Counterterrorism and effects on women's organizatios

Counterterrorism Measures and their Effects on the Implantation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

This was a very interesting presentation, with those involved with various aspects of funding women's organization, in particular women's organizations working on Peace and Security, and how they are affected by current counterterrorism financial regulation that is in fact counter productive.

With speakers:
Isabelle Geuskens, Executive Director, Women Peacemakers Program

Carolyn Boyd Tomasovic, managing Director, Ecumenical Women's Initiative

Lia van Broekhoven, Executive Director, Human Security Network

Anjuman Ara Brgum, Steering Committee Member, WinG India

Jayne Huckerby, Associate Professor of Law, Director International  Law Clinic, Duke University

Opening statement - Kingdom of the Netherlands, your partner with peace, justice and development.

Paradox, how to address the dilemma, counterterrorism, and human and individual rights.

Speaker 1, counterterrorism (CT) measures, task force antimoney laundry. FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Standards based on funding of terrorist organizations. Used as a pretext in some countries to affect civil society groups.

Banks averse, so groups carry money, or go underground. US very effective in controlling FATF, other countries must get involved.

Lawyer from University, Jayne Huckerby spoke of current  efforts, countering CT. Counterterrorism financing, enabling men. Women as victims.

Emerging trends, transfer funds, but funds disappear. Told couldn't open bank account. Many groups being asked, realize because of counterterrorism regulations. 

Working on Women Peace and Security agenda, variety of measures affect women's groups already working in hi threatening environment. Relations with foreign donors.

Banks don't have leverage, asking for detailed accounts. Women in the midst of the crises not able to access funds. Administration burden, and access to funding becoming more and more difficult. Solutions, low profile, carrying money, increasingly dangerous.

Raising awareness important. Breaking the silence. Need more research.

Speaker on funding women's organizations. Growing administrative burden. range of options.

Suggestion of networking with unions. Policy incoherence. Within the same government. Antiterrorism, anti money laundry. Need more evidence, documenting evidence. Need a Core set of principals. Charity and security network. Money going to big organizations, such as Amnesty, Red Cross, but it is the smaller groups that are doing the work, and keeping system going.

Recommendations, look at what is no longer funded, don't want gov't footprint on it. 

Mapping what is happening with funding, have to report.