Nobel Prize winners Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, center, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee, behind, and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf receive their medals December 10.

By Charlene Porter
IIP Staff Writer
Washington
20 December 2011

As the United States launches a new national action plan to advance women’s participation in making and keeping peace worldwide, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton decries recent violence against women in Egypt.

“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform, and is not worthy of a great people,” Clinton said in a speech on the campus of Georgetown University December 19. The violence is part of a “deeply troubling pattern,” Clinton said, to bar women from participation in the construction of a new political and social system that protestors demanded earlier in the year.

Starting in January, Egyptians took to the streets by the millions, demanding social, political and economic change. Their outcry forced the resignation of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. Military rulers took over to calm the situation, announcing a temporary government and promising elections. Egypt began a three-stage election process in November, and will finish the rounds of voting and runoffs in early January.

Referring both to Egypt and all nations working toward a better future, Clinton said the U.S. initiative to promote women’s roles is guided by knowledge that countries are more peaceful and prosperous when women have full rights and opportunities.

“Whether it’s ending conflict, managing a transition or rebuilding a country, the world cannot afford to continue ignoring half the population,” Clinton said.

The secretary of state’s speech came hours after the White House unveiled the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Clinton and the White House present the plan as a change in the way the United States will approach diplomatic, military and development-based support to women in areas of conflict.

“This is not just a woman’s issue,” Clinton told the Georgetown University audience. “It cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs. It truly does cut to the heart of our national security and the security of people everywhere.”

The award of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize to women who were influential in resolving conflict in their countries should broaden international understanding of the importance of the issue, Clinton said. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee, both of Liberia, and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen. They won the honor “for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work,” according to the Nobel Committee.

A White House fact sheet outlines the objectives of the action plan and specific steps to achieve them. Wielding U.S. diplomatic power to ensure that women are included in peace talks is one important objective. Clinton said recent conflict negotiations have shown that women have different perspectives and gender-specific experiences that contribute to peacemaking.

“During 2006 peace negotiations in Darfur, male negotiators deadlocked over the control of a particular river until local women, who have the experience of fetching water and washing clothes, pointed out that the river had already dried up,” Clinton said.

The Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security aims to strengthen the efforts of U.S. government agencies to protect women and children from abuse and exploitation. The plan also asserts that women can contribute to conflict prevention and the creation of stable societies based on lasting peace.

In the aftermath of conflict or natural disaster, Clinton said, the needs of women are often overlooked, though their capabilities to influence recovery should not be underestimated. “Women are often among the most vulnerable in crises, yet they rarely receive a proportionate share of assistance or have the chance to help set post-conflict priorities. But with the right tools and support, women can lead recovery efforts and help get their communities back on their feet.”

An array of U.S. government agencies charged with foreign policy activities will follow the action plan, including the departments of State, Defense, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

These agencies are directed to build women’s skills to serve in government and security and support nongovernmental organizations on behalf of women’s participation in decisionmaking. U.S. agencies will also be supporting other nations in developing laws and policies to advance women’s participation in making public policy.