WPS side-event: ‘The nexus between the WPS agenda and elections unpacked: Women’s participation in elections in the DRC, South Sudan and other contexts’

 

Date & time: 24th of October 2023 - 8.30 - 10.00 AM EDT

Venue: Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 666 3rd Ave (18th floor)

A light breakfast will be served
Register here

Cordaid, PAX, WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Albania and the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the UN in New York cordially invite you to an in-person WPS side-event: ‘The nexus between the WPS agenda and elections unpacked: Women’s participation in elections in the DRC, South Sudan and other contexts'. In this session we will zoom in on women's political participation as a key pillar of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Ensuring a participatory and gender-sensitive approach in supporting elections, is crucial for the further implementation of the WPS agenda. Yet women's political participation, particularly in fragile states, is often overlooked or even neglected in electoral processes. More attention for this part of the participation pillar is needed, especially with upcoming and ongoing electoral processes in countries that are impacted by conflict such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. During this interactive debate, women activists from different countries will discuss crucial issues and lessons learned, offering necessary recommendations on gender, peace and security before, during and after elections.      

Key guiding questions 

• How do women’s rights organizations invest in women’s political participation against the background of shrinking civic space? 
• How can we overcome the barriers that prevent women’s meaningful participation in the electoral processes in the DRC? How should international actors support DRC's electoral processes to build peace and prevent violent conflict?   
• What can be learnt from the peace process in South Sudan and how can these lessons be used for the electoral processes? How should international actors support South Sudan's electoral processes to build inclusive peace and prevent violent conflict? 
• How can we apply lessons learned from the ongoing peace processes to support increased women's participation in electoral processes? 

Speakers: 

• Bahia Tahzib-Lie - Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York 
• Albana Dautllari - Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Albania to the United Nations in New York (TBC) 
• Sonia Farrey - Deputy Director of Gender and Children in Conflict Department, and UK WPS Focal Point at the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations in New York 
• Claudine Tsongo – Director and co-founder of Dynamique des Femmes Juristes, based in Goma, Noth-Kivu  
• Rasha Al Aqueedi - Head of Non-State Actors program at New Lines Institute
• Esther Soma – Deputy Country Director at PAX in South Sudan 

Read the concept note