Israeli women push for Resolution 1325

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is praising a coalition of 30 feminist organizations that are advocating for Israel to enact a National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Women’s organizations from across Israel came together in October to launch their “Comprehensive Action Plan for the Application of United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325.” Israel first made steps towards enacting 1325 in 2005. Feminist groups are frustrated that little has moved forward politically or legislatively since that time.

Civil society organizations around the world have been instrumental in promoting gender equality and encouraging governments to enact Resolution 1325. Israeli feminist organizations have spent the last two years designing an action plan which aims to push the Israeli government to genuinely enact 1325 by giving women equal representation in decision-making bodies and preventing and protecting women from violence and racism.

Resolution 1325 reaffirms the importance of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace building, and post-conflict reconstruction. The resolution also emphasizes the need for the equal participation of women in peace building and security efforts, and calls upon parties to conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence (like rape and sexual violence) in situations of armed conflict. To date 43 countries have made national action plans for Resolution 1325.