National Action Plan: Sweden will actively support the implementation of the Iraqi National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security through inter alia support to civil society.
The Iraqi National Action Plan 2014-2018 has not been allocated the necessary resources. This assessment (which is shared by several representatives of civil society organizations) is made with the understanding that the first years after 2014 came to be characterized by the war against Daesh. A new plan for the period 2019-2023 is now under preparation. Several of the women’s organizations receiving support through Sida have been or are involved in this process. Examples of activities: advocating to security sector officials in the Kurdish Region of Iraq about the necessity of establishing a gender unit within the security sector as well as the education sector; strengthening 38 women’s capacity to speak out and advocate for their rights and have representation in the decision-making institutions.
Iraq is listed as a focus country for the Swedish NAP. Sweden has also contributed to the drafting and implementation of national action plans in other countries, such as Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Canada, Myanmar, Czech Republic and Sudan.
At the regional level Sweden will promote the implementation of the new EU Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in EU common security and defence policy (CSDP) and in CSDP missions and operations.
The EU Action Plan on WPS was adopted in July 2019. Sweden actively promotes its implementation in different EU fora as well as in CSDP missions and operations.
“Sweden pushes for the full implementation of the GAP in all EU external relations and for better coordination and synergies between the implementation of GAP and the EU Action Plan for WPS. Furthermore, Sweden is a driving force behind SRHR work within the EU.”
Advocacy: Sweden will organize a multi-stakeholder meeting on Women, Peace and Security for civil society, UN Security Council members and UN representatives in conjunction with the Open Debates on Women, Peace and Security 2019 and 2020.
This took place in 2019 and we plan to have another WPS multi- stakeholder meeting in October 2020.
No update needed; these have occurred and are occurring this year.
Sweden will follow up on, and assess progress of, Swedish recommendations 2018 to the UN Secretary General on implementation of women, peace and security mandates in UN missions.
Several of the recommendations, i.e. around leadership responsibilities and follow up, were committed to by the SG in the report to the Open Debate on WPS 2019. Sweden constantly monitors development of WPS in UN mission mandates and brings in WPS-issues into UN reform, Peacebuilding commission etc.
Capacity building: Sweden will offer training to incoming and existing UN Security Council members on integrating women, peace and security in ordinary work of the Council.
Sweden has had training sessions with Norway, South Africa and Estonia and shared training/analysis material on UN mission mandates with Belgium, Germany and others.
Training should not simply be a box-ticking exercise but a way to introduce a gender-sensitive lens within organisations for long- term change. While organizations are different in nature, it is important to promote strong leadership, namely at the level of the organisation that is required to implement the know-how and effect change.
Mediation: Sweden commits to strengthening women’s participation in peace processes including through activities of mediators in the Swedish women mediators’ network.
Several ongoing activities of the network and our embassies and special envoys to strengthen women’s participation, i.e. in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan.
Additional reading: Swedish Women’s Mediation Network
Sweden has contributed to increased involvement of women in peace processes in countries such as Colombia, Mali, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Somalia through political, technical and financial support. Sweden (English)
Participation: Pledges support to women’s participation in the Yemeni peace talks through increased pressure on both the parties as well as the Office of the Special Envoy to increase the number of women participating in future consultations or peace negotiations. Sweden will support the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies in Yemen and their Gender Analysis for Progressive Policy project which aims to increase women’s participation in political and peace processes in Yemen, including by producing a number of policy briefs, holding workshops and finalizing an in-depth research report.
Sweden’s deep engagement for the Yemen crisis continues. We maintain dialogue with the parties, the UN and regional actors, in which we continuously raise the issues of women’s participation in the political process.
This project was completed in late 2019 with the publication of the report “A Gendered Crisis: Understanding the Experiences of Yemen’s War”. The report was also presented at a conference in Amman co-hosted by Sana’a Center and the Swedish Embassy, discussing its findings and policy recommendations.
Yemen is not referenced in Beijing+25 nor FFP updates
- https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/64/national-reviews/sweden.pdf?la=en&vs=2355
- https://www.regeringen.se/494fca/contentassets/8db3c4560ab0466faf82edaa1c209fe0/swedens-feminist-foreign-policy-skr-20192017.pdf
Sweden will advocate for increased participation of women in Iraqi national dialogue on reconciliation through support to Iraq Foundation’s work with female parliamentarians.
Support to the Iraq Foundation (IF) and Global Partners Governance (GPG) for the project “Improving Policy, Service Delivery, Gender Equality and Responsiveness to Iraqi Citizens”, started a year ago. The project focuses on four key objectives: strategic and reform-focused political leadership within the parliament; parliamentary committees adopting more inclusive and evidence-based policy mechanisms; linking parliament with the provinces and constituencies on service delivery; and cross- cutting support to female parliamentarians. Examples of activities during the first year of implementation: the women’s committee requested support on establishing the committee’s strategy and priorities in managing effective legislation impacting women, children and families, and reviewing Iraq’s CEDAW commitments under the Committee’s portfolio (Note: The Chair of the Committee stepped down as of October 2019, which has put this work on hold); and workshops with several CSOs to explore how they can influence decision makers.
“In Iraq, Sweden has participated actively in the dialogue on the WPS agenda and has contributed to its implementation by supporting local CSOs and by urging UN bodies in the country to uphold gender equality commitments.” pg 53 https://www.regeringen.se/494fca/contentassets/8db3c4560ab0466faf82edaa1c209fe0/swedens-feminist-foreign-policy-skr-20192017.pdf
Sweden will promote women’s political leadership in Colombia through technical support to the political reform and strengthening women’s civil society.
Ongoing. Gender is a strong component in the country strategy for Colombia, specifically greater influence and meaningful participation for women in the peace process and the implementation of the peace agreement in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions on women, peace and security.
See above under peace processes.
Sweden will finance a UN Women study on increased female participation in view of elections 2023 to follow up on a previous study on women’s political participation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study will be presented in several provinces in the DRC.
The study was finalized and presented in a number of provinces in 2019 along with a National Program for Women ́s Political Participation and a Roadmap for 2019-2023.
Civil Society Engagement: Financially support civil society organizations active in conflict and post-conflict countries.
Sweden has increased its support to civil society organisations active in conflict- and post-conflict countries.
Indicated in its reporting.
Sexual and Gender Based Violence: Support the work on sexual and gender- based violence of the UN mission in the Central African Republic through a Specialized Police Team focusing on capacity building of local police and support to victims.
A Swedish Specialized Police Team with police experts within the field of sexual and gender-based violence, Investigations and Project management has been deployed in MINUSCA and remains active.
Additional reading:
Women peace and security | MINUSCA
Sweden deploys Specialized Police Team
Peacekeeping: Support gender-responsive leadership through support to senior leadership within DPO and DPPA as well as in the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability within EEAS, and through seconded personnel to CSDP missions and operations.
Sweden has more than 20 seconded gender experts in UN and EU missions. Sweden has supported UN leadership in gender responsive leadership programs through the Folke Bernadotte Academy 2019 and these programs are currently being followed up upon.
Contribute with Swedish experts to the European Security and Defence College training on investigating and preventing sexual and gender-based violence in conflict environments targeting civil and military staff to be deployed in peace keeping missions.
Conduct a field mission, possibly to South Sudan, to follow up on the in-depth study Sweden undertook in 2018 of implementation of UN mission mandates.
Security Sector: Support an increase of female-seconded staff to UN prison and probation services by conducting a pre-deployment training specifically targeting women. Arrange a panel on security policy on the Korean Peninsula in Seoul with only female participants to highlight the lack of women in conferences, panels and seminars about the political development.
The pre-deployment training took place as planned and had 20 female participants from 10 different countries. The training focused on the Nelson Mandela Rules, mentorship, the UN system among other things.
Support inclusive peace in Venezuela, including through ensuring that a gender analysis and a women, peace and security perspective is integrated in processes that aim at a peaceful and democratic solution of the crisis in Venezuela.
Sweden has approached this from different angles, i.e: Sweden arranged a round-table discussion in Brussels in January 2020 with women from the opposition in Venezuela, together with Independent Diplomats. Sweden conducted a field mission in January 2020 including meetings with official representatives and CSOs. Sweden supported the European Institute for Peace (EIP) report “Gender assessment of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela” 2019.
“Sweden has also contributed to raising awareness of, and improving knowledge about, the link between the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons and gender-based violence through such measures as support to UN bodies and civil society organisations, and collaboration with authorities. Swedish support has enabled research and the development of policy documents in this area, as well as targeted initiatives in connection with international negotiations and procedures concerning small arms and light weapons and international control.” 58(77) https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/64/national-reviews/sweden.pdf?la=en&vs=2355