UNDP Gender Expert Roma Bhattacharjea speaks at the UNA-USA Mid-East Regional Conference, March 11, 2012

“The majority of people all over the world displaced by conflicts are women and children,” UNDP senior gender expert Roma Bhattacharjea told a UN Association gathering in Washington. “By promoting the voices and participation of women in peace-building, we are broadening the consultative processes, bringing to the table the everyday issues of ordinary citizens affected by conflict, and broadening our agenda.”

“UNDP believes that the real roots of lasting peace can only lie in sustained development, as a lot of armed conflicts come out of the development deficits. Protection of women from sexual and gender-based violence, as well as security of women during and after conflicts is fundamental for peace. Recognizing the importance of investment in women’s economic empowerment, education, and health is critical to the long-term conflict prevention. We must think in preventive-terms.”

“We all recognize the importance of the Millennium Development Goals. Women’s economic, political and social empowerment, particularly in conflict-torn countries, is a societal goal for everybody. The notion of women’s participation is changing the dynamics of peace.”

“We do need women at all the stages of peace-building process. We want to see deeper democratic governance, civil society-government cooperation, inclusive economic policies, the rule of law, and access to justice that benefit both men and women…In terms of programs, women’s participation is our priority area.”

“Engaging women brings in a whole different constituency that draws attention to issue critical for sustainable peace. In our conflict prevention work we use community-level mediation. This approach helps strengthen women’s groups and voices.”