Rural Women are Vital to Post Conflict Reconstruction

 

Interactive session to learn and share about post conflict lessons learned.

.

Chair Zarin Hainsworth, WAFDI UN Permanent Representative Geneva.

Introductions:

Tania, from Zimbawe – 20 years old. Sustainable future for  young rural women. Bear brunt of social and economic challenges. Boy child favoured – school. Self esteem challenged. Young women esp. in rural areas  -  tested who are still virgins. These girls are at risk of infection. Young women voices not adequately heard. Women’s organizations and government should work together. Education will aid for tomorrow. Declared, education for all, but  economy is not good now so it isn’t for all. Could participate in income generating project. Sexual reproductive rights – build advocacy skills. Building confidence. Hi unemployment rate – over 80%. If rural electricity distribution was increased, it would help increase employment. Minimize crime rates, and HIV/AIDs reduced. Build their sustainable futures – education combined with life skills. 

Magda from Columbia - Find way to communicate – Columbia is involved in conflict, not finished yet. There are guerilla groups, that have suffered,  and losses. Most women who are victims are rural women. Imagine a woman who is about to give birth, abused – children taken, Multiple reflections: importance of dispossession of land – Impossible to talk reconciliation without peace.   Should be able to continue to live in city rather than return to rural country during reconciliation. 

UN Women – Ann Marie Goertz – UN Women – rural space during and after conflict. See a demographic shift – feminization of space. Young men flee, join the fighters. Women and older and young children, and older males. Concentration of age spectrum.  45% of adult women were widows. For women, often means instant destitution. No rights to land – no support resources. Beyond male desertion or death, face rejection. Forces men to go to cities, or other countries. In the camps it is the women work – domestic work. Low skilled jobs. 93% working, only 7% working in formal work. Women’s access to employment, does not have more influence or power. Actually, increase in family violence. Gender roles may change but gender identity doesn’t. Women pushed back to the home post conflict.

Distribute a peace dividend – more profitable – DDR (disarmament, demobilization, reintegration) – deliver some kind of factory job. Package of seeds – land etc. DDR historically gave to men. Women get very little compensation. Went to males. Get later. And no serious alternatives. See hundreds of millions of dollars go to DDR. How much goes to women’s land recovery. Or women’s benefit. No marker – not calculated – but approx. less 5% for targeted recovery. Women’s land access is not a topic on the agenda, unless it becomes a problem – 60% of women had no access. No spending for economic, no land access- nothing for women’s economic recovery. Men spend DDR on motorcycle, or 2^nd wife. Women spend – on land, children’s education, and health. Investing in women’s economic recovery.

Woman from Iraq – now working in Washington. Issues facing women in Iraq same as rural women in Zimbabwe and Columbia. Civil society sector – not present – post 2003, a lot of organizations got going. Not necessary having capacity. A lot of barriers. Donors – don’t have capacity – Leaving NGOs – Government after conflict, but really are still in conflict. Curb some of the organizations – Another layer of challenge. Strategic approach so can become active partners – bottom up approach. 

Speaker – Global Justice Network – Using International law – Hard Law. Think about law and justice. Throwing money – getting injustice! Old patriarchial system inplace.Human Rights – think about women as victims. Use law for structural change. Use law – without women won’t get education, protection from abuse. We need to change to  Power Not Pity! Columbia – constitution court – has struck down over 1,200 times. Time of transition time to put these in place – women be at peace treaty table. South Sudan – getting less than under previous regime. Give women political power, and justice. Sadam didn’t allow women judges. Now many judges – new laws, new president’s – but same old judges. Demand 50% judges as women. Women’s committees monitoring decisions – mobile trailer with judge – mobile court. CEDAW – didn’t have to do anything. But now can be enforced. SC in India – need to look at sex harassment in workplace – need women judges to do that. Reconceive justice –Power not pity.