Women from various internally displaced communities living at the UNMISS protection of civilians (PoC) site in Malakal, Upper Nile State, attended an open peace forum today.

Organized by the UNMISS Gender Unit, the one-day workshop focused on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction. It also stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

The resolution further urges all actors to increase the participation of women and incorporate gender perspectives in all UN peace and security efforts and calls on all parties to conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence.

Acting UNMISS State Coordinator Hastings Amurani-Phiri said the open peace forum was essential as part of efforts to promote peace among communities living at the UNMISS base.

He called for collective efforts from all actors to protect women’s rights as stipulated in the Security Council resolution.

“This is the heart of our (UNMISS) mandate,” he said. “(Our role) is to protect civilians and to report and investigate human rights violations.

Several UNMISS officials made presentations on topics like increased access to justice, protection of women’s rights, gender-based violence, as well as women’s engagement in peace and security efforts as a preventive measure to mitigate risk and promote peace building.

Some 50 women from all the blocks in the PoC site attended the event, which was also aimed at encouraging them to break the silence on issues related to abuse and gender-based violence.

“It was the first time for me to attend such an informative forum in which we share our challenges, achievements and the way forward as part of our collective efforts within the Malakal context to bring peace within us internally here in the base,” said one participant, Nyaliny John Awol.

Another participant, Nunu James Adhok, said she was happy to learn that the international community, and the UN in particular, were determined to protect women’s rights through the Security Council resolution.

“(It would be) a breakthrough if states took that resolution seriously,” she said. “It will open a new door for women to express themselves especially in decision making areas in all capacities.”