As the stars align in international policy making around the women, peace and security agenda, women from

across Asia are aligning their energies for common action to advance local womens leadership for peace and security.
Summary Report of Outcomes from the Regional Advocacy Strategy Meeting : Advancing Local Womens Leadership for Peace and Security in Asias Conflict-Affected Communities: 8-9 February 2014Bangkok, Thailand Background to the meeting: An advocacy strategy meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 8-9 February 2014 to explore opportunities to advance local womens leadership for peace and security in Asias conflict-affected communities. Co-hosted by APWLD, IWRAW-AP and WLPS Cordaid1, the meeting involved 35 women from 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia2. Participants brought incredible wealth and diversity of experience to the discussions. This reflected their work in the community, the national level, as well as in international lobby and advocacy. Amid the varied experiences, contexts and perspectives, participants found common aspirations to work together to promote the women, peace and security agenda in Asia. One key objective of this regional strategy meeting was to identify entry points for advocacy on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Asia and to plan to utilize these entry points in the period 2014-15 based on a road map for common action. The planning process was framed by Kamala Chandrakiranas scoping study Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Asia: Towards a Context-Responsive Approach from the Bottom Up. Kamala referred to the aligning of the stars and the rare moment of reflection in international policy circles. Against this backdrop, participants came to the regional meeting with a shared sense of purpose and urgency to make the most of this historic opportunity, not only to provide input to evaluation of past efforts, but also to shape the agenda for the years to come. They realised that the need to respond to the aligning of stars by aligning their energies to put local women at the centre of the women, peace and security agenda. Objectives for the Meeting: The co-hosts initiated the meeting with the aim of addressing gaps and consolidating action for women, peace and security in the Asia region by drafting a road map to advance local womens leadership for peace and security in Asias conflict affected communities. It was intended that this road map would be based on a broader understanding of the relevant legal and policy frameworks, and identification of the strategic opportunities to bring about change. To achieve this, it was also important to build relations among participants and their organisations. An expectation check at the outset of the proceedings revealed that participants brought similar objectives to this meeting. They saw this as an opportunity to reach consensus on how to move forward together for the best possible strategies and models for local womens leadership for WPS in Asia by working at different levels. They
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APWLD is the Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, a regional feminist, membership driven network comprising 180 in 25 countries in the region. IWRAW-AP is the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, an international women's human rights organisation working for progressive interpretation and realisation of the human rights of women. The Womens Leadership for Peace and Security (WLPS) Program Cordaid supports the participation of local women in issues that concern their peace and security. 2 Participants came from Timor Leste, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Burma/Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, in addition to resource people and other supporters from outside of South and Southeast Asia.
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wanted these strategies to be based on existing knowledge and experiences they each possessed, and hoped to find ways to strengthen and link with existing processes. They also felt it was important to reflect on the obstacles to effective networking to date and the barriers to cross-border political activism. Approach: The meeting brought together 35 women from diverse backgrounds in a facilitated process to share knowledge and experiences, and to plan joint actions. The approach enabled participants to learn from varied contexts, levels (local, national, regional and global) and approaches. This diverse composition of participants was intentional and intended to enable planning for advocacy on women, peace and security to utilise a broad scope of existing initiatives and networks, and connect different elements of the broader landscape of work on WPS. The two-day meeting program comprised a process3 that: 1) Outlined an conceptual framework for women, peace and security in Asia 2) Mapped advocacy opportunities at different levels and in different fora/platforms 3) Reflected on experiences in advocacy in women, peace and security to date 4) Undertook some strategic groundwork through a force field analysis by identifying forces for and against our advocacy for WPS, key opportunities for advocacy on WPS in 2014-15, and risks and ways to address these 5) Brainstormed and focused potential plans for joint action in 2014-15 6) Concretised planning in key areas by defining common destinations, parameters, next steps and mechanisms/resources required 7) Agreed and endorsed joint plans and a mechanism to take forward the planning This summary report is intended for meeting participants and others as a document of the discussions and to share the outcomes for follow-up action. It is also an invitation to other individuals, organisations and networks to join in this emerging process for joint action to promote local womens leadership for peace and security in Asia. 1) Conceptual Framework for Women, Peace and Security: Referring to the scoping study, Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Asia: Towards a ContextResponsive Approach from the Bottom Up4, Kamala identified six dynamics that are important to advocacy on the WPS agenda: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Recognition in the diversity of conflicts in Asia Expanding scope of state obligations Focus on local women in international policy Nexus of WPS and development in conflict-affected communities Impunity for past violations Growing importance of regional institutions

These are explained in detail in the scoping study report. Kamala noted how it was important to strengthen our analysis about the situation in Asia by comparing Asia to other regions of the world. From this comparative perspective, we can formulate a clear understanding of the specificity of conflicts and geo-politics in Asia. This helps us to refine our advocacy messaging and sharpen the focus for our mapping on advocacy opportunities.

This process was facilitated skillfully and artfully by Susanna George, independent consultant who specialises in strengthening group processes through critical conversations. 4 The scoping study Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Asia: Towards a Context -Responsive Approach from the Bottom Up was commissioned by Womens Leadership for Peace and Security is available upon request to janemcgrory@gmail.com 2

2) Mapping advocacy opportunities Kamala stressed that the next two years (2014-2015) provide critical opportunities to set agendas for WPS in Asia. There is an aligning of the stars for review and reform in international policy agendas, and clear strategies are needed from womens movements in order to make the most of these opportunities. Based on Kamalas advocacy scoping, together with the input of resource people and participants, the upcoming spaces for advocacy on WPS were identified as follows: Instrument UNSCR 1325 Opportunities for local women Contribute to global study to review implementation of UNSCR 1325 in national and regional processes as input to the High level Global review in 2015; taking stock of national and regional implementation strategies: analysing best practices, implementation gaps and challenges, emerging trends and priorities for action Linking WPS agenda to post-2015 development processes Defining future trends and priorities, redefine modes of engagement for civil society in national and international processes Litigation and law reform - redressing rights violations; ensuring access to justice; OPCEDAW enquiries and communications, ratification of OPCEDAW. Monitoring CEDAW and GR 30 compliance - Engaging CEDAW Committee - From Global to Local; Shadow reports; Concluding Observations implementation; Follow up issues. Capacity building - gender machinery, justice sector and machinery, National Human Rights Institution and most importantly womens CSOs. Developing resources and materials to empower stakeholders. Broad awareness raising of GR 30 and UN SCRs and the link to womens human rights compliance. Institutional support and access to justice and rule of law during conflict. Business and human rights - Due diligence re non-state actors to ensure compliance with UN HR Guiding Principles for Business (Ruggie) extends to IFIs, MNCs, national corporations business and human rights. Entry Points and events Global study and review process in all regions will have the opportunity to input into this, including Asia. Review of National Action Plans/Regional Action Plans; inputting on content and process Initiatives for localisation and bottom-up implementation of UNSCR 1325 in local governing bodies

CEDAW Committee, including GR 30 Note: Important to recall that all issues of women, peace and security have to be addressed in the context of womens equality through implementation of CEDAW and the 2 key principles of substantive equality and nondiscrimination. This is essential to durable peace.

Ongoing Country Review processes at CEDAW Committee, including India in July 2014. Applying CEDAW Committee GR 30, particularly in terms of accountability, clear standards of state obligations, ending impunity by states, retrogression and, due diligence.

Post-2015 development goals

The Post-2015 development goal process has a number of mechanisms and opportunities for engagement, also through inter-linked processes such as CSW58 and Beijing +20. It is important to recall that this is a process driven by UN member states, and therefore there are opportunities to engage governments in national capitals, as well as on international platforms. The Open Working Groups are important fora, including the Womens Major Group. General Comments from CESCR are also useful tools for advocacy on womens rights. Of particular relevance to WPS is GC 16 on equal rights of men and women, and GC 20 on non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights. These are useful to strengthen advocacy on womens rights by also putting the issue of womens equality to general rights frameworks (infiltration of womens rights from CEDAW to other treaty bodies). The Optional Protocol of CESCR has a complaints mechanism. This is a new initiative and so far, only 11 states have ratified. ASEAN is undergoing a process of institution building and there are a number of entry points to engage in this process.

There appears to be sufficient support among member states for a gender as a stand-alone goal and cross-cutting concern. The challenge will be to ensure substantive womens rights language in the cross-cutting indicators. More work is needed on ending impunity, rehabilitation, and access to SRRH for women and girls, ending VAW, fundamentalism, climate justice and peace, and UNSCR 1325. CESCR meets twice annually; this year China and Indonesia are up for review. Then Nepal and Vietnam. This is an opportunity to raise: All issues of womens equal rights Womens equal representation in political and public decisionmaking Violence against women Issues of development, such as land grabbing, forced eviction, food security, environmental degradation, etc.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

ASEAN

Engage with members of ASEAN Commission on Women and Children, and the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights. Engage around the Peoples Forums and civil society events to coincide with ASEAN Summits. Working to revitalise the panel of experts on WPS to engage with SAARC

SAARC

Overall, opportunities for engagement are limited, however SAARC has a role as: 1. As a gender based information source 2. As a gender advocacy policy group.

Surveying the overall mapping the advocacy opportunities, Kamala stressed: - We should reflect and think about the shifts in the balance of power and look at the next few years as critical regarding WPS. - It is important to be thinking regionally. Asia has a specific experience of conflict and some characteristics of conflict in Asia are unique; this is only apparent when we make comparisons to global dataset. From this basis, it is important to converse and strategise regionally to ensure our presence and influence in policy making. - The emergence of CEDAW GR 30 in 2013 changes in the way we approach WPS; it is a game-changer. It provides a link between the security-oriented agenda around UNSCR 1325 and the equality agenda of CEDAW

to broaden accountability for womens human rights in conflict. It is also a way to link the WPS agenda with the post-2015 development goals and the review of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2015. We should approach these developments as an opportunity, and find a way to engage and influence to bring about A NEW ERA WHERE LOCAL WOMEN ARE THE CENTRE of policy on women, peace and security. Roberta Clarke of UN Women Asia Pacific Regional Office shared some valuable reflections to complement this mapping. She stressed the importance of civil society contributions in the series of reviews (UNSCR 1325, Beijing +20) and new policy developments (post-2015). UN Women is supportive of civil society engagement in these processes and will work to ensure that civil society has a space and presence. Roberta said that UN Women can also be of assistance in advising CSOs in how to frame advocacy messages and put forward the right language to influence negotiations. Reflecting on progress with regarding to WPS in the region, Roberta stressed that the WPS agenda and the development of National Action Plans for UNSCR 1325 were not simply technical exercises; they are political processes that require shifts in political power relations. Therefore they also require the mobilization of political power in order to make a difference; womens movements should be prepared to work for this in order to give real substance to NAPs. Roberta highlighted how CEDAW GR 30 can help to catalyse NAPs and hold states accountable for their commitments to defend womens human rights in conflict. Roberta emphasized that that UN Women should be accountable to the womens movement (from which the impetus to establish UN Women originated) and able to respond to the needs of the movement. Roberta committed to work with the womens movements in Asia, to the broadest extent possible under UN Womens mandate.

3) Reflecting on experiences in advocacy on women, peace and security to date Looking inward to the womens movement, participants were also prompted to review strategies, systems; tools; making linkages both local to global and global to local; as well as raising issues to that needed to be addressed in future strategies. Case Study: National Action PlanNepal (Related by Bandana Rana) A talk-show panel discussion on National Action Plans for UNSCR 1325 (NAPs) provided the opportunity to critically reflect on NAPs and At the national level, the duty of women the implementation of 1325. This drew on the experience of the two was to create the NAP. After Asian countries that have NAPs, Nepal and the Philippines, as well as consultations took place, it was experiences from outside of the region. recognised that in order to continue the finalisation of the NAP rather than taking Panellists recognised that NAPs have the potential to be effective tools it to the Womens Ministry it was taken to for realizing the implementation of the WPS agenda in national the Ministry of Peace. This was to assist local authorities in annual budget plans contexts. Yet one concern with the NAPs is how to ensure they and achieving local ownership whereby translate into actual changes in the situation of women in local activists and leaders could identify communities. In the Philippines, there are initiatives to bridge the gap these issues and authoritieswhere between national policy and local realities by engaging with local women could continue their advocacy leaders and also seeking to translate the WPS agenda into the local initiatives and raise issues. This case cultural context. Jasmin Nario Galace related how in Southern illustrates how even where there may be Philippines, her organisation is seeking to normalise elements of a stalemate with one institution or UNSCR 1325 in womens lives. This is achieved through capacity remedy; there may be other opportunities building; women are assisted to understand early warning signs and to enhance the WPS agenda. indicators of conflict. Jasmin said they have become very active in exercising their agency for community security and realise they do not rely on the police force; if there are conflicts they can do something about this because they have the skills.
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The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders has taken an alternative approach to help implement policies on WPS from the bottom up through localisation. They work with local authorities and communities to bring about reform in local level policies that support the WPS agenda, approaching this in a way that also addresses local womens realities and priorities, such as poverty and access to land. This process has been successful in bringing about some structural reforms at local levels, such as in local development plans and gender policies, but it also faces a number of challenges. Key among these challenges is the issue of sustainability and institutionalisation given the frequently changes in local leaders and government personnel.

Our WPS talk-show host and the panelists

Some questions and challenges persist; how women can come to a consensus when discussing issues of WPS in the region when there is no single system because of its geo-politics? How can we define WPS in such a region with respect to all who are affected? How will these challenges affect the use of GR 30, NAPs on 1325 and ASEAN as entry points into furthering the WPS agenda and its longevity in the region? Thinking ahead, do we need platforms facilitated by women to act and respect these spaces, as well as more engagement of NGOs in international forums, and knowledge building initiatives? Who are local women? Kamala drew attention to the focus on local women in the relevant UN documents. The meeting also recognised the imperative of putting local women at the centre of a new women, peace and security agenda. But who are we talking about when we refer to local women? Tessa Shamim Khan alerted the meeting to the risk of instrumentalising local women. In APWLDs international advocacy, it works intently to ensure diverse voices are heard within global advocacy. In doing this is also careful to ensure these diverse voices or local women are not used to tell a story and justify a predetermined advocacy message. Their involvement must respond to their interests, expectations and needs. Participants agreed that local women can be an ambiguous term and shifting identity. A woman may be considered local on the global platform, but not in the community. Local according to whom? It was agreed that the concept of a local woman was contextual, and as a guiding principle, can be understood as a woman directly affected by conflict, living outside of the urban centres and with limited access to resources and services. A local woman leader may exercise leadership in formal or informal ways. The participation of local women must be genuine and womens movements must constantly be self-critical and reflective about this. It is essential to ensure that platforms are accessible across the different levels. As participants looked at the possibility of working together in the future as a platform, they reminded themselves of the importance of always considering who is defining the levels and from where are they defining and locating women, and therefore realising intersections in the diversity of women in the region. 4) Strategic groundwork: force field analysis, identifying risks and opportunities Reflecting on the mapping, reflections and their own experiences, participants worked in small groups to identify forces for and against change in the WPS agenda.

Forces for change

Individual story of the self and how we experience injustice and how to fight this; narratives of those affected by conflict Growing critical mass of the womens movement, pushing at the margins and has engagement with structures, including the state

Forces against change

Masculinities/Patriarchy

Fundamentalism

Shrinking domestic power and issues regarding development processes. Power of local women, sometimes through education/capacity building or mobilisation

Linkages between the peace agenda and the womens movement/groups

Alliances and coalitions; the movement for justice and the urgency for action; growing critical mass of womens Protracted conflicts, in resource rich regions. movement that work as particularly a coalition and a network forming coalitions and partnerships.

Local womens leadership for peace and security in Asias conflictaffected communities

Repressive and discriminatory policies; poor governance Protracted conflicts, particularly in resource rich regions.

Economic interests of states and non-state actors; Regional economic interests and deals that member states enter into

National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325

Foreign influence in societies

Institutions (InternationalUN, RegionalASEAN, SAARRC, NationalNGOs)

Land disputes, mining, and displacement

Friendly states (S. Korea, Philippines, Australia and Indonesia (on some issues)).

Militarism as an approach in the name of counter terrorism, the pressures and repressions that are felt by civil society. Media
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Medias role to influence change in attitudes and policies

Some highlights from the discussion on opportunities for the WPS agenda appear below: Spaces for engagement on international policy making/norm setting processes: Beijing +20, CEDAW, UNSCR 1325 global Review, CESCR, Country Reports on the Arms Trade Treaty; Post-2015 Development Agenda. These platforms create opportunities, funding and provide the chance to generate consolidated responses from the womens movement and civil society. Adoption of CEDAW Committee GR 30 this is an exciting new opportunity to link different instruments, promote accountability, push for due diligence, apply the expanded definition of conflict that GR 30 provides Network buildingusing the WPS agenda to further develop stronger connections between activists, organizations and partners Drafting of new NAPs for UNSCR 1325 and re-evaluation of existing NAPs Treaty bodies; good level of reporting to CEDAW due to pressure from womens movements, normative framework emerging, opportunities to push this from procedural to substantive equality Existing legal and policy frameworks at national levels; A group presentation of force field and risk policies that promote womens rights and access to analysis justice. Media A summary of the risks related to the WPS agenda are outlined as follows: Immediate threats to personal security and liberty: risk of violence against women; threats against vulnerable groups such as human rights defenders; risks associated with cross border alliances. The rise in militarism, state-led persecutions and lack of accountability for rights violations; governments who monitor and store data of human rights defenders, such as India. Failure of states to recognise conflict; this limits the mandate of certain UN agencies and treaty bodies to respond. In the advocacy process: risk of instrumentalisation of women, and instrumentalisation of civil society are we really making the right substantive contributions or are we legitimizing UN processes? Discrimination against groups whose issues are not included and local communities, poor access for those from the grassroots. Back-sliding on womens human rights with arguments of traditional values and cultural relativity Absence of elected bodies and representative decision making Sustainability of the womens movement in the long term Lack of information and resources; ensuring resources are used strategically and a substantive manner of engaging with member states and UN entities Challenges of engaging in regional arena such as ASEANwhether or not it is worth investing resources in engaging in a flawed system There was some initial discussion on how to Combat Risks in working on the WPS agenda. This will need to be developed further for particular advocacy strategies, and the general outcomes are highlighted below: Engaging and educating men and boys as well Establishing laws that protect vulnerable groups (either education on these laws or creating and pushing for these laws at various levels) Collective advocacy Capacity building Building up tools and resources

5) Brainstorming and focusing potential plans for joint action in 2014-2015 Participants discussed in pairs, small groups, or contemplated on their own, the emerging opportunities for action both a) as a group working jointly, and b) in their own countries or communities. The initial brainstorming was clustered into a series are key ideas: Grassroots and Peace building Skills Building Tools and Resources Collective Advocacy and Networking Engaging with Men and Boys (Masculinities and patriarchies) Country Report on ECOSOC, Beijing +20, Arms Treaty etc. Evaluation on NAPs Establishment of an Asia Pacific Forum focusing on WPS Issues Media and Gender Sensitivities Support for Womens Human Rights Defenders for WPS Challenge militarization and link it with UN Peacekeeping, accountability and impunity Harnessing the Potential for SAARC and ASEAN Developing an Advocacy Strategy using GR 30 Building a Knowledge Base on WPS in Asia Pacific Region

These ideas were further clustered in a process to focus planning. 6) Concretised planning on key areas by defining common destination, parameters, next steps and mechanisms/resources required Through a dotmocracy process to identify where the priorities lay and energy existed, further clustering was possible and four categories emerged for joint action on the WPS agenda in Asia. These categories were: 1. Movement building and networking; 2. Advocacy; 3. Capacity building of local women leaders; and 4. Knowledge building and media. Working groups were created to map out plans in each category for the period 2014-2015. Group: Building the Movement and Alliance and Networking The common destination this group discussed focused on building an alliance or platform that could link and develop existing initiatives to maximise opportunities around advocacy on the WPS agenda. The forum will also support and promote coherence between the other initiatives developed by the working groups on advocacy, capacity building and knowledge development. This would be based on a shared strategic agenda that includes common priorities, information and intelligence at local, national, regional levels; creation of a hub or resource centre for information exchange among members. Some of the challenges and risks indicated for this plan related to the need to draw on and look at existing feminist groups and networks (seeking not to replicate any existing programmes). The group was conscious of the risks in building a new alliance. Issues of structure and format need to be discussed, and there are existing models that we can draw on (such as ASEAN Womens Caucus). It was noted that this initiative will require dedicated staff, at least in the early stages. Resources will need to be mobilised. The group recalled the need to
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The dotmocracy process to focus plans for joint action

ensure diverse and substantive participation, and to maintain a self-critical attitude toward inclusion and the role of local women. Group: Advocacy This group did not come to comprehensive follow-up plan, but discussed a number of opportunities. The common destination was to identify mechanisms for the WPS agenda in the region as a basis for developing advocacy initiatives to utilise these. Mechanisms identified were the use of GR 30 and linking this to other bodies regionally, nationally and locally. The group proposed efforts to develop expertise on GR 30 for the purpose of advocacy and formulate key messages for advocacy of WPS in the Asian context. No timeline or location was set. The group agreed to continue discussions to further develop these plans. Group: Capacity Building of Local Women The final destination or goal for this group is that local women in conflict areas in South Asia and Southeast Asia are able to use WPS mechanisms by the end of 2015. The parameters are: recognition of the potential for leadership, ability and experiences of training participants, as well as a process-oriented approach and the utilisation of participants of the regional meeting as mentors and trainers. The group discussed the possibility of a series of three trainings to enable local women to learn and build on their knowledge of concepts and skills. The first training would include substantive knowledge such as laws, contexts, and WPS agenda. The second training would develop skill sets, reporting processes and how to document. The third training would work on fundraising and organisational skills. Other participants of the meeting identified possibilities to merge these plans with existing initiatives and this will be actively explored. It was suggested that the group first start with a mapping of existing capacity building initiative on WPS. The working group identified a number of features that should guide the planning of capacity building initiatives: Importance of contextualising at the local and national levels A TOT-kind of approach to ensure that training participants could replicate the trainings in their contexts Engaging mentors (from this network of women) Appointment of a core group would be responsible for mentors, design of module and some of the logistical work Logistical issues need to be addressed, such as location, resource persons, and formulating a more concrete plan, and funding strategies need to be developed. Group: Knowledge Building and Media The common destination for this group was to generate a body of knowledge from research examining historically womens leadership in relation to WPS, and to better understand local womens leadership in media and national forums. The proposed framework was: using GR 30 to bring a new understanding of feminist analysis. This includes attention to the obstacles to local womens leadership such as fundamentalism, militarism, peacekeeping, and globalisation to help inform the high level review. The group suggested setting up a core regional research team (steering committee) to develop a research methodology to carry out stock taking. The planning included development of communication and advocacy strategies down to the grassroots through the development of communication tools, such as infographics and IECs. This plan will commence in March of 2014 and run until June 2015 (with a possibility for continuation). The location and resources are still undecided. The risks assessed for this plan indicated resource constraints, translation (language) issues, access to local women especially in conflict areas. Translation was identified as a key strategy to promote the relevance of the process to local women and ensure substantive participation.

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Participants reflections on the general challenges with joint action plans for the WPS Agenda in Asia: Funding will be a challenge and requires carefully strategising. While tentative plans were drafted at this regional meeting, participants were well aware of the importance of building on each others work, and also seeking to align existing programs with joint plans for WPS. The meeting was reminded of the need to take advantage of existing opportunities rather than creating new networks or trainings, which may take resources away from existing ones. Through strategic use of resources and linkages to existing initiatives, the aim is to create joint action that has expanded involvement and influence, but is oriented around a core theme and message for accountability on women, peace and security in the Asian region with local women at the center. 7) Agreed and endorsed joint plans and appointed a coordinating group to take forward the planning The plans of each working group were broadly endorsed by the group. Further follow-up is needed to concretise the planning. It was agreed that an initial coordinating group would be formed to take the planning to the next phase. The three organisations who called the regional strategy meeting would call the first meeting of the coordinating group. This group will comprise representatives of APWLD, IWRAW-AP and WLPS Cordaid, together with representatives from each of the working groups, and a representative of local women. It is understood that participants also need time to consult with their organisations and networks on next steps. From the group working on Advocacy o Bondita Acharya, Women in Governance Assam / Alternate: Mavic Cabrera Balleza, GNWP From the group working on Knowledge Building and Media o Roshmi Goswami / Kamala Chandrakirana From the group working on Building the Movement and Alliance and Networking o Bandana Rana, Shaati / Alternate: Andy Yentriyani, Indonesias National Commission on VAW From the group working on Capacity Building for Local Women o Dwi Ruby Kholifah, Asian Muslim Network / Alternate: Francesca Sarenas, Saligan Local womens representative o Fredrika KorainCommunity organizer/specialist in gender and peace Co-host representatives APWLDTessa Shamim Khan CordaidJane McGrory IWRAW APUrmila Bhoola

Concluding Remarks: A diverse group of women activists came to discuss how to proceed with the WPS agenda in Asia. An initial road map for joint action was formulated and will be further developed. The mechanisms for this will be discussed by the coordinating group that was mandated by the meeting to take the process to the next stage. The foundations for more coordinated and concerted action on the WPS agenda in Asia have been set in place. Aside from these important outcomes, the meeting was also a chance for women to come together and learn from each others experiences. Through this meeting, participants had the opportunity to meet and network with women who are working on similar issues in the region and share common concerns. The meeting offered an encouraging and inspiring environment for participants to be reinvigorated in their work on WPS initiatives in their communities and more broadly. Resulting from this strategic meeting was not only the creation of a coordinating committee of ten, but also a network of over 35 women working on WPS in Asia and a commitment to further align energies and expand influence to put local women at the centre of a new agenda for women, peace and security. For further information about the meeting and the follow-up process, please contact: Urmila Bhoola (Executive Director IWRAW-AP) urmila@iwraw-ap.org Tessa Shamim Khan (Program Officer, APWLD) tessa@apwld.org Jane McGrory (Asia Regional Liaison, WLPS Cordaid) janemcgrory@gmail.com
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