T

he United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted by the

United Nations Security Council in 2000. Te Resolution recognizes the role
women play in confict resolution, confict management and sustainable
peace. It calls women of all levels to participate in the decision making process and
in State mechanisms for the prevention and management of confict. Te 4 pillars
highlighted by the resolution are participation, protection, prevention, relief
and recovery. All member States including Sri Lanka has an obligation to take
measures to implement the Resolution at domestic level.
Tis briefng paper summarizes the Baseline Study Women in Times of Transition: 1325 In Sri Lanka
carried out by FOKUS, which highlights the extent of participation of women in peace and security
initiatives, both state and non state and the challenges faced by women in post confict Sri Lanka and
recommendation for the efective implementation of UNSCR 1325.
1. Chronology of Women, Conflict and Peace Building -
Past and Present
FINDINGS
Women have been active in the area of peace for many years. However UNSCR 1325 is not
utilized as an entry point to address womens needs.
y Although womens groups collaborate on specifc issues of concern, there is no
distinct womens movement in Sri Lanka.
y Womens eforts on peace building are diverse and are included within a broader
framework of developmental, political and social, cultural and economical issues.
Militarization in the North and Vanni has impacted womens security. A sense of
insecurity and fear leaves little room for reconciliation and peace building eforts.
Post war has lef many women as widows to bear primary responsibility for income
generation as female heads of households creating new labour demands.
Securing land rights in the light of government policies on resettlement, land
documentation, dismantling of HSZ, availability of usable land and inability to
prove title due to lack of documentation has added to the vulnerabilities of women.
Women in
Times of Transition
1325 IN SRI LANKA
2. Implementation of UNSCR 1325
STATE MECHANISMS AND FRAMEWORKS
The State has the sole responsibility and obligation to ensure the implementation of
UNSCR 1325.
However, the State does not have a formal mechanism or framework to ensure its realization.
Te implementation of 1325 is through existing institutions or networks or through mechanisms
especially created afer the confict for the confict afected areas. Tese primary institutions and
initiatives broadly include:
y Te Draf National Action Plan on Women (NAP) which includes a component on
women in armed confict;
y Te Presidential Task Force on Northern Development (PTF) 2009 on
resettlement;
y Development and security in Northern Province;
y Te Sri Lanka Joint Plan for Assistance Northern Province 2011;
y Te Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) 2010 and the
y Te National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP) 2012.
CIVIL SOCIETY MECHANISMS AND FRAMEWORKS
Tere are many civil society organizations working at the national level as well as in post confict
areas that encourage and advocate womens participation in peace building and reconciliation.
This work is not always directly related to or done for the purpose of enforcing 1325 but
contribute towards womens empowerment, womens participation in politics, equal
rights and prevention of GBV, livelihood options and economic development.
Civil society organizations and initiatives are largely concentrated in Batticaloe, Trincomalee,
Polonnaruwa border village areas, Vanni, Jafna, Vauniya, Ampara, Akkaraipattu and in Puttlam
in IDP centres.
UNITED NATIONS AND INGO MECHANISMS AND FRAMEWORKS
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) supports governance,
peace, gender and poverty initiatives through its implementing agencies.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) specifically targets its initiatives based on
1325 in providing support for local womens organizations and national NGOs, womens
centres at village level and the Human Rights Joint Programme focuses on promotion
and implementation of womens participation in peace and security.
INGOs such as the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Diakonia and CARE provide legal aid and
psycho social recovery and reintegration of people afected by war.
CARE supported a project Women Headed Households for Development and Peace
and sought to support 1325 by strengthening WHH in the decision making processes.
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3. Baseline: Has the 1325 mandate been realized?
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
The UNSCR 1325 has made a minimal impact in Sri Lanka due to lack of accountability
and commitment on the part of the State.
y Current challenges in the North, East and Vanni impede work on 1325.
y Failure to accept or realize that gender concerns are paramount to rebuilding war
tone areas by the state imposes a threat to peace building and reconciliation.
y Te 1325 label has not been attached to majority of current peace building work
thereby minimizing its impact.
y Lack of awareness on the UNSCR 1325 by the state, civil society and even the UN
agencies pose difculties in monitoring its work.
y Tere is minimum engagement with the media on introducing and implementing
the UNSCR 1325.
y Te inordinate delay in implementing the Draf National Action Plan for Women
which includes a section on Women in Armed Confict is a drawback to the
implementation of the resolution.
y Lack of a concerted efort to coordination and advocacy by civil society
organizations together with the state on issues such as land rights, resettlement,
housing and security has impeded work under 1325.
y Lack of systematic documentation of research and advocacy and a systematic
approach to trainings and workshops organized by womens organizations and
donor agencies minimize impact made by 1325 activities.
It is important to pick leaders amongst the women through workshops. Training fifty
women does not mean you educate them. It is also important that the chosen women
are those that command the respect of the community at largea change of strategy is
needed Ms. Ferial Ashraff, Former Minister
4. Recommendations
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Te implementation of UNSCR 1325 should be context oriented: taking into account womens
meaningful participation in peace building given the lack of livelihood options, democracy and
security, erosion of media freedom and the right to freedom of speech and dissent.
Leadership and commitment to enforce the resolution must come from the State.
y A Link should be drawn with other international instruments such as CEDAW
concluding observations relating to gender and 1325 to ensure a holistic approach
to gender based interventions.
y General intervention to empower women through increase in womens
participation in politics is vital to development.
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SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Demystification of UNSCR 1325
Create awareness on content and impact of UNSCR 1325 through local translation and
dissemination
y UN Agencies to apply and label 1325 to research, advocacy and funded projects to
encourage and expedite the implementation of the UNSCR 1325.
y Womens groups within and outside the state to identify initiatives based on their
international obligations such as the UNSCR 1325.
y To tap into existing awareness campaigns such as the SthreeMela to create awareness.
Training Programmes to include a module on 1325
A 1325 Module to be developed and include procedural as well as substantive aspects
of peace building
y Tese modules should be included into ongoing existing training programmes
such as the Mediation programme and the CSHR Advanced Training Course on
Women and Peace Building.
y Successful models such as the Womens Centres, WRDSs and Study circles should
be replicated to mobilize and empower women at the grassroots level.
Data Collection and Research
There is an urgent need for systematic documentation of data disaggregated by gender
y Tere is a need for systematic documentation of those who have lost their legal
documents due to war, displacement, tsunami, etc and provision of the same to
secure land rights and other entitlements.
y Collection of Data should be disaggregated by Gender to target gender sensitive
development initiatives.
y Organizations should develop necessary skills and training for systematic
documentation
y Research should be targeted and new research areas should be identifed in the
North, East and Vanni.
Identification of Specialists groups to empower, to network and coordinate
The State needs to identify specific officers and groups with the existing government
administrative framework to channel initiatives to maximize on resources and impact.
y Identify potential partners and political groups such as Club 1325, faith based
groups, informal groups such as Team1325, GBV networks and local community
groups to lead advocacy on womens issues.
y Womens organizations especially in afected areas to network and coordinate at a
local, district and national level to ensure a top down and bottom up approach.
Inclusion of Media in 1325 work
y Build awareness on the part of the Electronic, Print and New Media with regard to
UNSCR 1325 in order to create mass awareness and disseminate information
BRIEFING PAPER NO-01, March 2014
Published by: FOKUS WOMEN - 34 A, Sulaiman Avenue, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka. Tel/Fax: +94112055404 Web: www.fokuskvinner.no
All rights reserved. Tis material is copyright and not for resale, but may be reproduced by any method for teaching purposes.
For copying in other circumstances for re-use in other publications or for translation, prior written permission must be obtained from the copyright owner.
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