Midrand, South Africa - African women who bear the brunt of the continent’s conflicts now demand to play a defining role in peacekeeping.
A resolution to foster women’s political participation in the domain of peacekeeping and conflict management was accepted on Friday at the 2011 Women’s Platform for Action in Africa (WPAA).
Under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the WPAA meeting emphasised the urgent need for better female representation at national levels, where women can actively take part in decisions to prevent war and mediate conflict.
The two-day conference in Midrand from Sep. 29 to Sep. 30 comes ahead of the second session of the Pan-African Parliament in October.
Gender-based sexual violence, which has become a characteristic of armed conflict, is closely linked to gender relations within that culture, said Francoise Labelle of Mauritius who is second vice-president of PAP.
"It is only if women can play a full and equal part in the mediation processes that we will be able to build a foundation of peace," Labelle said.
if they shut up and stayed in the kitchen, we wouldnt have this problem huh?
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