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The European
Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by
Véronique DE KEYSER (PES, BE) by 315 votes for, 23 against and 67
abstentions. Members highlighed the positive role that women play in conflict
resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. They also draw attention to the
vulnerability and special needs of women and girls in conflict situations and
women as perpetrator of violence. In general terms, the report
stressed the need to mainstream a gender perspective into peace research,
conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping operations, post-conflict
rehabilitation and reconstruction and to ensure a gender component in field
programmes. Women as war victims:Parliament emphasisedthe importance of access to reproductive health services in
conflict situations and refugee camps, both during and after conflicts. Such
services include the need for women to have the possibility of giving birth
in hospital without the prior authorisation of a male relative, or
terminating unwanted pregnancies, and to have access to psychological help.
All States have a responsibility to put an end to impunity and to prosecute
those responsible for sexual violence against women and girls, such as rape,
sexual slavery, forced prostitution, enforced pregnancy, enforced
sterilisation and any other form of sexual violence of comparable
seriousness. States must recognize and condemn these crimes as a crime
against humanity and a war crime and in this regard. These crimes should be
excluded from amnesty provisions. In addition, stopping the use of child
soldiers in conflicts, including small girls, who are subjected to full-blown
sexual slavery was a priority. Parliament urged that long-term psychological,
social, educational and economic programmes be set up for these children. It
condemned violence against women in all circumstances but called for zero
tolerance of the sexual exploitation of children, girls and women in armed
conflicts and refugee camps, and demanded severe administrative and criminal
penalties for humanitarian staff, representatives of international
institutions, peacekeeping forces and diplomats guilty of such exploitation. Women as peacemakers:Parliament highlighted
the positive role that women play in conflict resolution and in post-conflict
reconstruction and in particular in disarmament, demobilisation and
reintegration (DDR) programmes. It supported all those recommendations which,
since UNSCR 1325 (2000), have sought to improve the lot of women in
conflicts, and called on the Council and Commission to incorporate and
implement these recommendations, particularly those made in its resolution of
30 November 2000 into all their policies. However, despite all the
resolutions, appeals and recommendations adopted and made by various
international and European institutions, women are still not fully involved
in conflict-prevention and conflict-resolution, peace-keeping operations and
peace-building. It is not fresh recommendations that are called for, but the
drawing-up of a practical action programme with the identification of the
means necessary for its carrying-out, and assessment of the obstacles to and
monitoring of the results of implementation. Parliament called for an annual
report to be submitted to the European Parliament on the implementation of
the programme. It went on to point out the persistence of discrimination
against women with regard to access to capital and resources such as food and
education, to information technologies and to health care and other social
facilities. Women's involvement in economic activities is of crucial
importance in order to support their socio-economic position in post-conflict
societies. Women and war:Parliament drewattention to the problem of female
suicide bombers and stressed that rape used as a weapon of war affects all
women, irrespective of ethnic, religious and ideological differences. Women
who have been raped are socially stigmatised, excluded and even killed. Parliament
went on to make a series of recommendations. These include the following: -greater
participation by women in diplomacy and Member States’ diplomatic services,
and training women within those services in negotiation and mediation
techniques, thus creating registers of women who are qualified for peace- and
security-related posts; -the concepts
of transitional justice to be applied in peace processes and the transition
to democracy and the rule of law, while respecting victims' rights, the
dignity of female witnesses along with the participation of women in
committees of inquiry set up for the purposes of reconciliation, and the
incorporation of gender mainstreaming in the measures adopted by these
committees; -recommendations
should be limited to what is essential, namely urging the institutions to
seek synergies on the specific action to be taken with other international
institutions pursuing the same objectives, and to make the best possible use
of the new financial instruments of the 2007-2013 financial framework as incentives
and means of leverage; - that
Parliament investigate the problem of suicide attacks by women, and launch a
study of the issue culminating in a conference bringing together not only
specialists but also other people with a knowledge of gender issues from the
countries concerned and Islamic religious leaders; -it is
essential that the Commission retain the European Initiative for Democracy
and Human Rights as a specific instrument within the 2007-2013 financial
framework. The instrument has in the past ensured the success of calls for
tender and budgetary headings specific to women's rights, without requiring
the agreement of the governments in place; Finally,
Parliament supported the due implementation of human rights clauses in
agreements with third countries and of the principles of international
humanitarian law and related international agreements, with specific
reference to women's rights and needs.
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