The six Nobel Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Nobel Women’s Initiative Moving Beyond Militarism and War: Women-driven Solutions for a Nonviolent World conference in May 2013.
Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI) uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and six courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality. The Nobel Peace Laureates leading the Nobel Women’s Initiative are Jody Williams (US), Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemala), Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) and Tawakkol Karman (Yemen).
Based in Ottawa, NWI is a small organization that has a big impact. Its advocacy is based around three pillars: Women Forging Peace, Women Achieving Justice and Women Advancing Equality and Human Rights. To carry out this work, the organization brings together key decision-makers and women’s rights activists, shapes the conversation on women’s rights and sexual violence by producing analysis and reports, and raises awareness around these issues by highlighting the work of women’s rights activists and movements.
Recently, the NWI led a delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to raise awareness about conflict in the country and its impact on women and girls. More information is available on the delegation’s blog or at the Twitter hashtag #CongoWomenSpeak.
NWI also leads The International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict and is planning several events in advance of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June 2014. Details will be posted soon on the Stop Rape website and on the WPSN-C’s Upcoming Events page.
In advance of the Summit, Canadian organizations are also being asked to sign on to a set of key messages asking the Government of Canada to step up and take real and immediate action to end sexual violence in conflict. To sign on and show your support, please contact Diana Sarosi at dsarosi@nobelwomensinitiative.org by April 30, 2014.
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If you would like to join the WPSN-C or have questions regarding membership, please email us at wpsncanada@gmail.com or visit the Become a Member page.
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