In the fifth and final session in the Winter 2021 Genocide and Human Rights Webinar Series from the Zoryan Institute, Grant Shubin of the Global Justice Cente looks at the role of gender in the commission and international responses to genocide. In particular, how perpetrators use and exploit gender norms to increase the destructive impact of their attacks and the international community's blind spots to gendered aspects of genocide prevention and prosecution, with the Rohingya genocide as a case study.

Grant Shubin is the Legal Director of the Global Justice Center where he leads GJC’s programs on achieving gender equality through the rule of law. His work focuses on bringing feminist legal interpretations to ensure justice for sexual and gender-based violence and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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The landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 underlines the unequal impact of armed conflicts and violence on women and girls while stressing their crucial role in building long-lasting peace. The resolution calls on Member States and civil society organizations to strengthen collaboration in increasing women`s meaningful participation in conflict prevention. UNSCR 1325 also stresses that gender mainstreaming of the peacekeeping operations is required to address particular needs of women and girls.

Voices of women are essential to reveal violence against women and girls during the times of conflicts. The current pandemic is expected to create additional profound challenges as the violence against women is reported to increase throughout this global crisis which makes women`s participation in peace building even more difficult due to the marginalization. According to World Bank and United Nations` joint research, increasing gender inequality will eventually lead to more conflict.1 As the recent Report of the Secretary-General on “Women and Peace and Security” underlines, “the combination of vibrant social movements, fragile peace agreements and a global pandemic is a wake-up call to build more equal and inclusive societies”.

JWF organizes this virtual panel to create a platform for the experts to inform our global audience of women`s rights activists on the UNSCR 1325, the means of increasing women’s leadership in conflict zones and peace building mechanisms, women’s role for facilitating the pillars of Responsibility to Protect, and discuss several country-case studies where women created a long-lasting.

Panelists:

• Cemre Ulker, The Journalists and Writers Foundation, UN Representative
• Esra Aydin, Journalists and Writers Foundation, Communications Director
• Savita Pawnday, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Deputy Executive Director
• Mavic CabreraBalleza, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, Chief Executive Officer
• Grant Shubin, Global Justice Center, Legal Director

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Description:

While the country is still reeling from the Burmese military's illegitimate coup on February 1, the international community have launched a slate of new sanctions against military leaders amid public condemnations of the Tatmadaw's use of deadly violence against peaceful protests. Multiple questions about Burma's future remain unanswered, however, particularly as they relate to international support for justice and accountability, ethnic peace and the creation of a true democratic federal union, and the Rohingya genocide crisis.

During this online event, international justice experts from around the world will speak alongside civil society leaders from Burma to share their perspectives on how international and grassroots mobilization around ongoing international justice processes and mechanisms can contribute to a united and multi-ethnic anti-coup movement that ends the Burmese military dictatorship and its violent reign of impunity.

Panelists include:

• Akila Radhakrishnan (Moderator), President of the Global Justice Center.
• Tun Khin (President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK)
• M. Arsalan Suleman (Foley Hoag, legal counsel to The Gambia in its case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice)
• Naw May Oo (Activist and Advisor to the Karen National Union)
• Thinzar Shunlei Yi (Activist, Action Committee for Democracy Development)
• Tomas Quintana (Former UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights on Myanmar, lead counsel in the current Universal Jurisdiction case in Argentina)

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Introduction by Emmy and Tony-winning actress Christine Baranski.

Moderated by NPR News Middle East correspondent Deborah Amos.

Featuring:

• Barbara Slavin, Director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council
• Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center
• Marcia S. Ross, producer of the documentary NASRIN
• Jeff Kaufman, director, producer, writer of the documentary NASRIN
• Jafar Panahi, acclaimed Iranian filmmaker (pretaped by the Caspian Sea)
• Reza Khandan, human rights activist and Nasrin’s husband. (live from Tehran)

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