Kessous Resolution : Femina Pax
Diplomatic negotiations: quotas for women to promote peace
With Guila Clara Kessous, UNESCO artist for peace and Director of the International Forum Femina Vox
And the participation of institutional representatives from countries supporting the resolution
MANIFESTO
How can we justify that in peace processes, women represent on average only 13% of negotiators, 6% of mediators, and 6% of agreement signatories, while women and children nonetheless make up nearly 80% of
displaced populations?
How can we act effectively for conflict resolution when half of humanity is absent from negotiation tables and conference rooms?
It is against this invisibilisation of women in peace processes that Guila Clara Kessous, UNESCO Artist for Peace, presented a resolution at the PeaceTalks last September. She calls for a mandatory quota of 30% women at diplomatic negotiation tables. The resolution will be officially presented at the 61st session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, next March. A strong proposal that invites women to be actors of their own destiny and, moreover, strengthens the likelihood of
successful negotiations.
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To discuss this topic, the Swiss Press Club is honored to welcome Guila Clara Kessous for a press conference. A leading figure, Director of
Femina Vox — the international forum dedicated to women’s rights — and Vice-president of UNF, she holds a doctorate under the direction of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel and has also taught at Harvard University.
