Commemoration in Bilbao of 25 years of Resolution 1325: Women, peace and security from the territory of exile and the diasporas

On 31 October, it will be 25 years since the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325. For this reason, Hegoa (EHU) and the Inter-nodal Gender Group in Support of the Legacy of Colombia’s Truth Commission (GIG) have organised two commemorative events: a virtual seminar providing context, to be held on 24 October, and an in-person event in Bilbao on the last day of the month.

Considered an international instrument that underpins the participation of women as political actors in peacebuilding, the Inter-nodal Gender Group in Support of the Legacy of Colombia’s Truth Commission (GIG) emphasises the need to assess the advances and limitations of this resolution. In this regard, and in light of the local and transnational experiences of women who have lived in territories in conflict and who today find themselves as migrants, refugees and exiles, it is imperative to propose ways to update and strengthen the resolution. 

The experience of supporting the Truth Commission in Colombia confirmed for the GIG that the voices and perspectives of migrant, exiled, and refugee women, from their territories of origin and their host communities, contribute to the transformation of conflicts.

The two activities are part of the actions that the Group continues to carry out within the Network in Support of the Legacy of the CEV in Europe (REL), with the backing of the Directorate for Human Rights and Victim Support of the Basque Government.

Commemorative events

These commemorative activities for Resolution 1325 seek to recognise exile and migration as spaces of political agency, of mobilisation of diverse and intersectional women and as a fertile ground for peacebuilding.

The first of the activities will be a virtual seminar to be held on Friday 24 October from 16:30 to 19:00, focusing on the historical contextualisation of the origin and development of the Resolution.

The second activity will be an in-person event to take place on 31 October, from 08:30 to 15:00, in the Salón de Grados at Zubiria Etxea, in Sarriko (Bilbao). It will feature an opening panel with the participation of Catalina Gil Pinzón, from the Collective of Women for Transatlantic Security; Carmen Geha, researcher on gender and inclusive policies in the Arab region and Managing Director of Soltara Consulting; Itziar Mujika, lecturer at the University of the Basque Country and researcher at Hegoa; and Gina Wirz, researcher at the Geneva Graduate Institute and member of the GIG.

Following the opening panel, there will be working groups based on the four pillars of the Resolution: political participation and leadership of women in peacebuilding; reparation, justice and memory; prevention of violence, and protection and the promotion of decent living conditions. Subsequently, the work of the working groups will be shared, final reflections will be offered, and the event will conclude with an artistic performance.

Registration and further information:

To take part in one or both events, you must sign up via this form: https://labur.eus/ifqqudzk

If you would like to know more, contact Claudia A. Sepúlveda Giraldo from the Hegoa Institute (EHU) on +34 688 86 88 44 or by email: claudia_sepulveda001@ehu.eus.



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