Operation 1325 Seminar
June 12-15 2007
Sweden
The Swedish organization Operation 1325 invited GJC Managing Attorney Olivia Kraus to speak at a seminar entitled: "Bridge Building: A Platform for Dialogue," where she brought a unique perspective as a lawyer. This seminar was attended by eight delegates from women's organizations in Sudan, Israel and Palestine. Olivia spoke about how these women could use international law to improve women's rights and access to justice in their home countries. All eight delegates said that they have never heard anyone speak about international law as a tool for domestic law reform and they were very interested in hearing more. In the final outcome document which the participants produced, the women agreed that training in international law was one of their top 3 priorities. None of the women realized that even though their countries have not signed onto the International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute could still be used as a tool for domestic law reform and the Sudanese women were not aware that the African Charter on Human and People's Rights has provisions that entitle women to equality.
Operation 1325 works with women in conflict countries using U.N. Resolution 1325. Their objective is to contribute to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 thorough education and capacity building, information and lobbying both in Sweden and elsewhere. UNSCR 1325 is a critical tool for women in conflict and post-conflict countries where women are often excluded from transitional processes.