Women must keep the peace - Machel
February 08 2007 at 07:14AM
Graça Machel says women should get greater acknowledgement when it comes to world peacekeeping initiatives. She was speaking at the opening session of a UN strategy workshop in Pretoria on Wednesday. Representatives of more than 20 countries that have sent troops to conflict zones are attending the workshop, which runs until Friday. The workshop is exploring gender issues and ways to increase the participation of women in this field. Hosted by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, it was organised by the government, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes.
'South Africa is the largest contributor of female troops to UN peacekeeping operations'
Machel, wife of former president Nelson Mandela and an activist for women and children's rights, said women and children were still the main victims of conflict, and that it was appalling that there were no structures in place to cater for the rights of women and children. Rachel Mayanja, the special adviser of the UN secretary-general on gender issues and the advancement of women, said national women's organisations needed to work with ministries, civil society and the UN to remove existing barriers and increase women's participation in peacekeeping missions .
South Africa is the largest contributor of female troops to UN peacekeeping operations. As of December 31, it was also one of the top 20 troop contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, with a total of 1090 military personnel deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea and Ethiopia and Sudan. - Sholain Govender
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