Sri Lanka’s Shreen Abdul Saroor, founder of the Mannar Women’s Development Federation and Mannar Women for Human Rights and Democracy in Sri Lanka was among the four winners to the first N-Peace award of the UNDP.

The award acknowledges the leadership of women in building peace, empowering their communities their communities and in preventing conflicts.

Four women peace advocates from some of the most conflict affected countries in Asia received the first N-PEACE, the UNDP Colombo office said.

Purna Shova Chitrakar, Electronita Duan, Shreen Abdul Saroor and Filomena Barros dos Reis are those who received the award

The four awardees are part of a multi-country network known as N-PEACE www.n-peace.net –Engage for Peace, Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment.

“Women can talk with a collective voice”, asserts Shreen from Sri Lanka, and adds “We, women, have experienced wars differently and have a unique perspective and specific concerns in connection to demilitarization, social justice and reconciliation. Women need to participate in vital aspects of peace and security such as ending impunity for conflict-related sexual violence and holding the perpetrators accountable while addressing the needs of women and girls as war-torn communities are rebuilt”. Shreen leads an interethnic community project that brings Tamil and Muslim women to resurrect peace for their communities. She has gathered and supported a multiethnic team of young women to inspire a next generation of peace makers and social activists in her country.

Source: The Sunday Leader – 20/10/2011