The predecessors

The collection of predecessors of Women, Peace and Security includes documents that explain how peace, human rights, and women’s movements joined efforts to convince the UN Security Council of the importance of the role of women in matters of war and peace.

An interesting trend of this period was the growing participation of grassroots groups in the Netherlands, other European countries, Latin America and Southern Africa in the discussion on the role of women in peace and development policies.

Women’s groups and organisations linked to development and missionary projects; municipalities, and religious communities took the lead. They reached out to each other at an international level, strengthening resistance movements under female leadership. All the organizational work was carried out by professional volunteers, who coordinated activities such as international meetings and public manifestations, research, fundraising and creating and distributing publications. The existing institutions and authorities were aloof in this period and therefore sometimes fiercely attacked by these movements for their double standards and even hypocrisy. At the same time, dialogue was nourished and input was given to worldwide UN resolutions on stopping violence against women. 

Click on the links below or on the pictures above to read about the predecessors:

  • 1995: Peace train to Beijing - click on picture above