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Women and Armed Conflict (From Sandesh.org)
Women and peace-building in Sri Lanka (2003)
The document summarises the contents and process of the workshop titled Women’s Journey to Peace: Strengthening the Next Steps Forward, then focuses on the findings, learnings and recommendations which emerged from each of the sessions of the said workshop. The document concludes by highlighting some observations about women, politics and change, and then summarise suggestions made on how women’s actions for peace be more effective.
Women, war and peace:
The independent experts’ assessment on the impact of armed conflict on women and women’s role in peace-building (2002)
The voices of women, their experiences during war and their struggles to build peace are at the heart of this report by independent experts. Because of the specific way in which women are targeted during conflict, and because Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security called for further study, UNIFEM appointed the two women, both politicians and government officials in their home countries, to travel to conflict areas, interview women and bring their concerns to the attention of the United Nations and the world. The report covers many areas of concern, from the gender dimensions of violence and displacement during conflict to the role of peacekeepers and the need for women to play a central part during peace negotiations and reconstruction. Key recommendations focus on finding ways to protect and empower women.
Women waging peace (2002)
Certainly, some extraordinary men have changed the course of history with their peace-making. Yet women are often the most powerful voices for moderation in times of conflict. While most men come to the negotiating table directly from the war room and battlefield, women usually arrive straight out of civil activism and-take a deep breath-family care.
Gender mainstreaming in peace support operations: Moving beyond rhetoric to practice (July 2002)
This paper discusses the need, rationale and mandates for mainstreaming gender throughout Peace Support Operations (PSOs). It raises some of the challenges and suggests recommendations for assisting the process. At this critical time in the development of gender mainstreaming within PSOs it aims to contribute to the growing debate of ‘How’ gender mainstreaming policy can be translated and entrenched in practice.
Gender and conflict early warning: A framework for action (2002)
The deliberate victimisation of women during recent wars has focused attention on the different impacts of internal and transnational conflicts on men and women. At the same time, the contribution of women and women’s organisations to conflict resolution, management and peace building is also gaining wider recognition. This paper proposes a list of gender-sensitive early warning indicators for the purpose of verification and expansion. It concludes with a set of recommendations for future research and action, with particular emphasis on conducting empirical tests on the assumptions put forth. This paper, in Adobe Acrobat format, is produced in collaboration with the Swiss Peace Foundation and International Alert.
Women, peace and security: A policy audit (2001)
This report draws on the work of International Alert, which is bringing together women"s NGOs and civil society organisations for a "Women"s Peace Audit". This audit is the second in a two-stage process, and is meant to assess the extent to which the international community is addressing the needs of women. The focus is on evaluating the implementation and monitoring of national and international commitments to gender-sensitive conflict and post-conflict re/construction. The report argues that some women"s organisations have had considerable success as part of policy-making processes, such as gaining recognition for the inclusion of gender-based violence as a war crime in the International Criminal Court. This suggests that when given an opportunity to participate, women have the capacity to make significant contributions. The recommendations that arise from the report are numerous, and include: facilitating the greater participation of women at the peace and negotiation table; addressing the mechanisms for effective prosecution of crimes against women in war; and developing guidelines for ensuring gender-sensitivity in post-conflict rehabilitation programmes. This paper, in Adobe Acrobat format, is produced by International Alert.
Unveiling women as pillars of peace
Peace-building in communities fractured by conflict in Kenya (2000)
This is the first of a series of research studies carried out under the UNDP project Rebuilding Fractured Communities, Phase II, a collaborative effort between the Management Development and Governance Division and the Regional Bureau for Africa. The series documents community efforts in the following countries: Burundi, Cambodia, Guatemala, Kenya, Liberia, Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the former Yugoslavia. These studies aim to identify tools and methodologies using participatory strategies to build consensus and repair fracture within and between communities.
Fact Sheet 5: Women and armed conflict (2000)
It is estimated that close to 90 per cent of current war casualties are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, compared to a century ago when 90 per cent of those who lost their lives were military personnel.
Inventory of initiatives & actions regarding women & peacebuilding in Europe
This inventory focuses primarily on NGOs and organisations, both women led and otherwise, involved in either conflict prevention, conflict resolution, post conflict or peacebuilding work. It excludes universities and other such organisations. It is not exhaustive, but should be seen as a starting point and a tool to be used by organisations, creating links with others and providing information on organisations engaged in this area. Published in 2001 it is written in English and French.
Fact sheet: focusing on women and armed conflict
The absence of women from decision making councils cripples efforts to forestall conflict, and also hampers peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconciliation. The breakdown of social structures during conflict costs the lives of countless women and children and helps spread HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
Protection of women in armed conflicts
Under international humanitarian law, which primarily protects the most vulnerable, women are consequently entitled to special protection which the States have the duty to respect and ensure. Here is the extract from "Protection of the civilian population in periods of armed conflict, formulated during the 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Women and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Issues and Sources
The discussion of women's participation in decision-making in relation to war and peace in fact predates the recent discussion of post-conflict reconstruction. In 1975, the Nairobi Conference, which marked the opening of the United Nations Decade for Women, pointed to the need to involve women equally in decision-making. The recommendations of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women stated that: "Governments should be encouraged to increase the participation of women in the peace process at the decision-making level, including them as part of delegations to negotiate international agreements relating to peace and disarmament and establishing a target for the number of women participating in such delegations."
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