51st Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
Theme: "The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child"
February 27 - March 9, 2007
New York, NY
How War Crimes Tribunals are Transforming Women's Rights
Wednesday, February 28th (9:00am - 10:30am)
Columbia Law School, Jerome Green Hall (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
In a panel discussion at Colombia University Law School on February 27th entitled "How War Crimes Tribunals are Advancing Women's Rights," the Global Justice Center's President and Founder, Janet Benshoof, discussed her personal experiences with organizing and executing a conference on international women's human rights with the judges on the Iraqi High Tribunal. She was joined by Iraqi women activists, sisters Nada Hakki, a forensic doctor who specializes in treating post-trauma victims of sexual violence, and Zakia Hakki, the first and only Iraqi woman judge, who survived numerous assassination attempts under the Saddam Hussein regime for her outspoken approach to women's rights. Also on the panel was the Chief of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime and former IHT trainer Simone Monasebian, who one of the only female prosecutors involved in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). This panel addressed the ways in which women's rights can be strategically advanced in times of transition. The precedential decisions that came out of the ICTR and ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia) regarding sexual violence in war must be referenced and utilized at the international level in order to maintain their weight and influence. The Global Justice Center's work with the judges on the Iraqi High Tribunal was intended to continue this progress toward the advancement of women's rights, and the panel highlighted the ways in which other criminal tribunals, including the International Criminal Court could also be used to further this momentum.
Speakers included Janet Benshoof, President and Founder of the Global Justice Center; Simone Monasebian, former Prosecution Trial Attorney, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; and Nada and Zakia Hakki, Iraqi women's rights activists.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Practice
Tuesday, March 6th (10:00am - 11:45am)
On Tuesday, March 6th, Global Justice Center president Janet Benshoof addressed the need for women in conflict and post-conflict regions to be able to access Security Council Resolution 1325, and specifically pointed to the ways in which 1325 should be made stronger by having international groups rally around its enforcement. Ms. Benshoof emphasized that women's groups should treat SCR 1325 as binding international law, and mandate women's participation in all peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. This event was co-hosted by the International Women's Tribune Center (IWTC). Vicki Semler, the Director of the (IWTC) joined Ms. Benshoof in emphasizing the importance of SCR 1325 for women and children in conflict zones. They were also joined by a Burmese student-activist, Naw Musi who has been living in exile from Burma, and who was able to share her experiences as a member of one such group of women that is often excluded by U.N. policy.
Speakers included Janet Benshoof, President and Founder of the Global Justice Center; Vicki Semler, Executive Director of the International Women's Tribune Center; and a representative from the Women's League of Burma.
About CSW 2007: The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. The Commission was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946 with the aim to prepare recommendations and reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women's rights.
For more information, check out the CSW websiteComplete schedule of NGO events
Complete schedule of events put on by the UN Missions/Entities and INGOs