Memorandum submitted by WOMANKIND Worldwide
WOMANKIND Worldwide (WK) is a UK-based international
development charity that works in partnership with 60 organisations
in over 20 developing countries. Through our work, we aim to enable
women to voice their concerns and claim their rights and to work
globally for policies and practices which promote equality between
men and women.
WK's main focus is on promoting women's civil
and political participation, reducing violence against women and
informing and influencing policies and practice impacting on women's
human rights at the local, national and international levels.
Our work in these core areas has naturally led us to develop knowledge
and expertise in the area of women, conflict and development,
both in terms of the impact of armed conflict on women, but also
their important role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
This paper outlines the key learning from three of our programmes
in countries that can be described as either in conflict or post-conflict
situations or as "fragile states".
WK also conducts policy and advocacy work in
the UK, with a particular focus on promoting the implementation
of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), in particular
through its active role on the UK Working Group on Women, Peace
and Security. Our advocacy work is directly informed by the learning
of our partners and other organisations working in this field.
This submission builds on two previous submissions
to the International Development Committee Inquiries into Afghanistan
in 2002 and 2005.
1. WOMEN, CONFLICT
AND DEVELOPMENT
1.1 Conflict and development concerns are
interdependent. On the one hand, the insecurity associated with
conflict undermines progress on the development of communities
and whole countries. On the other hand, conflict can be further
accelerated by economic and social instability. WK believes that
gender inequality is a root cause of poverty and insecurity and
that no efforts to reduce poverty and end insecurity will succeed
unless they include measures to tackle violations of women's human
rights.
1.2 Conflict impacts on women and men differently.
While men make up the majority fighting in armed forces and militias,
women form the majority of those displaced by war. Since women
are usually the primary care-givers, they bear the additional
responsibility of having to access food and other resources in
situations of physical insecurity. While both women and men experience
trauma and violence during war, women experience specific trauma
resulting from different forms of violence, including sexual violence,
rape and sexual abuse. This abuse has also been linked to the
military personnel and peacekeepers sent to protect them. It is
therefore crucial to examine the gendered impact of conflict since
this often exacerbates existing forms of discrimination and violations
of women's human rights.
1.3 The tendency to portray women as "victims"
of conflict is too simplistic and it should not be assumed that
all women are non-partisan—some women do participate in
wars. However, women also have a crucial role to play in conflict
prevention, resolution and reparation efforts.
1.4 The transition from conflict to peace
offers a unique opportunity to address the root causes of conflict
and to transform institutions, structures and relationships that
hinder gender equality and justice. Increased representation of
women in peace negotiations is important—not only do women
have the right to participate equally with men in the decision-making
processes that shape the development of their community and their
country, but their exclusion from these processes can severely
compromise the long-term success and sustainability of any peace
and reconstruction solutions. Their equal participation must be
combined with efforts to address gender issues in peace agreements,
for example, violations of women's human rights, sexual and reproductive
rights and the need for new legislation to extend women's economic
rights, such as access to land, property and other resources.
1.5 While there is a growing recognition
of women's agencies in peacebuilding, they continue to be largely
ignored or sidelined in all aspects of post-conflict reconstruction
and peacebuilding processes.
1.6 There are a number of international
instruments which set out clear guidelines and principles for
the promotion and integration of a gender perspective and respect
for human rights in all peace and security, conflict prevention
and management and peacebuilding initiatives. UN Security Council
Resolution 1325 sets out clear guidelines to promote women's role
in all aspects of conflict prevention and resolution. This resolution
builds on key provisions set out in internationally agreed instruments,
such as CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action.
1.7 Special attention also needs to be given
to the following instruments that are equally as important as
the UNSCR 1325 on promoting women and girls rights in peacebuilding
and war: UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (Francis
Deng Guidelines), the four Security Council Resolutions of equal
importance is on Children and Armed Conflict (1612/2005; 1539/2004;
1460/2003 and 1379/2001). The work carried out by the different
UN Special Representatives and Rapporteurs, particularly the UN
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and the UN Special
Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders.[152]
1.8 WOMANKIND believes that the full and
rapid implementation of these and other supporting tools is necessary
to facilitate inclusion of gender and women's rights in all efforts
to address peace and security at the national and international
levels.
2. WOMANKIND'S
APPROACH TO
PEACEBUILDING
WK works in partnership with women's organisations
in developing countries. The primary focus of our work in conflict-affected
countries is to promote the active and meaningful participation
of women in all aspects of peace-building. We are committed to
using a rights-based approach in all aspects of our post-conflict
reconstruction and peacebuilding work. The learning from our work
at the community level offers models of best practice that can
be disseminated to other development practitioners and replicated
elsewhere.[153]
2.1 Forgotten Conflicts and Local Truth
Commission (Peru)
2.1.1 Violent civil war engulfed Peru for
much of the 80s'. Women were profoundly affected and suffered
internal displacement, violence and sexual violence. The Lima-based
Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up TWO years ago[154]
and acts as a forum for civil society, the military and politicians
to deal with human rights abuses committed during the conflict.
It is valuable for its recognition of the specific needs of diverse
groups, for example, women and indigenous women, but suffers from
lack of international commitment and support.
2.1.2 WK's Peruvian partner the Institute
for the Defence of Women's Rights (DEMUS) have discovered that
such a public approach is not effective everywhere. They believe
that the isolated community of Manta[155]
are not yet prepared for public court cases. This remote region
became the location of a fierce and prolonged conflict between
the Shining Path Guerrillas and the Military during the 80s'.
Local residents, the majority of whom are indigenous Quechua speaking
peasants, were victims of sustained violence. Many fled, but some
had no choice but to remain and were killed or endured multiple
human rights abuses.[156]
Today, the conflict has ended, but the memories remain.
2.1.3. The indigenous women of Manta face
multiple discrimination on the basis of their gender, their ethnicity
and their rural isolation, which was exacerbated during the conflict.
It has also meant they have been sidelined by mainstream post-conflict
and peacebuilding efforts.
2.1.4 With the support of WK, DEMUS initiated
a peace and reconciliation programme in Manta in 2004[157]
to tackle these problems. They began by producing an appraisal
of conflict related issues still affecting the population. Following
initial meetings with residents they realised that: the community
remains fragmented and distrustful of one another and outsiders;
issues such as sexual violence perpetrated against women remain
highly sensitive and taboo; women are often reluctant to share
their experiences for fear of shame and social exclusion; and
men have yet to deal with the feelings arising from their failure
to protect the women.
2.1.5 With the support of WK, DEMUS has
gained the trust of the community by adopting a sensitive and
gradual approach to starting the process of exploring people's
experiences of the conflict, and in particular, those of the women.
In this way, DEMUS plans to help rebuild the community and to
develop a model of best practice that can be applied elsewhere
in Peru.
2.1.6 Through its work with the Manta community
in Peru WK has learnt that the impacts of conflict endure for
decades, even generations[158]
and will not be lessened or resolved until they are dealt with.
This highlights the importance of post-conflict programmes in
countries that have been post-conflict for some time. The sensitive
nature of the human rights violations committed during the conflict
in Manta has also taught us that the concept of justice needs
to be defined by the community so they can begin the process of
realising justice in a culturally appropriate manner.[159]
2.2 Women's contribution to reuniting a
war torn country (Somalia)
2.2.1 Following state collapse in 1991,
Somalia has been without a central government and has experienced
serious inter-clan warfare. The sustained and violent interclan
warfare between Somalia's five fiercely independent clans has
resulted in widespread poverty and deprivation, impacting women
the hardest in this strictly patriarchal society. Women have experienced
multiple human rights violations in the form of rape, displacement
and violence. A peace and reconciliation effort was launched in
1999 but failed to incorporate women into the process.
2.2.2 WK and its partners, Save Somali Women
and Children (SSWC), have challenged women's exclusion by initiating
the formation of a "sixth" clan consisting of women,
which has been officially recognised and incorporated into the
peace process. This has provided women with the opportunity to
negotiate their gender specific needs and interests and participate
in politics and the formation of a democratic government planned
for 2010. Women's involvement has been key in uniting disparate
clans and gaining the trust of the population. A significant achievement
was their negotiation of the removal of militia roadblocks and
the provision of livelihood support for the demobilised militia.
By forming the sixth clan women have played a vital part in bringing
peace to Somalia and have opened up a new space for the participation
of women.
2.3 Empowering women to find a voice in
transitional times (Afghanistan)
2.3.1 WK's Afghanistan programme began in
2001 with the aim of integrating gender issues at the outset of
national reconstruction efforts and advocating for the rights
of Afghan women together with local women's organisations. To
that end WK helped establish the Working Group for the Rights
of Afghan Women.
2.3.2 Since 2003, we have been providing
technical and financial assistance to three Afghan women's group.[160]
The work focuses on the promotion of women's civil and political
participation through civic education programmes with women and
young girls, equipping and enabling them with the knowledge, skills
and resources they need to take an active part in their country's
post-conflict reconstruction. Specifically, together with local
partners, WK has enabled greater numbers of women to vote, stand
for elections and be trained as election observers, as well as
helping to shape policy.
2.3.3 Despite progress at this level, women
continue to face "conflict" in their daily lives through
violence in the home and lack of security outside the home. Gender-based
violence against women constitutes a serious impediment to the
participation of Afghan women in public life, and to their participation
in the economic sphere, as well as the obvious damage to their
physical and mental health. Our experience of working with communities
and women on the ground demonstrates that although post-conflict
situations offer opportunities for new roles for men and women,
in Afghanistan as elsewhere, the complexities of gender relations
mean that there are no quick and easy solutions and what is required
are long-term strategic interventions grounded in local realities
and contexts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
WK welcomes the UK government's support of Security
Council Resolution 1325 and specifically its development of a
national action plan to implement the provisions of 1325. We also
welcome the government's efforts to promote cross-departmental
planning and strategising around conflict prevention and peacebuilding
with initiatives such as the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit
(PCRU).
However, we believe that the UK government could
significantly improve its peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction
policies by acting on the following recommendations:
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The UK government should:
— Increase resources and support for
the accelerated implementation of existing commitments to promote
women's equal participation with men in all aspects of conflict
prevention, resolution and peacebuilding processes, including
the commitments set out in UN Security Council 1325, the Beijing
Platform for Action and CEDAW, and those of lesser known and/or
applied instruments, such as UN Guiding Principles on Internal
Displacement (Francis Deng Guidelines), the four Security Council
Resolutions on Children and Armed Conflict (1612/2005; 1539/2004;
1460/2003 and 1379/2001) and the work of the UN Special Representatives
and Rapporteurs, particularly the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women.
— Place the promotion of human rights,
and, in particular, women's human rights, at the centre of all
its policies to ensure that women's equal participation in all
aspects of decision-making and their freedom to live lives free
from violence are central to all conflict prevention and peacebuilding
initiatives.
Conflict prevention & peacebuilding
The UK government should:
— Support women's contributions to
operational conflict prevention by increasing resources and support
for early warning systems (EWS) to monitor countries at risk of
conflict, with a gender perspective, including gender-sensitive
indicators of conflict, fully integrated into the EWS.
— Promote women's participation in
peace processes by providing greater support for women's effective
participation in all stages of peace processes, promote gender-sensitive
peace negotiations and agreements and encourage the mainstreaming
of a gender perspective throughout the implementation of peace
accords.
— Support informal and innovative grassroots
initiatives led by women's organisations, which can be a significant
force for change by increasing the inclusiveness, transparency
and sustainability of peace processes and reconstruction, as highlighted
in this submission, through locally driven, locally-owned and
inclusive processes.
— Pay greater attention to "forgotten",
less visible conflict and post-conflict communities in countries
such as Peru, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe, which are often neglected
by official peace processes.
— Encourage the integration of a gender
perspective in Disarmament, Demobilisation & Reintegration
(DDR) processes—women actively participate in conflict as
armed combatants, yet their distinct needs are often ignored in
official DDR processes. Their knowledge and insights, whether
they are peacebuilders, former combatants or simply members of
affected communities must be taken into consideration in DDR processes.
Governments must also provide greater support for unofficial DDR
programmes, such as WK's programmes in Peru and Somalia, since
these are frequently sidelined, but play a vital role in providing
support to the most excluded, including those not reached by mainstream
DDR programmes.
— Support the integration of a gender
perspective in Truth & Reconciliation Commissions and ensure
that women's human rights violations are documented and prosecuted
in accordance with international laws and standards.
— Widen the scope of post-conflict
work, which usually focuses on rebuilding the infrastructure and
the economy, to include the rebuilding of social capital and civil
society and to promote long-term sustainable advances in gender
equality and women's empowerment.
— There is a need to recognize the
very significant contribution of Women's Human Rights Defenders
in peacebuilding, towards the advancement of human rights for
all people. It is vital to ensure that these activists can expect
to operate in an environment that is not only safe, but also actively
supportive of their work.
The UK & Global Peacebuilding Efforts
— Peacebuilding Commission—we
welcome the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)
and support the commitment to integrate a gender perspective into
the work of the PBC and involve women equally in all aspects of
conflict prevention, resolution and peace-building. This reinforces
the goals agreed upon in SC Resolution 1325. WK urges the UK government
and other stakeholders to ensure that these principles are acted
upon in all aspects of the implementation of the PBC's work. WK
further recommends that the PBC extends its mandate to conflict
prevention, as well as post-conflict reconstruction.
— Responsibility to Protect—the
Responsibility to Protect framework is currently gender blind,
which seriously limits its usefulness. The UK should take the
lead in ensuring that existing experience and research on gender,
peace & security are incorporated into all three segments
of the R2P framework—i.e responsibility to prevent, responsibility
to react and responsibility to rebuild—with particular attention
paid to CEDAW and UN SC Resolution 1325.[161]
January 2006
http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=155&Itemid=215
152 The Representatives and Rapporteurs provide analysis
and independent advice to the UN via the Secretary General's office,
which helps shape policymaking at an official level. They can
collate evidence on abuses against women and men over a period
of time, either as an individual organisation, or on a national
or regional basis, or by type of abuse. As with the UN Declaration
on Human Rights, reports produced by Representatives can be presented
as recommendations of the UN and used to highlight instances or
patterns of abuse. Back
153
For further details of our work in these countries, visit: www.womankind.org.uk/where-we-work.html
Back
154
Based on the recommendation of the report, which documented
Human Rights violations during the conflict. A analysis to this
report was written by Amnesty International (See publication AMR
46/003/2004/s). Back
155
Manta is in the Department of Huancavelinca in the West of Peru. Back
156
Human Rights Abuses in Manta included torture, rape and the
associated forced pregnancy and enslavement. Back
157
DFID agreed to provide support to WK towards this project at
the end of last year. Other funders are UNIFEM which has supported
the programme for eight months and PCS, an international agency
supported by European and North American funders. Back
158
This is due to the fact that many of the children in Manta were
fathered by the military either by consensual relations or sometimes
by rape. These children are identifiable because they were obliged
to assume their fathers' names. They face discrimination and social
exclusion. Back
159
A challenge of this process is ensuring that culture does not
become a justification for failing to address crucial issues such
as violence against women. Back
160
WK's partners in Afghanistan are the Afghan Women's Educational
Centre (AWEC), the Afghan Women's Resource Centre (AWRC) and the
Afghan Women's Network (AWN). Back
161
For a current and in-depth analysis of both why and how gender
should be integrated into the various aspects of the R2P framework,
see UNRISD publication New Voices, New Perspectives. "A Sight
for Sore Eyes: Bringing Gender Vision to the Responsibility to
Protect Framework" at Back
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