Clinton: Women Peacekeepers a “Global Security Imperative”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says more needs to be done to empower women in peacekeeping processes, 10 years after the United Nations set a framework for that initiative.

Clinton told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that women’s participation in peace activities is a “necessary global security imperative.” She said it also promotes political stability, economic growth and human rights.

Security Council members were discussing the U.N. secretary-general’s report on the progress of Resolution 1325, passed 10 years ago, which acknowledges the importance of including women in peace negotiations.

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet heads the U.N. agency on gender equality, known as U.N. Women. She told the Security Council that some progress has been made in empowering women in the peace process over the last decade, noting that more women peacekeepers have been sent to conflict zones, such as Sudan.

But she said the U.N. needs to set more specific goals and targets in order to better judge the effectiveness of empowerment initiatives.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, currently touring Southeast Asia, addressed the meeting by video. He told Security Council members that the past decade has been marred by instances of abuse. He said the “recent horrifying mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are just the latest reminder of the challenges we face.”

Several other Security Council members spoke about the rape of at least 300 women, men and children during a rebel assault on a village in North Kivu province in August. The U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo was criticized for failing to stop the attack.

Also Tuesday, Secretary Clinton announced that the United States will allocate $44 million to initiatives to empower women. The largest portion of the funding, $17 million, will go to support civil society groups helping women in Afghanistan.

Other funding will go toward making clean water available in conflict zones. Clinton said women and girls are at a higher risk of being attacked while out looking for water in these areas.