Human Security Gateway: Gender and Security

Because I am a Girl: State of the world's girls 2008 - Special Focus: In the Shadow of War

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:24:09 -0700

The public images of war focus almost exclusively on young men – armed forces, suicide bombers, young men throwing stones at soldiers. The fact that girls remain invisible casts a long shadow on their involvement in war, particularly as the changing nature of war and conflict means that increasingly, civilians are affected as war is played out closer to people’s homes. The numbers of civilians killed or injured in war has risen astronomically in the last century. There are now more than 200 million girls living in countries that are either at risk of, in the midst of or emerging from armed conflict but rarely do we hear stories of how they experience war. SOURCE: Plan International

Competing Perceptions of Women's Civil Rights in Sudan

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:30:40 -0700

The Sudanese conception of citizenship differs from the Western understanding of it. In Sudan and the Middle East generally, there is a sharp distinction between a person’s “public” rights regulating for example political rights and the “private” rights regulating civil rights such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and financial custody of children, and alimony. In Sudan, the “private” civil rights are the legal domain of the religious and tribal communities. Research on gender in the Middle East claim that religiously anchored “private” civil rights systematically discriminate women. SOURCE: Chr. Michelsen Institute

Speaking out: Promoting women as decision-makers worldwide

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:11:46 -0700

It’s hard to believe that, in 2008, the views and concerns of half the world’s population continue to be sidelined or ignored in the decision-making processes that govern everyday life. From decisions about how the family’s money is spent, to how the government runs the country, women the world over are still facing huge obstacles when it comes to voicing their opinions — and influencing the decisions that shape their lives. But there is some good news. Despite these barriers, women and girls are finding ways to affect and contribute to the political, socio-economic and cultural development of their communities and countries. They are learning how to change the rules of engagement and, in doing so, they are challenging power dynamics and decision-making — and tackling poverty. SOURCE: Womankind Worldwide

Les droits des femmes au Mozambique : Lutter contre les pratiques illégales - Rapport mission internationale d’enquête

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:23:48 -0700

La FIDH et son organisation affiliée, la Ligue mozambicaine des droits humains (LMDH), publient conjointement un rapport issu d’une mission internationale d’enquête effectuée au Mozambique du 11 au 18 mars 2007. Le rapport met en exergue le fait que si l’on peut saluer les efforts d’harmonisation du droit interne mozambicain avec les dispositions régionales et internationales de protection des droits des femmes ratifiées par le Mozambique, il existe encore des lacunes législatives et de nombreuses pratiques illégales qui engendrent de graves discriminations à l’égard des femmes. SOURCE: Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme

Les mutilations sexuelles féminines : le point sur la situation en Afrique et en France

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:33:59 -0700

Dans le monde, 100 à 140 millions de femmes ont subi une mutilation sexuelle. Habitant principalement en Afrique sub-saharienne, 5 % vivent dans les pays européens d’immigration africaine ainsi qu’en Amérique du Nord. Dans les pays d’origine, la situation varie, certains pays pratiquant massivement l’excision, comme la Guinée, où 96 % des femmes sont excisées, et d’autres, presque pas, comme le Niger, où seulement 2 % des femmes le sont. L’excision est par ailleurs en recul dans ces pays. La France compterait en 2004 autour de 50 000 femmes adultes excisées. Une enquête est en préparation pour mieux connaître les conséquences de ces mutilations afin d’améliorer la prise en charge sanitaire de ce problème. SOURCE: Institut national d'études démographiques

Eliminer les mutilations sexuelles féminines - Déclaration interinstitutions

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:05:00 -0700

L’expression « mutilations sexuelles féminines » (on parle aussi d’« excision » et de « mutilation génitale féminine/excision ») désigne toutes les interventions aboutissant à une ablation partielle ou totale des organes génitaux externes de la femme et/ou toute autre lésion des organes génitaux féminins pratiquée à des fins non thérapeutiques. On estime à 100 à 140 millions le nombre des filles et des femmes qui ont subi ces mutilations dans le monde et, chaque année, trois millions de filles sont susceptibles de subir le même sort. La pratique de ces mutilations sexuelles féminines existe partout dans le monde, mais elle est plus fréquente dans les régions occidentales, orientales et nord-orientales de l’Afrique, dans certains pays d’Asie et du Moyen Orient, et parmi certaines communautés immigrantes d’Amérique du Nord et d’Europe. Les mutilations sexuelles féminines n’ont aucun avantage connu pour la santé. Au contraire, on sait qu’elles sont préjudiciables à bien des égards aux filles et aux femmes. En premier lieu et avant tout, elles sont douloureuses et traumatisantes. L’ablation de tissus génitaux normaux et sains entrave le fonctionnement naturel de l’organisme et a diverses conséquences immédiates ou plus durables sur la santé. Ainsi, les enfants nés de femmes ayant subi ces mutilations sexuelles féminines sont exposés à un risque plus élevé de décès néonatal par comparaison aux enfants nés de femmes n’ayant pas subi ces mutilations. Les communautés qui pratiquent les mutilations sexuelles féminines invoquent un ensemble de raisons sociales et religieuses pour justifier la poursuite de la pratique. Du point de vue des droits de l’homme, cette pratique est le reflet d’une inégalité entre les sexes profondément enracinée, et constitue une forme extrême de discrimination à l’encontre des femmes. Les mutilations sexuelles féminines sont presque toujours pratiquées sur des mineures et constituent par conséquent une violation des droits de l’enfant. Cette pratique viole également les droits à la santé, à la sécurité et à l’intégrité physique de la personne, le droit à être protégé contre la torture et les traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants, et le droit à la vie lorsque l’intervention entraîne la mort. Des décennies de travaux de prévention entrepris par les communautés locales, les gouvernements et les organisations nationales et internationales ont contribué à une réduction de la prévalence des mutilations sexuelles féminines dans certaines régions. Les communautés qui ont eu recours à un processus de prise de décision collectif ont été en mesure d’abandonner cette pratique. De fait, si les communautés pratiquant les interventions décident elles-mêmes d’abandonner les mutilations sexuelles féminines, la pratique peut être éliminée très rapidement. Plusieurs gouvernements ont promulgué des lois interdisant la pratique et, lorsque ces lois ont été complétées par une éducation tenant compte des sensibilités culturelles et par des activités de sensibilisation du public, la pratique a diminué. Les organisations nationales et internationales ont joué un rôle essentiel en se faisant les défenseurs de l’abolition de la pratique et en obtenant des données qui confirment ses conséquences néfastes. La Déclaration solennelle sur l’égalité entre les sexes en Afrique de l’Union africaine et son Protocole à la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples relatif aux droits de la femme en Afrique représentent ainsi une contribution majeure à la promotion de l’égalité des sexes et à l’élimination des mutilations sexuelles féminines. SOURCE: Organisation mondiale de la santé

Mutilations génitales féminines et devenir obstétrical : étude prospective concertée dans six pays africains

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:55:58 -0700

Généralités: Les données fiables sur les conséquences obstétricales des mutilations génitales féminines sont rares. L’étude porte sur les effets des différents types de mutilations sur le devenir obstétrical des femmes. Méthodes: 28 393 femmes se présentant pour une naissance unique entre novembre 2001 et mars 2003 dans 28 centres d’obstétrique au Burkina Faso, au Ghana, au Kenya, au Nigéria, au Sénégal et au Soudan, ont été examinées avant l’accouchement pour vérifier si elles avaient subi des mutilations ou pas, et ont été classées selon le système de l’OMS : mutilation de type I, excision du prépuce, avec ou sans excision partielle ou totale du clitoris ; mutilation de type II, excision du clitoris, avec excision partielle ou totale des petites lèvres ; mutilation de type III, excision partielle ou totale des organes génitaux externes et suture ou rétrécissement de l’orifice vaginal (infibulation). Des informations prospectives sur les facteurs démographiques, sanitaires et génésiques ont été recueillies. Les participantes et leurs nouveau-nés ont été suivis jusqu’à la sortie de la mère de l’hôpital. Interprétation: Les femmes qui ont subi des mutilations génitales féminines ont une probabilité nettement plus élevée de complications obstétricales que celles qui n’en ont pas subi. Il semble aussi que le risque augmente avec l’ampleur de la mutilation. SOURCE: Organisation mondiale de la santé

State of the World Mothers 2008: Closing the Survival Gap for Children Under 5

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:14:49 -0700

Every year, our State of the World’s Mothers report reminds us of the inextricable link between the well-being of mothers and their children. More than 75 years of experience on the ground have shown us that when mothers have health care, education and economic opportunity, both they and their children have the best chance to survive and thrive. But many are not so fortunate. Every year, more than 500,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth, and nearly 10 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday. Almost all these deaths occur in developing countries where mothers, children and newborns lack access to basic health care services. It is especially tragic since most of these deaths could be prevented at a modest cost. SOURCE: Save the Children

Enlisting men for women’s equality: South African initiatives against sexual violence, gender inequities

Fri, 02 May 2008 12:09:27 -0700

When an older man raised his hand to speak on the third day of a gender workshop in Hoedspruit, a rural community in northern South Africa, Bafana Khumalo’s heart sank. As the facilitator of the workshop, which specifically targeted men, he had already touched on concepts of manhood and how gender inequality contributed to the sky-rocketing HIV rates in South Africa. Mr. Khumalo worried that the participant would deliver a lecture on how equality between men and women is contrary to African culture or how women’s empowerment is dividing families. Older men are deeply respected in rural communities, and he knew this man had the ability to derail the workshop. SOURCE: Africa Renewal // United Nations

Women and Negotiations with Armed Groups

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:08:50 -0700

This article highlights some issues concerning the current situation of women as mediators in dialogues with nonstate armed groups, and as members of and negotiators for such groups. It shows that the lack of female involvement as peace negotiators provides scarce evidence as to the costs and benefits of their inclusion; however, some evidence and plausible arguments for their involvement in negotiations with nonstate armed groups do exist and should be built on. While the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 2005 UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security are mainstays of the international discourse on peace and security, they are not fully implemented even in the most progressive democracies. Currently, for example, only one UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General and no EU Special Envoys are women. Additionally, women are not leading mediation efforts in any of the high profile or ongoing conflict resolution cases such as Darfur, Kenya, or the Middle East, though there are some eminent advisors such as Graça Machel involved in the Kenya mediation effort. SOURCE: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Survivre et lutter. Les femmes et la violence urbaine au Brésil

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:18:56 -0700

Ce rapport donne un aperçu de la vie actuelle des femmes dans de nombreuses régions du Brésil. Dans les quartiers pauvres marginalisés, les femmes vivent dans un climat permanent de violences criminelles et policières. Ce rapport s'attache à la situation, souvent passée sous silence, des femmes qui se battent pour survivre, pour élever leurs enfants et pour obtenir justice dans un contexte marqué par les violences d'origine policière ou criminelle. Il met également en lumière certaines violations des droits humains perpétrées contre les femmes en particulier. SOURCE: Amnesty International

The State of Female Youth in Northern Uganda: Findings from the Survey of War Affected Youth

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:59:26 -0700

Youth have been both the primary victims and the primary actors in the twenty-two year war between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army. It was not clear, however, exactly who is suffering, how much, and in what ways. For instance, researchers knew little about the experience of youth: what is the magnitude, incidence, and nature of the violence, trauma, and suffering of youth in northern Uganda? An understanding of the effects of war on women and girls was particularly lacking, whether they were abducted or affected by the violence in other ways. Government, UN, and NGO officials admit a lack of field-based information on the scale of the problems facing young women or the proportion of females facing specific vulnerabilities. As a result, programming is based on rough measures of well-being, immediate and observable needs, and possibly erroneous assumptions about the types of assistance required and the appropriate beneficiary population. Not surprisingly, the targeting of services has been crude. SOURCE: Tufts University // Feinstein International Center

The Role of Women in Reconciliation and Peace Building in Rwanda: Ten Years After Genocide 1994-2004 - Contributions, Challenges and Way Forward

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:32:36 -0700

This pioneering and groundbreaking work on the role of women in peace building and reconciliation in Rwanda, ten years after genocide was carried out in the field, between September and October 2004. It constitutes an overview of the best practices and success stories, challenges and the way forward with regard to peace building and reconciliation processes, with the view of enabling the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) identify the gender gaps in its Policy and Programmes and undertake appropriate corrective measures in collaboration with other actors. Rwanda is a nation state that has had a long history of a relatively peaceful coexistence of its three major social groups of Batutsi, Bahutu and Batwa. The unity of Banyarwanda crystallised around one leader (Umwami), one language (Kinyarwanda) and one culture. The colonial and post colonial history was characterised by systems of governance that thrived on divisive policies which institutionalised problems of ethnicity with catastrophic consequences of a series of killings targeting mainly the Tutsi community and moderate Hutus. This culminated in the 1994 genocide characterized by cruelty, ruthlessness, intensity and speed unparalleled in modern history. SOURCE: The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission

Gender based violence in eastern Congo

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:33:58 -0700

Rebecca Feeley, a field researcher for the ENOUGH Project discusses the current situation in Congo, particularly the massive problem of gender based violence. SOURCE: Voices on Genocide Prevention

Conflict Prevention and Transformation: Women’s Vital Contributions

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:27:39 -0700

Inclusive Security: Women Waging Peace and the United Nations Foundation hosted a consultation on the role of women in conflict prevention on February 23, 2005. The presentations and discussion highlighted examples and strategies regarding women's conflict prevention activities and generated policy recommendations for the international community/ Based on the day's discussions, this conference report makes a more compelling case for the inclusion of women and gender perspectives in peace processes and offers practical recommendations, guidelines, and models to assist and encourage policymakers to include women and gender perspectives in their program designs. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund // Women Waging Peace

Women Stabilizing an Insecure World Conference 6 March 2008

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:08:36 -0700

On the eve of the International Women's Day, more than 50 international women leaders will meet in Brussels. The Conference, organised by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, will bring together female heads of states, ministers, heads of international organisations, business leaders, and civil society activists to discuss the twin themes of security and women's empowerment. Women are often disproportionately affected by threats to security. What new strategies are required, given new threats like fundamentalism and climate change? Women are often key players in promoting human security at a local level. How can their talents be further harnessed and translated into greater participation of women in national and global decision making? Women's real and potential contribution to conflict prevention, interfaith dialogue and mediation is still not fully appreciated or facilitated. What further measures are required at national and international level? SOURCE: European Commission

Strengthening Post-Conflict Legislatures

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:06:35 -0700

This policy brief is part of a series derived from a three-year field program on the role of women in Rwanda. More broadly, these briefs provide policymakers, donors, and program planners with strategies for the consolidation of democracy in post-conflict societies. Productive, strong legislatures are central to healthy democracies in post-conflict countries, fostering political pluralism and acting as a check on the executive branch. Yet too often, following a conflict, parliaments are weakened by internal divisiveness, the limited experience and skill of members, staffing shortages, and an overwhelming legislative agenda. Increasing women’s representation in government can strengthen legislatures. Rwanda is at the top of world rankings of women’s political representation, with nearly 50 percent women in its elected lower house of parliament. Though the legislative branch in Rwanda is still relatively weak, women have been at the forefront of efforts to improve it. Since attaining near parity in 2003, women parliamentarians have addressed gender discrimination in citizenship, inheritance, and land ownership laws. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund

Demonstrating Legislative Leadership: The Introduction of Rwanda's Gender Based Violence Bill

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:03:57 -0700

Arguments for an increased female presence in government take several forms. Some claim that women have specific interests that need to be represented by other women; others contend that women’s gender-specific ways of working change politics for the better; and still others emphasize that women’s under-representation contravenes democratic principles. These arguments are, of course, not independent of each other. The fact that women’s exclusion is a problem of justice does not prohibit inclusion from being understood both as a victory for democracy and as a signal that women’s issues will be more prominently represented in a more diverse government. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund

Defending Children's Rights

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:02:23 -0700

Women were elected to nearly 50 percent of seats in Rwanda’s lower house of parliament in 2003, vaulting Rwanda to the top of the world rankings of women’s political representation. The country presents a unique opportunity to examine legislative behavior in an institution that has nearly equal representation of men and women. Building on evidence from around the world and examining the Rwandan case in particular, this paper argues that when empowered and present in significant numbers, female legislators defend and protect vulnerable groups, especially children. Theoreticians and practitioners have long argued that until they are present in numbers large enough to have a collective voice—until there is a “critical mass” of at least 30 percent— women’s ability to make an impact in male-dominated institutions will be limited. Advocates have pursued this target percentage in a variety of ways, such as endorsing it in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, which states that women should occupy 30 percent of all decision-making positions. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund

"Policy Placement" and Iraq: Women in Combat

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:59:58 -0700

It is common practice for Hollywood producers to ask the Department of Defense for help in filmmaking. The asks range from helicopters to technical advice -- the decision rule for the DoD is whether or not the product placement will boost recruitment. Hence, the more explosions and shiny metal, the better. And the viewing public gets to pay for their own defense industry brainwashing twice, once by paying taxes and twice with the price of admission. No surprise, then, that the more important work of movie-making -- the human perspective of real soldiers -- is happening with independent films. With less emphasis on commercialism and more care for social implications, product placement is not as important as what you might call policy placement. This happens when filmmakers ask the question: How is the story emblematic of much broader changes? One example is the film Lioness by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers. The tag-line reads "There for the Action. Missing from History". This title refers to a group of Army women who were deployed in Iraq in 2003-04. The story follows the lives of five female soldiers who went to Iraq in support roles: clerks, mechanics and heavy equipment operators -- but returned a year later as America's first female combat veterans. "Team Lioness" is the name of the ad hoc program that was not officially approved by Washington. In fact, official defense policy bans women from direct ground combat. This despite the 182,000 tours of duty served by women in Iraq and the 95 women who have been killed there. Yet Lioness Teams have become a necessary feature of ground operations in Iraq as the spread of the program from the Army to the Marines indicates. Commanders noticed how tensions would explode when male soldiers interacted with Iraqi women during house raids. By bringing female support soldiers along, they were able to reduce the level of violence. Building on this success, they began to temporarily attach pairs of women to all-male combat units and "Team Lioness" was born. SOURCE: The Huffington Post // Lorelei, Kelly

Engendering Rwanda's Decentralization

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:55:50 -0700

In May 2003, Rwanda adopted a constitution that established a 30 percent quota for women’s participation in all “decision-making organs.” Parliamentary elections held later that year, which included a separate “women’s election” to fill the reserved seats, vaulted Rwanda to the top of world rankings for women’s participation in government. Women hold 39 out of 80 seats (48.8 percent) in the Chamber of Deputies and nine out of 26 seats (34.6 percent) in the Senate. Women therefore make up 45.3 percent of Rwandan parliamentarians. These statistics can be compared to an average of 17.5 percent women’s participation in national parliaments worldwide and an average of 17.9 percent in Sub-Saharan African parliaments. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund

Picking up the pieces: Women's experience of urban violence in Brazil

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:22:53 -0700

Amnesty International has addressed the question of criminal gangs in previous publications, consistently condemning their actions and highlighting how the failure of the state to combat criminal violence has effectively condemned millions of people to lives of fear and misery. This report highlights some of the patterns of human rights violations against women in particular. Building on Amnesty International’s past work on public security, it looks at how women deal with high levels of criminal violence in the absence of state protection; how increasing numbers of women have become directly or indirectly involved in the drug trade; and how women’s contact with the criminal justice system often makes already traumatic situations worse. Most worryingly, it identifies how for decades the state has been directly responsible for the fact that women are suffering attacks and violence at the hands of criminal gangs and law enforcement officials. This report is based on interviews with women in six states – Bahia, Sergipe, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul – carried out in 2006 and 2007. SOURCE: Amnesty International

Caution Nation-Builders: Gender Assumptions Ahead

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:35:00 -0700

Leo Tolstoy’s often-cited observation about families, “all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” can be applied to countries, too. Recent research provides empirical evidence that “happy countries”—i.e., those who are at peace with their neighbors and are experiencing domestic tranquility, prosperity, and development—share a number of common traits. Let us also note that there are multiple ways in which a country can be “unhappy.” It can be involved in an external war. It can be experiencing a civil war. It can be crippled by poverty and stagnant development. Its population can be divided by ethnic and racial hatreds that cause injustice, violence, and suffering. It can be laboring under ineffective or corrupt governance. Studies indicate that even if violence is sporadic, ongoing volatility will undermine growth and security and prevent the country from thriving. Under an efficient but oppressive authoritarian regime, culture is likely to stagnate and the society is likely to suffer from the loss of connection to the rest of the world. SOURCE: RAND Corporation

From Invisible to Indivisible: Promoting and Protecting the Right of the Girl Child to Be Free from Violence

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:44:45 -0700

Violence against women has been described as “one of the most universal and unpunished crimes of all.” This statement is perhaps nowhere more relevant than in reference to violence against the girl child: Across the world, the double burden of being both female and young relegates millions of girls to the margins of society where, unseen and unheard, their rights are disregarded and their safety is denied. The implications of this invisibility are enormous. Some researchers have estimated the number of “missing” females – those who should be alive but are not because of discriminatory practices – to be between 50 million to 100 million worldwide. Of those who survive, millions more girls will be the victims of customary practices – such as female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage and forced marriage, to name a few – that deprive them of full physical, psychological and social development. SOURCE: United Nations Chidlren's Fund

Conflict Resolution, Communication Skills and Organizational Management: A Capacity-building Workshop for Iraqi Women Leaders

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:41:12 -0700

This report concerns a workshop that was part of that series of meetings. It reflects the findings and observations of Iraqi women, most of whom were working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on the challenges facing their war-torn society and on the needs of NGOs and other institutions if they are to contribute effectively to peacemaking and peacekeeping. The Women, Peace and Security Initiative of the Technical Support Division of UNFPA organized the meeting, with overall coordination by Ms. Sahir Abdul-Hadi. Dr. Nashat Hanafi, Officer in Charge, UNFPA/Iraq; Ms. Wassan Al-Joudi, Acting National Programme Officer, UNFPA/Iraq; and Ms. Eman Al Omary, Administrative Assistant, UNFPA/Iraq assisted in hosting the workshop. Facilitators for the workshop were Lesley Abdela, Eleni Kyrou, Fotini Sianou and Eleni Stamiris. SOURCE: United Nations Populations Fund

Les femmes et la guerre

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:27:13 -0700

Cette publication examine comment les femmes peuvent être touchées par les conflits et quelles sont les mesures prises par le CICR pour prendre en compte leurs besoins spécifiques. Elle promeut en outre les règles de droit international humanitaire qui octroient une protection particulière aux femmes en temps de guerre. SOURCE: Comité International de la Croix-Rouge

Copenhagen Consensus 2008: Women and Development

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:19:40 -0700

Over the past three decades gender issues have increasingly gained prominence on the development agenda. More attention is being given to the plight of poor and disadvantaged women in developing countries, and to the unfinished gender agenda in more developed countries. Recognizing the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for females and males on grounds of both fairness and efficiency and as an instrument for achieving poverty reduction and economic growth, the international development community has included gender equality among the Millenium Development Goals. MDG3 reflects the strong belief by the development community that starkly unequal access to assets and opportunities for men and women reproduce inequalities, with negative consequences for women’s well-being, their families, and their communities. SOURCE: Copenhagen Consensus Center

Iraqi refugee women and youth in Jordan: reproductive health findings a snap shot from the field

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:11:25 -0700

This paper presents the problems facing Iraqi refugees in Jordan, highlighting the plight of women and children. The authors discuss their first hand picture of difficulties faced by displaced, abandoned, Iraqis. The focus of the document is on the lack of reproductive health care and other needs. The authors discuss refugee troubles created by their legal status, particularly the lack of work and education opportunities. In addition to this, other factors such as trafficking and sexual exploitation have increased since the beginning of the war. It is stressed that violence against women is rampant in the region and that humanitarian actors must understand cultural barriers that Iraqis face in reporting rape when designing health programmes. SOURCE: Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:30:40 -0700

Fatma A., a 40-year-old Saudi woman living in Riyadh, cannot board a plane without written permission from her guardian. As a divorced woman whose father is deceased, the Saudi authorities have now transferred her guardianship to her son. “My son is 23 years old and has to come all the way from the Eastern Province to give me permission to leave the country,” she said. Throughout much of the world, it is taken for granted that the law empowers both men and women upon reaching the age of majority (typically 18) to make decisions for themselves. In Saudi Arabia, however, the government denies more than half of its citizens this fundamental right. The Saudi government has instituted a system whereby every Saudi woman must have a male guardian, normally a father or husband, who is tasked with making a range of critical decisions on her behalf. This policy, grounded in the most restrictive interpretation of an ambiguous Quranic verse, is the most significant impediment to the realization of women’s rights in the kingdom. The Saudi authorities essentially treat adult women like legal minors who are entitled to little authority over their own lives and well-being. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch

Le déficit de filles — Le déséquilibre du ratio hommes-femmes en Inde

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:19:26 -0700

Dans une « société normale », la proportion de femmes est égale ou un peu supérieure à celle des hommes. Or, ce n’est pas le cas en Inde, où le ratio hommes-femmes – le nombre de femmes par rapport au nombre d’hommes – est l’un des plus déséquilibré au monde. Bien que la Chine soit aujourd’hui le pays où il manque le plus de filles par rapport au nombre de garçons, le recensement de 2001 en Inde a révélé un fait inquiétant : la proportion de filles âgées de zéro à six ans était passée de 945 à 927 pour 1 000 garçons depuis le dernier recensement, mené dix ans plus tôt. Autrement dit, au cours de cette seule décennie, l’Inde a accumulé un déficit de 35 millions de femmes. Le recensement a aussi révélé que ce phénomène avait pris des proportions considérables dans des États où il n’y avait jamais eu auparavant de cas d’infanticide féminin, ni de formes manifestes de discrimination contre les filles. SOURCE: Centre de recherches pour le développement international

Countdown to 2015 Maternal Newborn Child Health: The 2008 Report

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:33:15 -0700

The last few years have seen enormous and welcome developments in global public health and nutrition. There is growing recognition – increasingly backed by resources – that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (box 1) will demand radical changes to the scale and scope of effective strategies. The Countdown to 2015 responds to these calls for change. A collaboration among individuals and institutions established in 2005, the Countdown aims to stimulate country action by tracking coverage for interventions needed to attain Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 – and, in addition, parts of Millennium Development Goals 1, 6 and 7. SOURCE: United Nations Children's Fund

Gender Issues in the Challenge of Access to Human Rights

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:24:58 -0700

This paper aims to provide an overview of the major gender-related issues that arise in problems of access to those human rights that are written in law and which are in theory protected by local, national and international institutions. In concrete terms, considering gender in relation to access to rights generally means asking why is it that women, as a gendered group, lack or have restricted access to their rights. In addressing the questions of what obstacles prevent people, particularly women, from accessing their legal entitlements, what role do institutions play in the protection (or lack thereof) of those rights, the paper will focus on three levels: the nature of legal rights; issues of implementation; and issues around social practice. By definition, the paper will not deal with rights that may have been identified but which are not recognised in law. Nonetheless, difficulties in rights access may stem from legal problems in national or international law. Some are problems of conceptualisation — that is the mode of construction and definition of rights — rights which are not defined clearly or appropriately in their context cannot be accessed easily. Other problems include contradictions between different laws, or systems of laws, or administrative policies and measures, or a lack of attention to defining the modes (which might include legal provisions and certainly administrative policy and measures) of implementation, monitoring and sanction. SOURCE: International Council on Human Rights Policy

Adopter une perspective genre pour renforcer le Programme multi-pays de démobilisation et réintégration

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:36:30 -0700

Du 31 octobre au 2 novembre 2005, le Secrétariat de la Banque Mondiale/MDRP a organisé un atelier de consultation visant à renforcer le genre dans les programmes nationaux du MDRP. Environ 80 participants provenant de sept délégations nationales (Angola, Burundi, République Centrafricaine, République Démocratique du Congo, République du Congo, Rwanda et Ouganda), l’UNICEF, le PNUD, l’ONUB, la MONUC, l’UNIFEM, la société civile et le Secrétariat du MDRP y ont participé ainsi que des experts internationaux en matière du genre et du DDR, de même que les femmes ex-combattantes de la région. SOURCE: Programme multi-pays de démobilisation et de réintégration

Un portrait des femmes autochtones d'Asie

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:20:26 -0700

Publiée par le Réseau des femmes autochtones d’Asie (Asian Indigenous Women’s Network, AIWN) et l’Alliance des peuples autochtones de l’archipel (AMAN: Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara), de concert avec Droits et Démocratie. Cette trousse d’information met en évidence le travail accompli par les femmes autochtones, qui agissent aux échelons local, national et international afin de faire respecter leurs droits. Cette trousse est une adaptation du document << Femmes autochtones des Amériques >>. SOURCE: Droits et Démocratie

Country at a Crossroads: Challenges Facing Young People in Sierra Leone

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:08 -0700

The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children traveled to Sierra Leone in February 2008 as part of its Displaced, Out-of-School Youth Initiative, a three-year global research and advocacy project that seeks to increase attention and support for quality programs for displaced young people. The purpose of the week-long visit was to assess young people’s needs, what services appear to be working, gaps in programming for young people and what more is needed. The delegation, comprising one staff member and two board members, spent time in the capital, Freetown, and in the east, in Kenema and Kono districts, the region most impacted by the war. The delegation met with nongovernmental organizations, UN agency staff and young people in and out of school. SOURCE: Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

Implementing the Paris declaration: implications for the promotion of women's rights and gender equality

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:51:58 -0700

This paper analyses the implications for the promotion of women's rights and gender equality in respect of the Paris Declaration (PD). It analyses the Five Principles of the Paris Declaration, looks at new aid modalities in the PD framework, and evaluates the current PD monitoring and evaluation system from a gender perspective. The authors assert that the PD is gender blind, and as a result, fundamentally flawed. They argue that a more holistic approach is essential - one that integrates parallel efforts (such as those by several donors to analyse in depth the relationship between aid effectiveness and gender equality) as part of the monitoring of the impact of the Paris Declaration. Women's organisations are also concerned with the fact that no gender equality indicators are included. SOURCE: Canadian Council for International Cooperation

Managing global insecurity - Policy Brief: Peacebuilding

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:37 -0700

This policy brief examines what is required to achieve institutional capacities in peacebuilding, in line with the frequency and scale of conflicts that exacerbate the risk of state failure. It looks at the challenge of peacebuilding, analyses trends of recent peacebuilding interventions and discusses recommendations for future activities. 44% of countries recovering from civil war face the risk of renewed conflict within the first five years of reaching a peace agreement. However the authors argue that peacebuilding is not a precise science - local circumstances will dictate factors critical to success. Indeed the authors assert that some degree of progress is needed at all levels to ensure a peaceful society - stabilisation, addressing the causes of conflict, building infrastructure, laws and institutions of democracy, healthy market economy, and finally nurturing civil society. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution

Global map of sexual violence in conflict

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:52:45 -0700

Global map of sexual violence in conflict SOURCE: ReliefWeb // Maplecroft

Project on a Mechanism to Address Laws that Discriminate Against Women

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:42:33 -0700

The aim of the project was to examine the advisability of creating a new mechanism to address laws that discriminate against women. The terms of reference specified two key objectives. The first was to overview existing UN mechanisms to ascertain the extent to which they addressed the issue of discriminatory laws. This involved interviewing UN human rights and agency officials working in both Geneva and New York1 and also reviewing the reports and jurisprudence of human rights committees and special procedure mechanisms. The second was to try to get national data on laws that discriminate against women. This was to be done by means of a questionnaire. On the basis of the data gathered, the consultant was required to advise on whether a special mechanism addressing discriminatory laws was needed. SOURCE: United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

An Approach to the Kosovo Post-War Rehabilitation from a Gender Perspective

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:12:09 -0700

This paper analyses the post-war rehabilitation process in Kosovo from a gender perspective. After a brief historical background to locate events, the paper introduces the work carried out by the international community in Kosovo and the way this was organised highlighting achievements and constraints that can put the sustainability of the process at risk. The paper also analyses the post-war rehabilitation process from a gender perspective, reflecting on the work undertaken by international and local organizations for the promotion of a more egalitarian and less discriminatory society. SOURCE: Siyanda

Youth, Gender and the Changing Nature of Armed Conflict

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:19:56 -0700

Contemporary armed conflicts have come to be characterized by a number of traits that have not generally been associated with earlier armed conflicts. Conflicts today tend to occur more within states, where the rules of engagement tend to be defined at the local level. Armed challenges to state power by non-state actors is a defining feature of contemporary conflict, while transnational, multilateral, regional and bilateral actors also play ever more significant roles. Other features include the targeting of civilians and the prevalence of gender-based violence as weapons of war. The widespread availability of small arms and light weapons has also led to greater civil engagement in combat, further blurring the lines between civilians and combatants. SOURCE: Peacebuild

Where Are The Girls? Girls in fighting forces in Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique: Their lives during and after war

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:36:06 -0700

This study contributes to what is currently known about the experiences of girls in fighting forces as distinct from those of boys. It is meant to assist policymakers in developing policies and programs to help protect and empower girls in situations of armed conflict and postwar reconstruction. Within the context of Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique girls in the fighting forces have suffered major human rights violations, especially gender-based violence. The rights of these girls are under threat from their own governments, armed opposition forces, and, occasionally, by members of their communities and families. At times, girls are discriminated against by local groups and officials, governments and international bodies that are unwilling to recognise their presence, needs and rights during conflict, post-conflict, demobilisation and social reintegration. Yet, within the fighting forces, girls carry out a number of diverse roles, including as fighters. Current approaches to understanding the role of girls in conflict, where girls are understood only to be captive "wives," "sexual slaves" or "camp followers", are limited and inaccurate. Among the key findings is that social reintegration, especially of girl-mothers and young women who were girls when they were taken and who return with babies, is particularly difficult and these girls and their children are at high risk. Girls and young women in most of the study areas were also clear that access to education and training in skills would be the most meaningful contribution that national and international agencies could make in assisting their reintegration. SOURCE: International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development

Women Waging Peace Network

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:55:07 -0700

Database of women leaders in more than 40 conflict areas, from Colombia to Iraq, Rwanda to Sri Lanka. SOURCE: The Initiative for Inclusive Security // Hunt Alternatives Fund

Ten Stories the World Should Hear More 2007

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:41:39 -0700

The UN issued its list of 10 Stories the World Should Hear More About yesterday. These are stories that unfolded in 2007, and included among them is a reference to the plight of the stateless. For the first time, each story is also accompanied by useful web links to enable readers to find more information about an issue of interest. Previous 10 Stories listings are available at the above URL as of 2004. SOURCE: United Nations

What Happened to the Women? A Study of Women’s Political Activism Post-Conflict

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:53:33 -0700

On May 9, 2007, a power-sharing arrangement for governing Northern Ireland was formalized, ending more than thirty years of violence. This followed by nine years the historic Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, signed in April 1998, which was the culmination of formal negotiations to end “the troubles.” The process of negotiating an end to the violence was a long process and not an easy one. One of the issues surrounding the negotiations was who would be invited to sit at the table and to take part in the actual discussions. It was important to many women who had not only been directly affected by the violence but who also wanted to have input into the discussions about what the country would look like after the period of violence officially ended, that they be represented at the talks so that women’s perspectives and issues (i.e., social justice issues, including gender equality) could become part of the conversation. The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) was created specifically to give women a seat at the table and a voice in the negotiations. Yet, the NIWC was formally disbanded in May 2006, following a number of years in which the party could no longer get representatives elected to office. SOURCE: Annual Convention of the International Studies Association // Whittier College // Clark University

Report by Women of Zimbabwe Arise: The effects of fighting repression with love

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:51:21 -0700

Although Zimbabwe has a troubled history, both pre and post-Independence, it has been in extended turmoil since the year 2000. The origin of the crisis lies in failed government policies, which have led to economic collapse and a devastating fall in the standards of living of the large majority of the population. As a result, civil society became stronger and more vibrant and a viable political opposition was formed, both of which began demanding change of both policies and political leadership. The ruling party’s response has been to revisit and intensify its repressive ways of the 1980’s, stifle any criticism and frustrate any organisation not enjoying its blessing. At the same time it has introduced irresponsible policies and strengthened the role of patronage to retain sufficient support to create a façade of legitimacy. These in turn destroyed the productive bases of the economy and created massive impoverishment for all except the few beneficiaries of government’s misplaced largesse. But the resulting protest by pro-democracy groupings has been met only with violence from state agents. This report describes the violence that has been visited upon the members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a movement founded in 2003 to create a voice for women to speak out about the injustices they encounter in their every-day struggle for survival. SOURCE: Women of Zimbabwe Arise

Où sont les filles? La vie des filles enrôlées dans les forces et groupes arméspendant et après un conflit : les cas du nord de l'Ouganda, de la Sierra Leone et du Mozambique

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:47:08 -0700

Cette étude permet de mieux comprendre la militarisation de la vie des filles au sein des forces et groupes armés, et les fonctions qu'elles y assument. À partir des informations recueillies au cours de leur travail d'enquête dans le nord de l'Ouganda, en Sierra Leone et au Mozambique, les auteures montrent que les filles incorporées dans des groupes et forces armées ne sont pas et n'ont jamais été de simples « civiles associées aux troupes ». Cette étude s'adresse à tous ceux qui interviennent sur le terrain dans les pays en situation de conflit ou ravagés par la guerre, qu'ils soient d'organismes multilatéraux, d'organisations gouvernementales, de groupes communautaires ou d'organisations non gouvernementales. Où sont les filles, si elles ne sont pas recensées comme membres des forces et groupes armés quand vient le temps de désarmer, de démobiliser et de reconstruire les sociétés ? SOURCE: Droits et Démocratie

Documenter les violations des droits des femmes par les acteurs non étatiques

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:36:35 -0700

«Crime d’honneur» en Jordanie, «crimes sexuels» pour terroriser les populations locales en Colombie, «violence familiale» aux États-Unis ou «esclavage sexuel» au Ghana. Peu importe le langage ou les exemples utilisés, ce dont il s’agit à chaque fois, c’est de violence à l’égard des femmes. Commise par un membre de la famille, de la communauté ou lors de conflits armés, cette violence ne connaît pas de frontières, sévit partout et emprunte des formes différentes selon le contexte. S’adressant tout spécialement aux groupes et personnes peu familiarisés avec le droit, ce manuel offre des outils aux militantes et défenseurs des droits humains qui enquêtent sur les violences perpétrées contre les femmes par des acteurs non étatiques. Il vise à les piloter dans les définitions juridiques et les mécanismes de protection des droits humains susceptibles de les aider dans les efforts qu’ils déploient pour obliger les États à s’acquitter pleinement de leur obligation de protection. Il présente aussi des exemples concrets de formes particulières de violence perpétrées contre les femmes par des acteurs non étatiques, ainsi que des modèles de stratégies déjà utilisées, plus particulièrement dans les communautés musulmanes, et qui se sont révélées efficaces. SOURCE: Droits et Démocratie

Taking a Gender Perspective to Strengthen the Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program in the greater Great Lakes Region

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:53:24 -0700

From October 31 to November 2, 2005, the World Bank/MDRP Secretariat and UNIFEM held a consultation workshop aimed at strengthening gender in the MDRP national programs. Approximately 80 participants from the seven national delegations (Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda), UNICEF, UNDP, ONUB, MONUC, UNIFEM, civil society, and the MDRP Secretariat participated, as well as international experts on gender and DDR, and women ex-combatants from the region. SOURCE: Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program

Women in Conflict Zones — Why Are Governments Failing and How Are Women's Rights Movements Responding?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:56:54 -0700

Women and children are often the intended and unintended casualties of conflict, and forgotten in the post-conflict transitional stages. Thousands of NGO representatives from around the world came together for the UN Commission on the Status of Women, February 25–March 7, 2008, to advocate on the topic of “Women’s Equal Participation in Conflict Prevention, Management and Conflict Resolution and in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding.” At the following event, sponsored by the OSI International Women's Program, leading NGO panelists discussed their cutting-edge work addressing violence against women in conflict and post-conflict zones, their challenges, and where they see governments failing. SOURCE: Open Society Institute