women asking for work opportunities, but this is critical for ensuring better conditions for their children, for also increasing their visibility and leverage in communities and household decisions and for the economic benefit of the entire country.
3. We also believe that we must work against discrimination at all levels and in that way, we know that we are doing 1325. Even within gender work there can be discrimination based on ethnicity, social status, background and even by the fact that someone has been a victim of sexual violence. Within gender-sensitive intervention, we must target all forms of discrimination. National governments should be supported to ensure that these baseline structures are strengthened at the community level. Only by formalizing and targeting these community networks can we ensure long-term sustainability and better outreach of our efforts.
4. We also think that countries must build a strong foundation of governance. In rule of law, gender justice must be key and taken seriously with paralegal system put in place to increase all women’s access to the legal system and targeted training of lawyers and judges on issues of women’s rights and sexual and gender-based violence.
Extract from a statement at the “A 1325 Call to Action” event, September 25, 2010.