On that day in 2009 few foresaw just how serious and deep a recession we were entering. State budgets were slashed just as more and more people needed services to prevent economic catastrophes in their own lives. Congress engaged in heated debates about spending, and almost allowed the government to shut down. We at WAND were pleased to see that after a decade of unchecked growth in the Pentagon budget, there was finally some action in Congress to limit Pentagon spending, but there is still much more to be done. We will continue to work with members on both sides of the aisle to bring fiscal discipline to Pentagon spending. We cannot afford to spend money on weapons we don’t need and pad Pentagon contractors’ pockets. We must fight for investments in the things that make us strong here at home and counter the influence of Pentagon lobbyists.

President Obama campaigned for an end to the Iraq War and he quickly followed through on that promise. He is also bringing an end to the war in Afghanistan. Yet we know that even as our troops come home, we must ensure that women and children in Afghanistan do not lose the gains they have made. We must continue to work for political, not military, solutions to the conflict in Afghanistan. We can
also do more to ensure the rights of women all over the world with ratification of CEDAW, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and passing legislation in support of the National Action Place on Women, Peace, and Security.

Successful, bipartisan ratification of the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a huge victory in December 2010. We will continue to push for ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. President Obama’s speech in Prague in the spring of 2010 was a reminder that while we may have a long road ahead of us, a world free of nuclear weapons is a goal worth working for. First up, we must stop pouring billions of dollars into maintaining and modernizing these Cold War-era relics. WAND has been working for a world safe from the threat of nuclear weapons for over thirty years. We’ll continue this fight in the next four years of President Obama’s administration.

Finally, how could we not celebrate the record number of women entering Congress this year? We are eager to get to work with returning champions on our issues and bring newly elected women into critical debates about our national security and budget priorities. This year’s Inauguration Day falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As he so powerfully said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We may be starting this term with less unbridled optimism, but we know that our priories are worth fighting for and we will continue to work hard with all of our WAND members for a better country and a better world.

Today, August 26, is Women's Equality Day. The date commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, granting women the right to vote, and has been proclaimed by the President and Congress each year since 1971.

Surely women have made important and substantial gains in the forty years since Women’s Equality Day was first celebrated. But while the strides have been significant, they are in no way sufficient. Today, women hold nearly 17% of seats in Congress, 22% of statewide elected offices, and over 24% of state legislature seats nationwide— though paltry, a number nearly double the amount of seats held in 1971. Since the first Congress, 11,699 people have served in the House or Senate, but of these 215— less than 2%-- have been women. It is clear that women’s voices are missing from our nation’s important debates and decisions, but nowhere was that loss been felt more acutely than in the 112^th Congress’s battle royale: the debt debacle.

All eyes were focused on Washington during this summer’s debt ceiling debate and it was easy to see that the cast of characters was mainly single-sex. Women’s voices were not just excluded from the table in these debt negotiations—they weren’t even in the room, as chief negotiations with the Gang of Six functioned as a boys only club.  Women— including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi—were also left out of final budget negotiations in April, when the White House gathered with high-level staffers for House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Despite the mantra that “everything has to be on the table” it’s been clear that not everyone will have a seat at it.

Though so-called “entitlement” programs were spared in the first phase of cuts, in the next few months, the 12-person Debt Reduction Committee will make critical decisions to cut an additional $1.5 trillion from the federal budget. Of the 90 women Members of Congress were eligible to serve on the “super committee,” only one woman was appointed, constituting an appalling 8% of the committee as a whole. These numbers are particularly troubling given that many of the services that have the biggest impacts on women and families, like Medicaid, Medicare, child care, education, food assistance, and Social Security, are at stake. When women aren’t at the table, the programs that disproportionately benefit and employ them are often the first to go.

When you’ve spent the summer watching old, white men allow the global economy to teeter on the brink of collapse, it’s not hard to wonder “what the hell is wrong with you?” but also, “would women have done this?”

Studies have shown that women legislate differently than men, often acting more collaboratively, seeking out long-term results, and tending to take fewer risks. If current events aren’t evidence enough, research has proven that when women are at the decision-making table, processes are less contentious, outcomes are fairer, and a broader range of opinions is heard. Women legislators often take leadership on issues important to families and communities, such as health, education, and the environment.  Social psychologists have documented groups that are predominately male are more willing to take imprudent risks that jeopardize its long-term stability and growth. Additionally, a recent Harvard study found that when groups include more women, the collective IQ of the team rises.

Women are more than half of the population. We have more than half of the good ideas. So why aren’t women making at least half of the decisions? It’s true that women don't speak with one voice; we hold a variety of views on everything from getting more money to spending it. However, all issues are women's issues- foreign policy, the economy, military spending, agriculture, trade and transportation, as well as health, education, and social services.  Our democracy would be strengthened by including women’s voices in the all of these decision-making processes.

In the Joint Resolution of Congress that designating each August 26 as Women’s Equality Day it states: “the women of the United States have been treated as second-class citizens and have not been entitled the full rights and privileges, public or private, legal or institutional…and have united to assure that these rights and privileges are available to all citizens equally regardless of sex.” As the debt negotiations have shown, though united we may be, equal we are not. Ultimately, if Congress was serious about engaging women in the budget-cutting process, their super committee would look more like those who are bearing the brunt of the cuts—or at least more like our nation as a whole. The life experiences of all women—however varied—would bring different and valuable perspectives into congressional debate and must be present for progress to be made.

The paper explores best practices and outlines several key areas of domestic relevance that, if addressed, would create a strong alignment between U.S. civil society and the administration towards a robust and meaningful implementation of SCR1325.

WAND is a proud sponsor of the WILPF white paper.

To read the paper in it's entirety, please see here: WILPF U S Statement on U S SCR 1325 NAP(2)

As noted in our official statement on the war in Afghanistan, WAND advocates helping Afghan civilians, especially women and girls, to obtain safety, basic necessities, access to education and employment, and participation in leadership positions in the peace-making process. This new Congressional task force aims to do just that by offering mentorship programs for Afghanistan’s female members of Parliament, prospective elected officials, as well as civic and business leaders.

The launch of the task force follows the announcement of President Obama’s troop draw-down, to which many Afghan women responded with fear of a reversal in freedom and human rights progress.  Afghanistan is considered the most dangerous country for women, and this task force serves to reassure them of our protection and support. The task force will aim to gain more human rights, especially women’s rights, and the present opportunity may be critical. In an op-ed for The Hill, former first lady Laura Bush said:

In 2007, I met with Afghan women at the White House who told me that they live in daily fear that the Taliban’s violence will reverse Afghanistan’s progress toward freedom. Their message was that we must take advantage of this time, or as one woman parliamentarian put it: “This is our only chance.” Today, there is a good chance of success as long as Americans remain engaged and women’s rights are protected.

While the task force’s stated mission is to help the women and girls of Afghanistan, it is also important to realize the greater impact its efforts will have on the rest of the country’s civilians. Ultimately, women’s leadership is extremely important for the long-term stabilization of Afghanistan. A fairer representation of women in leadership positions could lead to less corruption and more benefits
for local communities.

WAND is proud to have one of its own members leading this cause, and we wish everyone involved in the task force success.

This post was written by WAND DC Intern Kathleen Kang.

The Joined by War: Women’s Rights in Today’s Afghanistan broadcast focused on how Afghan women continue to be affected by the decade-long war. As the United States seeks to drawdown troops from Afghanistan in July 2011, it remains to be seen how the status of women’s rights in Afghanistan will be affected. The audience members and two panelists, Sima Samir (Chair, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission) and Safia Sidiqi (women's rights activist and former Afghan parliament member), reiterate that they want participation in the peace processes, not just protection from the Taliban.

The broadcast made it clear that Afghan women desire to be empowered and included in developing a sustainable peace in Afghanistan. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but must include transitional justice for those most affected by war – women and children. As such, Afghan women participating in the town hall meeting indicated that they want to be part of reconciliation and reintegration programs that provide them with greater educational, political, and economic opportunities.

During the broadcast, Afghan women emphasized that military intervention alone will not provide peace and stability. For a lasting peace to take root in Afghanistan, support for development, health, and educational programs must be provided.

Joined by War will broadcast in Afghanistan on Radio Killid and will air on WAMU 88.5 FM and public radio stations across the U.S. on Wednesday, May 4 at 1pm ET and 9pm ET. For more information about the broadcast, click here.

WAND Field Coordinator Elaina Ramsey was present at the town hall meeting and wrote a blog posting of her reflections. You can find her blog posting on the WAND Action Center blog section, or by clicking here.

More Resources:

• "Afghan Women Speak" report by David Cortright and Sarah Smiles Persinger, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
• “Women in Afghanistan” hearing, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Tuesday, May 3 at 10am in the Cannon House Office Building
• WAND’s Official Statement on Afghanistan

According to the United Nations website dedicated to the history of IWD, “When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.”

WAND is no stranger to the mission of International Women’s Day. For over twenty- five years, WAND has worked with activists throughout the world to help promote peace and to help women get ‘a seat at the table of power’. Our grassroots efforts toward a world that re-directs excessive military spending towards human and social needs has played an important role in legislation in the past 25 years. Our WiLL program with women state legislators has provided a vital link from State Capitols to the nation’s capitol for over 18 years.  We were originally founded as “Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament” and now as Women’s Action for New Directions we continue to work on concrete steps to move towards a safer world without nuclear weapons.  We also maintain a UN representative tracking actions that affect women and peace.

We have succeeded many times in the past twenty five years and International Women’s Day gives us a reason to pause and take note of all that we have accomplished so far, and all that is still left to do.

The United States has not yet ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women. We are one of only 7 countries that have failed to ratify this treaty. In places where the treaty has been ratified, significant improvements have already been made: Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan have seen increases in literacy rates. Australia, Brazil, and others have actually incorporated parts of the CEDAW treaty right into their constitutions. The United States Senate should ratify  CEDAW and show that the advancement of women and girls’ rights around the world is a priority.

Tell Obama to support CEDAW now!

Since the U.S. led forces overthrew the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, the promotion of women’s rights has generated much public debate. While some commentators suggest that prolonged military occupation is needed to protect women,  a recent report, titled Afghan Women Speak by David Cortright and Sara Smiles Persinger notes that “ it will be impossible for girls and women to  consolidate their gains in a militarized environment.”   The report emphasizes that Afghan women need to be part of the peace process- not an afterthought.  It is essential for women to be included in the peace negotiations in order to ensure that their needs are met and that a successful and sustainable peace is achieved.

You can learn more about women in Afghanistan here.

Although International Women’s Day has passed, the entire month of March is devoted to the amazing history of women. During Women’s History Month, make sure to use this time to make sure that as a woman YOUR voice is heard in  Congress. For information on how to take action with WAND, go to our Action Center.

For Immediate Release

"As we approach the planned drawdown of military forces beginning in July 2011, it is clear that large majorities of the American people have endorsed a new way forward in Afghanistan. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans now say the war is no longer worth fighting and three-quarters of Americans believe that the President should withdraw a “substantial number” of combat troops this summer.

The American people understand that our country’s fiscal state renders the continued funding of a war that costs over $2 billion a week unsustainable. A substantial withdrawal of troops later this year will go a long way towards rebalancing our domestic and overseas priorities and reduce government spending by billions of dollars.

Despite the assurances offered by General Petraeus this week, we believe that our status quo, military-first strategy is not achieving its promised results. The rampant corruption present in the Karzai government and contractor community has made establishing a central government capable of administering effective governance all but impossible. Additionally, the record number of civilian deaths this past year, including the large number of targeted killings of government officials, suggest that the population is not being secured. If you can’t protect the population or establish a government people can believe in, you can’t win a counterinsurgency.

We are at a moment where the needs of the American people and the needs on the ground in Afghanistan have clearly converged. A swift withdrawal of troops beginning no later than July will stabilize Afghanistan by ending an unpopular occupation, allow us to focus on political reconciliation with local and regional stakeholders, improve our country’s flexibility to respond to more immediate and pressing national security challenges, and improve our fiscal and economic situation at home."

#03-16-2011#

From Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New START’s chief negotiator Rose Gottemoeller to WAND and WiLL members all over the country, women are weighing in and making their voices heard. Click the links below to read a sampling of women leaders appealing to our U.S. Senators to put national security ahead of politics and vote to ratify New START by the end of the year!

Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton: here

Rose Gottemoeller

Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance: here

WiLL member, Rep Gail Riecken: here

WiLL member, Rep. Diane Russell (ME): here

WAND member, Bobbie Wrenn Banks (GA): here

WAND board member and Oregon WAND chapter leader Susan Cundiff (OR): here

Jeanne Shaheen

WiLL member, Rep. Karen Camper (TN): http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/nov/11/karen-camper-ratifying-new-start-is-a-senate/?partner=RSS

WiLL members Rep. Jennifer Seelig and Rep. Becky Edwards (UT): here

WAND member Judy Raines (TN): here

And these great women from partner organizations:

Elisabeth MacNamara, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States here

Rachel Kleinfeld, Chief Executive Officer of Truman National Security Project here

Report co-authors David Cortright, Director of Policy Studies, and Research Associate Sarah Smiles Persinger, also interviewed U.S. State Department officials, staff members of international aid organizations, and U.S. military commanders and staff.

While the majority of the women interviewed supported a negotiated end to the war, they also expressed concerns that their interests may be sacrificed in a peace deal, according to the authors. The report highlights the concerns of Afghan women, assesses international efforts to empower women since 2001, and analyzes the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on women. It concludes with recommendations for Western policymakers on ways to protect women’s gains while pursuing political solutions to the conflict.

This research was funded in part by the Dutch development agency Cordaid.

• Read the full report  here.
• Read a focus summary of the report here.
• Read WAND's summary of the report Afghan Women Speak Summary

On Tuesday, October 26th, Secretary of Sate Hillary Clinton joined UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and diplomats from many nations in saying  that the time was now for actions- not words- to end sexual violence in war and include women in decisions on making, keeping, and building peace.

The UN Secretary General warned that resolution 1325 will never be fully implemented until sexual violence ends in conflicts. Secretary Clinton claimed the only way to achieve the goals of resolution 1325 was to ensure that women participate themselves in all stages of the peace and decision making processes.

"No peace that sacrifices women’s rights is a peace we can afford to support," Secretary Clinton urged.

Since the overthrow of the Taliban by U.S.-led forces in 2001, the promotion of women’s rights in Afghanistan has generated much public debate. Some commentators have suggested that prolonged U.S. and NATO military occupation is needed to protect women’s gains.

Read all of Secretary Clinton's remarks here.