MENA Agenda 1325 Outcome Report 2012: Ending Discrimination and Reinforcing Women's Peace and Security in the MENA Region

In late 2011, WILPF began to develop a programme to enhance the collective capacities of women’s rights organisations to respond to the unprecedented political events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Entitled Ending Discrimination and Reinforcing Women’s Peace and Security in the MENA Region (MENA Agenda 1325), the programme focuses on enabling women human rights defenders, especially those well-versed in promoting women’s rights through international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to more effectively resist violent backlashes against women protestors in the streets and in public roles as political Islam grows in strength. This report analyses progress made in Phase One of the project, from November 2011 to August 2012. It focuses mainly on the International Conference held for women activists from across the MENA region in Geneva in late June 2012 and should be read alongside the Outcome Report from National Consultations published in early June (available at www.wilpfinternational.org).