On this day, CCCPA celebrates women’s extraordinary contribution to societies, especially in conflict and post-conflict settings.Women are often among the most vulnerable groups during conflict, but more importantly, they continue to play an important role as peacebuilders and agents of change in conflict and post-conflict settings. Since the adoption of the landmark Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in 2000, the normative framework for the women, peace and security agenda has expanded dramatically. In recent years, the number of peace agreements referring to gender issues has increased, more women are included in mediation support teams, and countries have started taking more robust action against sexual violence.

Despite these successes, there is still much to be done. In this regard, CCCPA has been in the lead by promoting the integration of gender perspectives in peace processes across Africa and the Arab world. In pursuing its mandate, CCCPA has integrated an intensive training module on gender-awareness to pre-deployment trainings of Egyptian peacekeepers, in line with the UN “Zero Tolerance Policy” against sexual exploitation and abuse. To date, more than 575 peacekeeping personnel have completed the gender training; while, 900 more are to expected to have completed it by the end of this year.

Moreover, CCCPA has delivered 12 multidimensional and integrated training courses to military, police and civilian experts from the MENA region on mainstreaming gender and UNSCR 1325 in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. These training courses are carried out in cooperation with the Crisis Management Center (CMC) in Finland, the League of Arab States and the Arab Women Organization, with the aim of both increasing awareness and building capacities on gender issues.

In this regard, CCCPA is working closely with the League of Arab States on the implementation of the 'Arab Regional Strategy on the Protection of Women' through a number of training and capacity building programs in the following areas:

-  mainstreaming gender in peacekeeping and peacebuilding
-  dialogue, negotiation, and mediation
-  gender-sensitive conflict analysis and early warning
-  countering violent extremism
-  countering gender-based violence and abuse

Similarly, in Africa, CCCPA has contributed to the capacity building of AU peacekeeping personnel, specifically those deployed to the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM). In this regard, CCCPA has delivered 4 training courses to a total of 86 AMISOM peacekeepers on mainstreaming gender in peacekeeping.

More recently, the Cairo Center has taken the initiative to organize a workshop on the UN's Senior Women Talent Pipeline programme targeting female police, military and civilian experts, with the objective of encouraging participation of Egyptian women in peacekeeping and special political missions.

Notably, CCCPA has been keen on contributing to policy debates on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325, as well as enhancing partnerships for advancing the WPS agenda on the regional level. The Center's latest efforts in this regard include, inter alia, the High Level Workshop on “Arab Perspectives on the Future of the UN Peace and Security Architecture,” which addressed the pivotal role of women in peace processes, as highlighted in three UN reviews on peace operations, peacebuilding, and the global study.

As a leading training center on gender issues, we will continue to support and promote women’s participation in preventing conflicts and sustaining peace. We take this opportunity to commemorate the achievements of women around the world, to celebrate the successes, and to emphasize the need for intensified efforts to further advance women’s contribution to peace and security.

 
Photo Credit: UN Photo/Olivia Grey Pritchard