El Salvador

El Salvador adopted its first National Action Plan (NAP) in 2017 for the period 2017-2022. The NAP was developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Salvadoran Institute for the Development of Women, and the Implementation Committee and its Technical Monitoring Committee. These entities were tasked with convening with UN Women, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Spanish Agency for International Development and Cooperation, the Central American Integration System, and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy as well as consulting with the Government of Chile. The NAP aims to strengthen women’s participation in all decision-making levels of peace processes; creating a culture of zero-tolerance for violence against women; offering protections and basic services to women and girls; increasing reparations for women and girl victims of armed conflict; and strengthening the monitoring of the implementation of Resolution 1325. The NAP has a detailed implementation matrix that includes actions, indicators, responsible entities, legal frames of reference, and a timeframe. Nevertheless, the NAP does not include an allocated budget. 

El Salvador reported on the implementation of its NAP and the WPS Agenda in its national reporting for Beijing+25 and in preparation for CSW64 (2020). Specifically, the country provided the following updates, among others (p. 50):

  • The governmental and civil society institutions that make up the National Committee for the Implementation of the National Action Plan have carried out important actions in order to comply with the Plan, among them:
  • Training and sensitization programs on Resolution 1325 have been implemented, directed to the personnel of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, as well as to the personnel who are in the process of Education and Training, to participate in Peacekeeping Operations Missions of the United Nations.
  • Creation of the Network of Women Human Rights Defenders of Women working in the PNC. This is a mechanism to guarantee, defend and promote the rights of women working within the Police Corporation. The Network aims to guarantee and accompany the processes of care for women working in the institution, including students of the National Academy of Public Security, who are doing police internships in the PNC.
  • Health care for women war veterans and women victims of serious human rights violations.
  • Promotion of psychosocial support groups for women veterans and victims of war. There is a draft document of the Psychosocial Care Manual, which has been consulted with different organizations and experts and is in the process of being formalized.

The most recent armed conflict in El Salvador’s history is the civil war, which took place between 1980 and 1992. The country signed a peace agreement known as the Chapultepec Peace Accords in 1992, which outlined a comprehensive reconstruction plan based on widespread reforms. Women constituted 13% of negotiators and 12% of signatories; nevertheless, the peace agreement did not include any provisions on protecting and promoting women’s rights.

CEDAW

1981

Global Gender Gap Index 2020

80 out of 153

Arms Trade Treaty Ratified

2014

Military expenditure (2019)

$320 million USD

Explore El Salvador's National Action Plan

  • Actors
  • Timeframe
  • Objectives
  • Actions/Activities
  • Indicators
  • M&E
  • Budget
  • Disarmament

NAP Development

The NAP highlights the involvement of the Salvadoran Institute for Women’s Development through the UNSCR1325 Implementation Committee and its Technical Monitoring Committee. The Salvadoran Institute for Women’s Development worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create the NAP, specifically on women’s rights issues.

The NAP notes the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the development of the NAP.  The Government of Chile also played an integral role in funding and creating the NAP alongside the Salvadoran Government.  

NAP Implementation

This NAP recognises the partnership of Government entities and civil society throughout the implementation of the NAP. The Salvadoran Institute for Women’s Development will work on implementing the components of the NAP pertaining to the protection of women and girls.

The framework for implementation of the NAP comprises of several parts because of the different pillars.   Different bodies are in charge of the implementation of different objectives.

NAP Monitoring and Evaluation

Representatives from civil society will form part of the monitoring and evaluation team through the Implementation Committee of Resolution 1325 and its Technical Monitoring Committee.

Government entities will form part of the monitoring and evaluation team through providing reports periodically and ultimately when the NAP ends. For instance, for the pillar pertaining to including women in security issues, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will be responsible for reporting on their efforts to ensure the increased participation of veteran women in decision making mechanisms.

The implementation period for the National Action Plan of El Salvador is six years (2017-2022).

By 2022, the commitments of El Salvador to Women, Peace and Security will be based on the following objectives:

  • Promote the participation of women in all decision making levels throughout peace processes and decision making on peace and security  both nationally and internationally;

  • Promote a culture of zero-tolerance regarding violence against women based on the creation of a mechanism of prevention, particularly to sexual violence;

  • Note that women and girls are the most vulnerable and suffer because they are women and in this light, offer necessary mechanisms of protection and promotion of human rights, basic services for women and girls, while improving the justice system;

  • Design and create implementation measures geared to safety and rehabilitation to respond timely to emergencies and support restitution and reparations for women and girl victims and survivors;

  • Create activities in coordination with institutions and organisations to strengthen the implementation of UNSCR 1325.

Each objective has different goals, actions, indicators and departments assigned to achieve these. For example, Objective 1 on “increasing women’s participation in peace processes and decision making on peace and security nationally and internationally” includes the following:

A.E.1.1.1: Renew existing regulatory frameworks in order to increase the active presence of women in State institutions, especially in public and citizen security institutions.

  • Activity 1a:Instructions on how to regulate the equal participation of women and men of the National Civil Police in UN Peacekeeping Missions.

  • Activity 1b: Support the hiring of more women in management positions within the the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

A.E.1.1.2: Guarantee the participation and equal representation of women in decision-making bodies on issues of public and citizen security.

  • Activity 1a: Guarantee that the Ministry of Justice and Public Security creates more job opportunities for women

  • Activity 1b: Promote the inclusion of veteran women in decision making

A.E.1.1.3: Guarantee the participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations in which El Salvador participates as a contributing country

  • Activity 1a: Systematize experiences of women participating in peace missions

A.E.1.2.1: Develop and implement positive action measures to increase the participation and representation of women in State institutions

  • Activity 1a: Communication campaign to encourage and motivate the participation of Salvadoran women in the National Civil Police

  • Activity 1b: Preparation of instructions to regulate the increase and participation of women in the National Civil Police

  • Activity 1c: Promote the participation of women veterans and survivors of the armed conflict in spaces of citizen comptrollership

  • Activity 1d: Incorporate UNSCR 1325 into the Institutional Gender Policy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  • Activity 1e: Incorporate the implementation of UNSCR 1325 into the Strategic Development Plan of the Armed Forces.

To achieve each objective, the NAP has different indicators assigned. For example, Objective 1 on “increasing women’s participation in peace processes and decision making on peace and security nationally and internationally” includes the following indicators or desired result:

A.E.1.1.1: Renew existing regulatory frameworks in order to increase the active presence of women in State institutions, especially in public and citizen security institutions.

  • Activity 1a: Instructive document

  • Activity 1b: An increment of women in management positions

A.E.1.1.2:Guarantee the participation and equal representation of women in decision-making bodies on issues of public and citizen security.

  • Activity 1a: An increased percentage of positions for women

  • Activity 1b: Incorporation of women in the Veterans of War Program

A.E.1.1.3: Guarantee the participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations in which El Salvador participates as a contributing country

  • Activity 1a: Systematization document of the experience

A.E.1.2.1: Develop and implement positive action measures to increase the participation and representation of women in State institutions

  • Activity 1a:  One communication campaign

  • Activity 1b: Elaborate instructions

  • Activity 1c: Have a functioning participation mechanism

  • Activity 1d: Institutional policy incorporation of UNSCR 1325

  • Activity 1e: Compliance with the guidelines of UNSCR 1325 in the Armed Forces

The Salvadoran NAP includes the entities responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of each activity.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Salvadoran Institute for the Development of Women  and the  Implementation Committee of Resolution 1325 and its Technical Monitoring Committee are in charge of the oversight of the NAP. These bodies are responsible for formulating, directing, executing and monitoring compliance with the National Policy on Women.

The processes in place for reporting and review are the following:

  • The activities of the National Implementation Committee, in particular the convening and holding of plenary meetings of the Committee (once a year), meetings of the Board of Directors (twice a year), meetings of the Technical Monitoring Committee (every 2 months) ) and Advisory Group meetings (every 2 months).

  • Prepare periodic reports that take into account the development and fulfillment of the NAP, in particular the publication of an annual report giving an account of the progress made in its implementation as well as the annual update of the expected indicators.

  • Monitor the progress of the Institutional commitments and transfer these updates to all the members of the Implementation Committee and, in particular, review and update the contents of the NAP in light of the evolution of national and international standards.

  • Publish, at the end of this National Action Plan (2017-2022), a report on the level of implementation, challenges and recommendations.

There is no total cost of the NAP implementation mentioned in this NAP. The creation of the NAP includes a reference to funding from the Chilean Embassy to El Salvador, UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.  The implementation of the NAP mentions various government sectors in terms of funding Women, Peace and Security.

There are no indicators or actions included that formulate strategies for sourcing increased funding, detail what level of funding is required for which specific activities, or what accountability mechanisms will ensure funding is raised and used in implementing the NAP.

The NAP notes the different experiences women and girls face in armed conflict, but fails to  address disarmament issues, or connect the proliferation of weapons with women’s insecurity.

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