An interesting trend of this period was the growing participation of grassroots groups in the Netherlands, other European countries, Latin America and Southern Africa in the discussion on the role of women in peace and development policies.
Women’s groups and organisations linked to development and missionary projects; municipalities, and religious communities took the lead. They reached out to each other at an international level, strengthening resistance movements under female leadership. All the organizational work was carried out by professional volunteers, who coordinated activities such as international meetings and public manifestations, research, fundraising and creating and distributing publications. The existing institutions and authorities were aloof in this period and therefore sometimes fiercely attacked by these movements for their double standards and even hypocrisy. At the same time, dialogue was nourished and input was given to worldwide UN resolutions on stopping violence against women.
Click on the links below or on the pictures above to read about the predecessors:
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1889: Bertha Von Suttner, Die Waffen Nieder!, re-issued in Dutch in 2019, 469 pgs, uitgeverij Orlando.
- 1915: Vrouwenvredescongres tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog, Aletta Jacobs, 3 pgs.
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1992: Elisabeth Enzing (ed), Living Reconciliation – Making Peace, Women's Strategies Against Oppression, War and Armament, 216 pgs, ISSN: 0941-2638.
- 1995: Peace train to Beijing - click on picture above
- 1997: Wendela de Vries (ed) + 13 others, Ongekend Verweer - De actieve rol van vrouwen in conflictsituaties en als vluchteling, Humanistisch Overleg Mensenrechten, 64 pgs, ISBN 90-75521-04-9.
- 1999-1: Madeleine Maurik en Bram Posthumus, Women Challenging Society - Stories of Women's Empowerment in Southern Africa, Uitgave NIZA, 56 pgs, ISBN 1387604x.
- 1999-2: Twintig Jaar Vrouwen Voor Vrede - edited history of Vrouwen voor Vrede on the period of 1979 to 1999.
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1999-3: The Hague Appeal for Peace Conference (Issued in 2001), Building a Women’s Peace Agenda, 75 pgs.
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2000-1: UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
- 2000-2: Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Beijing+5 political declaration and platform for action, UN Women, 277 pgs, NICC-WPS archive.
- On sexual violence in conflict: first issue of the magazine of Vrouwen en Duurzame Vrede
