Women Dismantling Militarism
Facts, Articles,
and Ideas from
the Global Fund's Militarism Initiative
The Global Fund for Women has been supporting numerous groups throughout the Europe/CIS region who are helping to rebuild war-torn communities and trying to change heavily militarized societies. Women’s organizing has focused on addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of women and their communities during and after the conflict, as well as working across religious, ethnic and national lines to understand and challenge the root causes of conflict. Even as religious and national fundamentalism sweeps across the entire region, women’s groups are holding onto the gains the women’s rights movements have achieved and envisioning a more just and peaceful world. For instance, feminists from the Balkans are sharing their experiences with sisters in the Caucasus or Kyrgyzstan in the immediate aftermath of violent conflict.
Protesting for Peace in Serbia
Women In Black
Serbia
Founded in 1991, Women in Black-Belgrade has organized women’s nonviolent resistance to war, militarism, sexism, and nationalism and violence against ethnic minorities. They held public vigils weekly wearing black, carrying placards, and standing still and silent. They have organized over 700 visually gripping street protests and theater performances, mostly in Belgrade streets and squares, but also in other cities of Serbia and throughout the former Yugoslavia and Europe.
Women in Black also publish books and educational materials on women’s nonviolent resistance and feminist anti-militarism theory. They are among the few with an anti-nationalist and anti-fundamentalist analysis calling for a change in the way security is defined: from one currently confined to state interests and security provided by the military and police towards one that focuses on a broad range human rights.
Their groundbreaking contribution is in fostering inter-ethnic and inter-cultural peace coalitions working to promote transitional justice and security. Women in Black lobbies the Serbian National Assembly to pass laws protecting human rights defenders and to implement UN Security Council Resolution1325, which demands greater representation of women in the peace-building process. They have developed a keen analysis of the limitations of 1325, while working to raise awareness of the resolution’s promise across the Balkans.
