Knowledge Partner
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist
3. Empowerment, Par@cipa@on, Ownership and Control: priori*se vic*m
ownership and control of process;
4. Inclusivity: be inclusive and accommodate diversity.
5. Addressing Structural Obstacles: recognise and redress structural
obstacles to inclusion such as poverty and women’s tradi*onal roles in
the home;
6. Holis@c Approach: respond to the whole vic*m and survivor;
7. Giving Voice and Being Heard: honour individual stories;
8. Macro Analysis: be aQen*ve to the bigger picture such as the paQerns
that emerge from vic*ms’ stories;
9. Equality and Diversity: value gender exper*se and lived experience;
10. Local and Global Learning: craj boQom-up local responses that draw on
interna*onal good prac*ce.
girls are being married off for 'their own safety' in refugee camps might
just highlight the need for different aid approaches to be adopted.
There is also the need to record and share experience where women are
making a breakthrough in terms of influencing the design and
implementa*on of peace seQlements. There are successes to be shared
and adapted – using an inclusive global pool of exper*se. Organisa*ons
like Women’s Interna*onal League
for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) have UN Security Council
been developing nego*a*ng skills Resolu@on 1325
across different conflict sites,
acknowledges that
building on exchanges between
women ac*vists who have direct experiences of conflict are
experience of working in this area. decidedly gendered in
Other NGOs have also provided nature, as are experiences
examples of commendable
of vic@mhood and coping
programmes of women’s
empowerment in conflict situa*ons. strategies.
The difficulty, however, is that they
are s*ll resourced on a project by project basis. Gender injus*ce requires
a more consistent approach if it is to be ousted, and treated as a priority.
A focus on gender injus*ce brings together the push-pull of two specific
gender principles listed above: that of honouring individual stories by giving
women voice and the need to be aQen*ve to the bigger picture which
iden*fies the need for structural and systemic change. One of the concerns
from the Syrian conflict, and par*cularly affec*ng thousands of refugees, is
the fact that increasing numbers of children reared by mothers alone may be
stateless given that the Syrian system requires registra*on of births by
fathers. In short, gender injus*ce is ojen surfaced in circumstances of
poli*cal conflict, but more ojen than not is subsequently sidelined in the
processes of peacekeeping and peacemaking, where the primary prize is the
cessa*on of poli*cally mo*vated violence.
The Graduate Ins*tute of Interna*onal and Development Studies in
Geneva has published a mul*-year research project, *tled 'Broadening
Par*cipa*on in Poli*cal Nego*a*ons and Implementa*on' (2011-2015). It
has concluded that women’s inclusion takes place through seven different
modali*es and has listed these as:
The respec*ve layers of conflict seem to privilege the raison d'être of
combatant groups (state and paramilitary) at the apex of a pyramid of
concerns; with related cultural/religious/iden*ty issues forming the next
layer; followed by socio-economic interests (although depending on the
nature of the conflict the ques*on of land and resource ownership can rise
up the scale); then related community issues; and finally, the broader issues
as they impact on less powerful groups within society, which alongside
women can include indigenous peoples, minority ethnic groups, etc.
Clearly, the par*cular dynamics of any conflict will dictate the layering of
issues of importance and priority, but what is less likely to change is the
nature of the individuals that dictate the issues that reach the nego*a*ng
table. Male poli*cal leaders, male combatants and predominantly male
nego*ators s*ll largely cons*tute the peace-making elite.
So, what has to be done? Women from conflict-affected areas need to be
supported to not only engage at the crucial level of peace-building but also
be supported to impact on peace-making and peacekeeping. In order to
ensure that women’s voices are heard, women’s organisa*ons need to be
resourced to gather and share evidence, as well as humanitarian agencies
training their staff and volunteers to ask the right ques*ons with regard to
the experience of women and girls in both war-torn regions and refugee
camps. Safe access to sources of water or fuel can make such a difference to
women’s lives in such circumstances. Asking the ques*on as to why young
Image 35: RepresentaLves of women's organisaLons and networks that were part of
the first delegaLon of gender experts at the talks in Havana present their proposals
for building a peace deal with the Government of Colombia and FARC-EP
negoLators in December 2014
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