A regional consultation for Latin American civil society was held on 11 and 12 May 2015, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Luz Mendez and Liliana Silva Bello, members of the High Level Advisory Group for the Global Study, participated in the consultation, along with 21 experts from 11 countries.
Participants identified key problems in the region, such as over-militarization, the prevalence of sexual violence and femicide, and a lack of cooperation between states and civil society. They also discussed the harmful effects of extractive corporations, racism, organized crime, fundamentalism, impunity, corruption and weak implementation of UNSC resolution 1325 (2000).
Key recommendations from the consultation include:
- The importance of embracing a human security perspective;
- The importance of guaranteeing the rights of all women, regardless of ethnic or cultural identities;
- The need to mainstream UNSC resolution1325 in state institutions and policies;
- The need to increase women’s representation in politics and institutions related to peace and security;
- The importance of progressive disarmament as a part of state security plans;
- The need for legal protection of female migrants;
- The need for more women as negotiators in peace processes;
- The need to respect the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination;
- The importance of international funding for women, peace and security in Latin America;
- The need for state accountability on implementation of women, peace and security goals;
- The importance of a regional approach to women, peace and security;
- The need to consider underlying structural problems in the analysis of multiple forms of violence against women;
- The importance of providing psycho-social support for victims of conflicts in the region;
- The importance of the role of media in the dissemination of the ideas and goals of UNSC resolution 1325.
