International Women’s Day 2006
“Women in decision-making: meeting challenges, creating change”
8 March 2006

8 March is recognized by the United Nations as International Women’s Day (IWD). Each year, in observance of the Day, the UN adopts a theme to galvanize discussion and action on women’s rights. This year’s theme, observed internationally, is: “Women in decision-making: meeting challenges, creating change.”

Governmental actors, UN agencies, and civil society groups are marking International Women’s Day across Sudan with workshops, marches, speeches, and concerts.

Press statement of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan On the occasion of International Women’s Day both in English - Arabic.

For more information about International Women’s Day celebrations in Sudan, contact: Sarah Shteir,
Gender Affairs Officer, UNMIS Gender Unit
Tel: +249 018708 ext. 7440
Mobile: +249 91 516 2663
Email: shteir@un.org.

For more information about International Women’s Day, visit the UN International Women's Day website.

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Gender Unit Hosts Strategy Session on SCR 1325 in Sudan
20 December, UNMIS Headquarters, Khartoum

On 20 Dec., the Gender Unit hosted an interactive strategy session at UNMIS HQ entitled “Ensuring a Sustainable Peace in Sudan: Assessing Steps Forward for Implementation of SCR 1325 on women, peace and security,” intended to mobilize discussion on the resolution in the context of Sudan. The meeting was attended by 36 participants, representing government ministries, UNMIS sections, UN agencies, and women’s civil society organizations. The Gender Unit provided a detailed overview of SCR 1325, and participants shared information about their past, ongoing and future planned initiatives on SCR 1325, their recommendations for action, and identified obstacles for implementation. A final report will be prepared and participants agreed to meet on a monthly basis, beginning in early 2006, to coordinate action and share information on initiatives for the implementation of SCR 1325 around the country.

During the session

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16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
25 November-10 December 2005

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (16 Days of Activism) is an annual worldwide campaign on women’s human rights, beginning on 25 November, International Day against Violence against Women, and continuing through to 10 December, International Day of Human Rights. The dates chosen are intended to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that violence against women is a violation of human rights.

Women’s organizations and human rights defenders, among others, have used the period of the 16 Days to raise awareness on gender violence, strategize, network, demonstrate solidarity, and call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

The annual international theme of the campaign is chosen in consultation with women’s rights advocates and activists across the world. This year’s theme is:

Events in Sudan
The 16 Days of Activism will be celebrated by UN agencies and women's organizations across Sudan from 25 November to 10 December 2005. The 16 Days of Activism will be celebrated under the theme of:

The campaign covers six sectors: Health, Rule of Law, Carnival, Media, National Theater Events, and Exhibitions.

Events will be held in Darfur, Khartoum and other parts of Sudan, and will include art exhibitions, workshops, public campaigns to ratify CEDAW, training of trainer workshops, carnivals, documentary films, press-releases, and publications of special articles in the Sudanese daily newspapers

The UN Sexual Gender-based Violence Forum (SGBV Forum), led by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), is coordinating the campaign in Sudan, in collaboration with more than thirty civil society organizations. National NGOs will be the main implementing actors of these activities with the financial support of UN agencies. The UNMIS Gender Unit participated actively in the SGBV Forum, providing technical assistance and advice.

See also the Human Rights Activities page for more details on this event.

For more information:
Please contact Ms. Roselidah Ondeko, UNFPA, at: roselidah.ondeko@undp.org.

Key Links:

• WomenWatch - Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE)
• UNIFEM Issue Brief on Violence Against Women

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Engendering the Peace Process after the CPA
14-16 September 2005, Ahfad University for Women, Ombdurman

From 14 to 16 September, the UNMIS Gender Unit hosted a workshop on "Engendering the Peace Process after the CPA," in collaboration with Ahfad University for Women/Institute for Women, Gender and Development (IWGD), to develop a gender strategy for UNMIS. The approximately 70 participants, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the SPLM, UN agencies, DPKO HQ, political parties, and national NGOs, among others, examined the needs, priorities for action, and role of UNMIS, and the Gender Unit specifically, in the areas of DDR, Repatriation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation, combating violence against women with a special focus on Darfur, gender mainstreaming, and women in decision-making.

Priorities identified by Workshop participants included:

• Translation, distribution and dissemination, through radio and other means of media, of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, peace and security (2000);
• Development and implementation of a gender-related policy on DDR issues for UNMIS;
• Research on gender and HIV/AIDS in Darfur;
• Support from UNMIS to ensure women's participation at the Darfur peace talks in Abuja; and
• Gender sensitization training for women and men in decision-making positions, including in parliament, and political parties.

The Workshop's finalized recommendations will be submitted in the coming weeks by IWGD to the UNMIS Gender Unit for further discussion.

Working Group participants in discussion	Workshop Participants

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Visit of Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women
5-10 September 2005

From 5 to 10 September, Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, visited Sudan in order to get a first-hand understanding of the situation of women and girls in Sudan, including the level of women's participation in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and the situation in the Darfur region. She met with government officials, UN representatives and civil society organizations in Khartoum, Al Fasher and Nyala, Juba and Rumbek. Ms. Mayanja was accompanied by the Senior Gender Advisor, and a colleague from the Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) in New York.

During her 5-day visit, Ms. Mayanja met with Mr. Salva Kiir, First Vice President of Sudan and President of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar, Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan, the Political Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (UNMIS), Mr. Taye Zerihoun, the UN Gender Task Force, representatives of AMIS, members of the South Sudan Constitution Drafting Committee, and women's organizations. Ms. Mayanja also visited the burial site of Dr. John Garang with women representatives from SPLM/A, met with IDP women in Nyala and Al Fasher, and observed the gender training session for senior police officers for Equatoria State at the Equatoria Police Headquarters.

Ms. Rachel Mayanja watching the police training	Ms. Majanja talking to trainees and representatives of the NGO Women Self-Help

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