Kvinner, fred og sikkerhet (ENG)
Women, peace and security


Kvinner, fred og sikkerhet
War and conflict affects women, men, boys and girls differently. Hence both women and men must participate in and influence peace and security efforts.
What we do
FOKUS works to ensure that women’s and girls’ rights and needs are safeguarded during conflicts and crises, and that violence and sexual harassment against women is reported and prosecuted.
FOKUS cooperates with nine local partner organisations in Colombia to promote women’s rights and demands in peace and reconciliation efforts.
Among other things, we work to provide aid to conflict-affected women and girls, to ensure that breaches of their rights are documented and compensation claimed, and that more women participate in ongoing peace and reconciliation processes.
FOKUS’ partners in Colombia were active contributers to the peace process and played an important role in ensuring that the peace agreement did not provide amnesty for sexual violence.
FOKUS coordinates Forum 1325, a network of organisations working to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Norway and internationally, and participates in Colombia Forum along with other Norwegian civil society organisations.
Women and girls must be protected in war and conflict
Building peaceful and just societies after conflicts requires that women participate in and influence peace processes. Nonetheless, women remain highly underrepresented in peace negotiations and processes.
The women, peace and security agenda is a global effort for women’s full and equal participation in conflict resolution, peacebuilding and recovery. The agenda is anchored in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 from 2000, the first of ten resolutions on women’s situation and role in conflicts and crises.
In war and conflict gender-based violence increases and access to contraception, safe abortions and maternity care worsens. Rape is used as a weapon to humiliate and demoralise women, their families and communities. Thus the women, peace and security agenda calls for concrete measures to protect women and girls against conflict-related sexual violence.
The 2016 Colombian peace agreement is unique in the level of women’s participation and contributions by women. At the negotiations, over 20% of the governmental delegation and 40% of the FARC guerilla’s delegation were women. Hence the agreement contains many measures protecting women’s rights and ensuring their participation.
We both wanted change but lacked the direction to achieve it.
Maria Deogratuis. 42 year old farmer from Tanzania, married with seven children.
Les hele Marias historie her
I'm incredibly grateful for the positive impact this program has had on my family. It brought us back together after a very difficult period, particularly in my marriage. My husband used to take all the earnings from our farm harvests and leave without contributing to the household. This made caring for our children extremely challenging. When I confronted him, he would become angry and sometimes violent.
A turning point came when we both attended the educational programs. I could sense it resonated with my husband; we talked about it as soon as we got home. I told him we couldn't continue living this way, filled with pain and hopelessness.
The program was instrumental in helping us. We both wanted change but lacked the direction to achieve it. We attended more classes and received visits from a community activist. This support instilled confidence in us to work together. My husband started consulting me on various matters, and I offered him guidance and assistance whenever needed. Soon after, we began visiting sugarcane farms, seeking new opportunities. Previously, we had only grown cotton with limited success. Deciding to cultivate both crops proved to be a financially sound decision; the sugarcane yielded significant profits.
The income from sugarcane cultivation helped us build our house. We diligently saved a portion of our earnings towards this goal.
Later, I sought additional ways to improve our family's life. Through the program, we learned about support groups. I joined forces with ten other women to form a financial support group. Each month, we contributed money that I used to purchase essential household items like cookware. The other women used the funds for bricks and cement to complete their houses.
Today, I can confidently say that my life is better. My children are growing up in a positive environment and have the opportunity to attend school. Additionally, child marriages are becoming less prevalent as families prioritize educating their daughters, not just their sons.
Quick facts

When women are included in peace processes, the likelihood of lasting peace increases by 35 percent.
Over 614 million women and girls live in countries affected by conflict, a 50% increase since 2017.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, 44% of all women live within 50 kilometres of a conflict, while the exposure in Sub-Saharan Africa is 37%.
Would you like to know more?
Contact FOKUS' advisor on women, peace and security:

Mateo Corrales Hoyos
Senior programme advisor, women, peace and security in Colombia and women's economic rights in Uganda