In Mizoram, in the last week of May, the Mizoram Women’s Network took place, to discuss the importance and role of women in decision making in the state. High on the priority list, was building value for the implementation of both SCR 1325 and CEDAW. The Honourable Chief Minister of Mizoram Mister Lal Thanhawla was the guest of honour and made a moving speech about shared responsibility in coming together for peace. He talked about his own involvement in the Mizoram Peace Accord of 1986 and emphasised the significant contributions that both accountable governments and civil society are capable of making, in terms of gathering the momentum necessary for sustainable, inclusive peace building practices.
The gathering is one of many that have been taking place as part of the project ‘Empowering Women for Peace and Development in South Asia’, supported by Welthungerhilfe and the European Union. The project envisioned eight women’s networking meetings in the North East of India, one for every state that comprises the region.
The idea is to forge alliances and networks of strong women and their allies, at the grass roots level, in academia, in politics and in the not for profit sector. The objective is to grow support systems and clusters for women’s voices to be both valued and heard in the context of decision making and inclusive peace building processes.
Also read http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/blog/no-more-violence-women-in-india-as-peace-agents/