🗓️ When: Monday, 14 July, 8:00 AM New York | 2:00 PM Geneva | 3:00 PM Aden (check your time zone)

📞Where: on Zoom! Register now to receive the link!

💬 What: Join the conversation to learn about the issues of landmines in Yemen and exchange strategies for the elimination of landmines.

The exchange is open to WILPF members, partners or other allies so feel free to invite friends or colleagues interested in the subject matter. With the current threats to the Mine Ban Treaty, this webinar can be an opportunity to discuss our disarmament actions for the elimination of landmines.   See the invitation in the email below for more details!

Dear WILPFers,

Since Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, the parties in conflict have planted thousands of landmines in roads and farms. These mines have caused numerous casualties, as well as significant economic and environmental damage. In response, initiatives like project Masam and other local and international organisations are working to remove landmines and protect civilians while facing numerous challenges including funding cuts, the absence of landmine maps, and the lack of societal awareness about how to deal with landmines.

Join us for a learning exchange hosted by Young WILPF & WILPF Yemen to learn about the issues of landmines in Yemen and how civil society is responding through mine clearance and education projects.

This exchange will be an opportunity for us to hear from experts in Yemen about their context, but also to share strategies within our global movement. The Trump administration’s massive cuts to foreign aid (previously the world’s largest donor for mine action activities) and the recent withdrawal of several European countries from the landmark Mine Ban Treaty are major setbacks. Let’s come together as a global movement to exchange learnings and build strategies to counter this backsliding trend.
Join the Conversation!

🗓️ When: Monday, 14 July, 8:00 AM New York | 2:00 PM Geneva | 3:00 PM Aden (check your time zone)

📞Where: on Zoom! Register now to receive the link!

💬 What: Join the conversation to learn about the issues of landmines in Yemen and exchange strategies for the elimination of landmines.
Register to attend
📌Agenda

• Introduction
  The human toll of landmines
  The economic effects
  The environmental effects
  Experiences and challenges from civil society in Yemen
  Q & A
  Open discussion: Exchanging strategies
• 📚Preparation

Background documents to read: Mine Action Update on Yemen (UNMHA, 2024), Yemen Country Report (Human Rights Watch, 2025), Project Masam, Support for Mine Action – Yemen (Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, 2023).
💡Good to know

This call will be held in Arabic with live interpretation in English.
The call is open to WILPF members, partners, and interested organisations.
For any questions, contact Rania Mohammed, Young WILPF Yemen member (raniamohammed2017@gmail.com) or membership@wilpf.org.

We look forward to seeing you online!
In solidarity,
Rania Mohammed
Young WILPF Regional Liaison for MENA

Please remember that this newsletter is for ALL members of WILPF. Share this subscription link with other WILPF members.
You can contribute to the Membership Newsletter too!
Share your Section/Group’s good news and updates, as well as events and resources.
You can send us a short article by the 10th of next month.

Make sure to check out the Membership Newsletter Guidelines (also available in French and Spanish).

Der Beitrag WILPF – Webinar on the issue of landmines in Yemen erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

The landscape of EU external action is undergoing significant transformations, with shifting political priorities and a growing emphasis on security, economic growth and geopolitical positioning. This shift has profound implications for gender equality and the EU’s role in advancing human rights globally. As the EU faces mounting challenges, including the rise of far-right populism and shrinking civil society space both in and outside Europe, it’s crucial to maintain and strengthen the integration of human rights and gender equality into the EU’s international engagement strategies – principles that have long been central to the EU’s external policies. These principles are key to fostering sustainable development, promoting democratic values, and addressing global inequalities.

Global Setbacks and shifting EU Priorities

Under European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s external action priorities have shifted, largely due to pressure from right-wing governments within Member States and the changing geopolitical landscape. To strengthen the EU’s role as a ‘geopolitical player,’ von der Leyen has, for her second term, focused EU foreign policy even more on economic and security issues, while human rights and gender equality have taken a backseat.

As the EU shifts its priorities, the Global Gateway initiative has become a central tool for advancing economic and security objectives, framed as international cooperation. The initiative is branded around infrastructure development, diversifying supply chains, and opening new markets to boost the EU’s economic growth, but it largely operates in regions with stable conditions for economic investment, ignoring the specific needs of conflict and fragile states. However, this emphasis on economic aspects has overshadowed critical issues like gender equality and human rights. According to a recent report about who profits from the Global Gateway by Oxfam, Eurodad and Counterbalance, it is highly unclear whether the Global Gateway implements a progressive gender equality approach at all. If the EU fails to champion fundamental rights on the global stage, it risks enabling a global power dynamic where authoritarian and anti-rights agendas gain traction, further marginalising discriminated people and communities and eroding international standards on human rights and gender equality.

Meanwhile, the global situation for gender equality is worsening. Anti-gender and anti-rights movements, which are increasingly well-funded and well-organised, are undermining progress on women’s rights. A report written by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights showed that between 2009 and 2018, USD 707.2 million in funding for anti-gender initiatives originated from the United States, the Russian Federation, and Europe. At the same time, according to the OECD’s 2024 report on development finance for gender equality, the share of official development assistance (ODA) allocated to gender equality has declined. While DAC members allocated USD 60.4 billion towards gender equality objectives in 2021-22, this represents a drop from 45% in 2019-20 to 42%. More concerning, 20 out of 32 DAC members reduced their focus on gender equality during this period. This decline in support for gender equality comes at a time when the world is facing rising poverty, inequality, conflict, and the worsening effects of climate change – all of which disproportionately affect women and girls in all their diversity. Furthermore, the shrinking of civil society space, with many women’s rights organisations facing increasing barriers to their work, makes it all the more urgent for the EU to step up its commitment to gender equality. At the same time, the EU has cut 2 bn euro from its development budget and several European Member States are making significant cuts to their development aid budgets. Countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium are reducing their official development assistance (ODA), which could harm the EU’s ability to meet its international commitments, including those related to gender equality. These budget cuts, paired with the growing influence of anti-rights movements, further threaten progress on women’s rights and gender equality.

What to Expect from the New Set of Commissioners on Gender Equality

The European Parliament’s approval process for the new College of Commissioners included rigorous hearings where MEPs questioned candidates on their priorities. For Commissioner Jozef Sikela, responsible for international partnerships, gender equality came up as a secondary issue behind protecting the EU’s economic and security interests in his mission letter from Ursula von der Leyen. During his hearing, Sikela committed to continuing the EU Gender Action Plan III (GAPIII). However, his broader focus on economic development and security raised concerns about whether gender equality would remain central to the EU’s development policy.

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also faced scrutiny on gender equality during her nomination process. While she acknowledged its importance, civil soceity remained concerned about how much emphasis will be placed on it within the European External Action Service (EEAS), and whether it will not lose the competition with rising geopolitical priorities, such as the war in Ukraine. Kallas did commit to advocating for funding for women’s rights organisations (WROs) in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), offering a welcome lifeline for gender equality initiatives in the coming years. On a more positive note, Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, in charge of Preparedness, Crisis management and Equality, made strong commitments to continue promoting gender equality and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights within the EU, without linking them to EU external action. However, with a very broad portfolio, it remains to be seen how successful she will be in making these issues a central part of EU policy. Overall, compared to the previous Commission, which was presented under the banner of “A Union of Equality,” the current College of Commissioners shows a marked shift. Gender equality is now seen as less of a priority, overshadowed by a focus on hard power concerns like security, the economy, and geopolitics.

What’s at Stake: Key Moments Ahead

The stakes for gender equality in the EU’s external action are higher than ever, with several critical moments on the horizon. The process begins on 8 March 2025, when Commissioner Lahbib will present a roadmap for women’s rights. This will set the tone for the EU’s next internal Gender Equality Strategy, replacing the current one. Crucially, this internal strategy should include a clear reference to the EU’s external work on gender equality, underscoring the need for an ambitious successor to GAP III: a Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV). Following this, the negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), set to be adopted in 2026, will be a pivotal moment. It is essential to secure strong gender equality targets within the external funding pillar of the MFF. This includes dedicated funding for local women’s rights organisations, ensuring they remain integral actors in advancing gender equality globally.

In parallel, GAP IV will, hopefully, be under negotiation. While closely tied to funding, GAP IV must go far beyond it, maintaining a transformative, intersectional, and human rights-based approach. It needs to address structural inequalities and push for comprehensive action to uphold gender equality across all of the EU’s external action. These processes will lay the groundwork for a broader vision of an Intersectional Feminist Foreign Policy (IFFP)—one that tackles the interlinked nature of gender inequality with other forms of discrimination, including for example based on ethnicity, class, age, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. The alignment of these strategies will ensure the EU retains its leadership role in promoting a just, equitable, and inclusive global order. While challenges persist, the EU has a clear opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality as a cornerstone of its external action. By leveraging these key moments, the EU can create a coherent and ambitious framework to address the increasing challenges faced by women and marginalised groups worldwide.

Der Beitrag What about Gender Equality in the EU’s External Action? By Alexandra Rosén erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

The Berlin Process plays a key role in supporting the region’s path to EU accession, but it does not take all citizens of the Western Balkans into account. This report, the first to assess the Berlin Process through a gender lens, highlights that while there are some positive examples, the initiative often neglects the role of women and gender equality in driving inclusive regional development. This gap affects the content and output of the process, as well as representation and participation.

Access the report here

Der Beitrag Kvinna till Kvinna: Missing Gender Perspectives in the Berlin Process  erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

As part of this, KtK  examine power, diversity, long-term support, partnership approaches, intersectionality, and opportunities for peace, security and decolonalisation as part of conflict sensitivity.

Access the method brief here.

Der Beitrag Kvinna Till Kvinna – New Resource: A Feminist Approach to Conflict Sensitivity   erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

We have seen ultra right-wing forces come in to power in several countries, with the help of an anti-women, anti-rights agenda. Women’s rights and bodies, as well as LGBTQ people, are being used as political game. This includes Georgia, where the election results from last Sunday’s election are being rejected by the president and the opposition, and the ruling government party being accused of election fraud. If confirmed, the consequences of the election for an independent civil society as well as women’s and queer rights could be detrimental.

We know that one election result in America could lead to the ripping of women’s rights to their own bodies, not only in the US but across the world, as the Project 2025 lays out a plan that would have enormously negative global consequences for gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Kvinna till Kvinna’s long-term work on how the anti-gender movements affect the work and lives of women human rights defenders, and the rights of women, girls and LGBTQ people everywhere, is unfortunately increasingly relevant. We will continue to fight for women’s rights, everywhere, everyday.

Petra Tötterman Andorff
Secretary-General, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation

Der Beitrag Kvinna Till Kvinna – Women’s rights under pressure erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

Globally, nearly 1 in 5 women have a disability which may be physical, sensory, cognitive, or psychosocial.

ADB published its first guidelines on gender equality and disability inclusion, outlining how development work can recognize, respect, and incorporate the voices and lived experiences of women and girls with disabilities living in Asia and the Pacific.

Drawing on case studies and covering infrastructure and social sectors, these guidelines aim to identify and address the specific needs of women and girls with disabilities and propose strategies to achieve their transformative empowerment.

Read and download the publication: https://lnkd.in/gGFH2icv

ADB Publications Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Hashtag#GenderEquality Hashtag#DisabilityInclusion

Der Beitrag Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion – Asian Development Bank erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

Starting from 22 February, it is possible to join global peers in a mix of live expert-led sessions and additional on-demand learning modules, offered in multiple languages and time zones.
The journey is open and free of charge to all. GET READY ! Help move from commitment to action on gender equality!

Learn more

Register here:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
International Training Centre of the ILO
International Labour Standards, Rights at work and Gender Equality (ILSGEN)
Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10
10127 Turin – Italy
ilsgen@itcilo.org
www.itcilo.org
This Newsletter is a ILSGEN Programme’s publication, Copyright © 2023 ITCILO, all rights reserved

Der Beitrag ILSGEN news – Register now: Join the countdown to International Women’s Day! erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

On the initiative of and together with NGO committees of the United Nations in Vienna, WILPF Austria is organizing a discussion on the topic of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and its implementation on February 22 from 3 – 4:30 p.m.

Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction and threaten humanity and the planet. Austria has ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons, but we are one of the few countries in the EU. There is still a lot of work to be done to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world and even if it seems utopian, we must not give up! WILPF, with its disarmament division, is Reaching Critical Will (Disarmament Fora (reachingcriticalwill.org) We are very active in disarmament work and we are part of the international campaign ICAN (International Campaign against Nuclear Weapons), which received the Nobel Prize in 2017.

When: Thursday February 22, 2024 3pm – 4:30pm

‘Where: HausWirtschaft, Bruno-Marek-Allee 5, 1020 Wien, and hybrid

The discussions at this meeting, as well as the declaration and decisions adopted by states parties, show a firm commitment to advancing work to stigmatize and eliminate nuclear weapons. There is much to be done for the achievement of nuclear abolition, and the obstacles can sometimes feel unsurmountable, especially amidst rampant nuclear weapon modernisation, abrogation of arms control treaties, and threats of use. But there is another way, another world, that is actively being built by the TPNW community. The second meeting of state parties adopted several further steps to reach the long-term goal of a nuclear free world.

The Treaty’s gender perspective  inspires other disarmament instruments and processes and the integration of the work on disarmament with the women’s peace and security agenda and other areas such as the SDGs, human rights and development are important ways forward in reaching the goals of global justice and peace.

Questions raised in the discussion might be: What are the perspectives for the next steps in implementing the treaty? What role is the diplomacy in Austria playing in it and what are steps to be taken until the third meeting of the state parties? What are main challenges and obstacles and how can they be overcome (i.e. the resistance of NATO countries to sign and ratify the treaty)? What is the role of of cross-regional coalitions in implementing the treaty? Why are feminist perspectives important  for nuclear disarmament and disarmament in general? How can  synergies between the WPS agenda and the disarmament agenda be strengthened?

Speakers:

Alexander Kmentt         Ambassador, Director of the Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Department of the Austrian Foreign Ministry  (online participation confirmed)

Renata H. Dalaqua        Head of the Gender and Disarmament Programme of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) (confirmed)

Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova  Director of the International Organizations and Non-Proliferation Program of the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) (requested)

Rebecca Jovin                 Chief of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) at Vienna requested)

Fabian Hämmerle          ICAN Austria (confirmed)

Rosa Logar                       WILPF Austria (confirmed)

Facilitator: Anna Alvazzi del Frate Kennis: Knowledge for Safety and Good Governance, Vice-Chair of The Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Evelyn Dürmayer                                                                                      Ingeborg Geyer

Chair NGO CSW                                                                                        Chair NGO CSD

The event will be held in ENGLISH and hybrid. Please let us know when you register how you plan to participate. Registration for in person attendance or request of a zoom link: please send an e-mail latest 20/02/2024  to: inge.geyer@outlook.com

Der Beitrag Invitation: Perspectives on the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and future activities erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

JOIN OUR UPCOMING E-WORKSHOP

APPLICATION NOW OPEN! (click here to learn more and apply)

For more information: ilsgen@itcilo.org

Violence and harassment at work pose significant threats to the dignity, security, and well-being of individuals, impacting not only workers and employers but also their families, communities, and society at large. To address this, our upcoming e-workshop equips professionals to design effective workplace policies against violence and harassment aligned with international standards.

Key highlights

• Understand violence and harassment as relating specifically to your work context;
• Identify practical measures that can be put in place to prevent, address and remedy, and frame them within a policy document that fits the needs of your organization;
• Mainstream violence and harassment into existing mechanisms and regulations at the level of your workplace, including Occupational Safety and Health instrument;
• Design an action plan to turn policy into practice.
• Through design-oriented participatory activities, you will come out of this training with a recipe for a policy tool that works in your organization.
• A limited number of partial fellowships are available

Der Beitrag ITC-ILO Turin announces E-Workshop: Designing effective workplace policies against violence and harassment erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.

Until recently, foreign policy was a marginal topic in political discourse, relegated to the sidelines of newspaper coverage. Yet, in recent years, the tides have shifted noticeably, gaining momentum fuelled by ongoing crises and escalating violence that call for new concepts and innovative approaches. Therefore, on the invitation of the Second President of the National Council, Doris Bures, the VIDC organised a panel discussion at the Austrian Parliament on 28 November 2023, where together former Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, co-founder of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy Kristina Lunz, and scientist and academic Toni Haastrup explored the elements that define a feminist foreign policy, delving into its inherent potential and examining the reasons behind the scepticism expressed by many countries in the Global South.

“We live in a world that is becoming increasingly unpeaceful”

said Doris Bures, Second President of the National Council, in her welcoming address, emphasising the increasing lack of global peace and referring to the numerous armed conflicts and their devastating effects, particularly on women, girls and marginalised groups. As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women and Girls, the United Nations shockingly pointed out that more women and girls were murdered worldwide in 2022 than at any time in the last twenty years. A change of perspective in foreign policy is necessary in order to meet these challenges, which are intensified by crises and climate change. A feminist foreign policy can be a useful approach here, says Doris Bures.

“We cannot achieve peace if we do not include half of the world’s population.”

“Women are always the most affected by violence,” said former Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who gave examples of current aggression in our world, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the regime’s violent response to the women’s revolution in Iran and the many civilian casualties in Israel and Gaza since 7 October. “We cannot achieve peace if we do not include half of the world’s population.” Ann Linde’s words made it clear that an important aspect of implementing a feminist policy is a systematic approach that makes it possible to analyse political measures in terms of their impact on women, girls and marginalised groups. She named the 3 Rs as an important tool for a feminist foreign policy: rights, representation and resources. This includes dismantling patriarchal norms and challenging traditional power structures. It has been proven that the participation of women in shaping peace agreements increases their chances of success by 35%, as Sybille Straubinger, Director of the VIDC, emphasised in her opening statement. This emphasises the importance of greater representation of women at negotiating tables, in political parties and in forums where decisions are made, but where they are usually chronically underrepresented. Feminist foreign policy aims to include women and marginalised groups more in decision-making and prioritise their security, in contrast to conventional foreign policy, which focuses on the state and its borders.

“Because there will only be sustainable peace if patriarchal structures are dismantled”

Kristina Lunz began her statement by pointing out that for 4,000–6,000 years, most of humanity has been organised into patriarchal societies, in which power is based on hierarchies maintained through violence. The harsh truth of daily violence against women and marginalised groups is evident, for example, in the fact that ‘in Germany, every day a man tries to kill his partner or ex-partner, and every third day he succeeds, and every four minutes a woman experiences some form of violence such as psychological, mental or physical violence’. Kristina Lunz emphasised the strong power of the feminist movement for social change, the roots of which are located in the suffrage movement of 1915, when suffragettes formulated revolutionary demands, many of which have since been implemented, such as the founding of the UN. However, one key demand of this movement, namely demilitarisation, remains unimplemented to this day.
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is one of the organisations that has campaigned for disarmament from the very beginning. An important milestone in this context is the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, both of which paved the way for a feminist foreign policy. “Because there will only be sustainable peace if patriarchal structures are dismantled,” says Kristina Lunz.

Feminist discussions play a key role in critiquing colonial, racist, authoritarian and masculinised power

Patriarchal structures are also visible in the relation between the Global North and South. In the case of feminist foreign policies, the dominance of knowledge production by the Global North and the West is a prevailing issue. In this context, as Toni Haastrup describes it, the Global South often finds itself relegated to a supporting role, its citizens mere recipients, ‘often cast in the role of supporting character’. Over the past decade, policy architecture has evolved, yet remnants of global power hierarchies persist. To address this, policies should adopt a people-centric approach by considering issues such as land appropriation, labour exploitation and control of natural resources. Moreover, attention to state institutions and issues of power, gender control and historic structures is crucial, and integrating these priorities is essential to dismantling entrenched relations between the Global North and South. This is where feminist discussions play a key role in critiquing colonial, racist, authoritarian and masculinised power, with intersectionality highlighting the trauma experienced by the most vulnerable due to structures of oppression and discrimination.

“Feminism is not complete if it is not intersectional”

The challenge lies in sticking to one’s own feminist values and priorities because, as Kristina Lunz pointed out using the example of Russia, many feminists and human rights defenders warned that Putin’s anti-feminist and anti-homosexual rhetoric was an indication of the subsequent aggression against Ukraine. The inclusion of gender analysis in conflict assessments would help to recognise these signs and counteract conflicts in advance. Patriarchal structures of international power relations are also evident in the different perceptions of conflicts by politicians and the media, as Toni Haastrup demonstrated using the example of the Ukraine war and conflicts in countries such as Congo, Ethiopia ,and Sudan. This shows that solidarity is a crucial factor in bridging the gap between the Global North and South and forming a common front. “Feminism is not complete if it is not intersectional,” said Toni Haastrup, because “no one is truly liberated unless everyone shares in that freedom”.

The discussion emphasised the need for a continuous process in feminist foreign policy that deals with resistance, challenges existing power dynamics, and thus contributes to the dismantling of violent global structures.  It is necessary to provide sufficient resources to involve feminist civil society in this process. A feminist foreign policy encourages global solidarity and emphasises the importance of dealing with human rights violations with the aim of achieving global equality and a fairer, more peaceful world.

More information can be found on the Website of VIDC  Text taken from the VIDC Website.

Der Beitrag Feminist Foreign Policy – VICD organized panel discussion at the Austrian Parliament on 28 November 2023 erschien zuerst auf Dr.in Barbara Kühhas.