Peace and Security

Suzette Mitchell is the Executive Director of the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. Here she shares her thoughts about the role of women in building peace.

Involving women in ways to resolve conflict is not just an exercise in gender equality, it's a key strategy to improve the chances of peace.

The evidence shows that the more involved women are as peace-builders, the greater the likelihood of lasting peace.

Suzette and Tsai in northern Vietnam. Photo: Suzette Mitchell

Women need to be key players in conflict prevention and peace-building, conflict management and reduction, and post-conflict recovery.

Helen Hakena, from the Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency in Bougainville explains, 'Women worked [during the war] and collected all the pieces and put those pieces together but in peace we are not included. Women are not passive victims, we are contributing actively to peacemaking. Imagine what more we could do if we women were able to take an equal place at the negotiating table.'

Men and women experience war differently. This 'gendering' of war is apparent with the widespread use of rape as a weapon. In Darfur, Sudan, for example, women of all ages have been raped or experienced sexual violence, with family members often forced to witness their humiliation and distress. Darfuri women risk rape and violence not only when fleeing their homes, but also in some cases when collecting firewood or water in and around refugee camps. It is an irony that these camps that exist to protect refugees often become sites of further violence.

Women, as mothers, wives, grandmothers and daughters bear most of the burden for social security within the household and community. Women and children also comprise the majority of the civilian casualties of war - they make up over 80 per cent of the world's refugees. Yet it is essential that women are not seen only as victims of war, but also as the decision-makers in peace-building.

'The issue of equal participation by women is not simply an issue of gender equality and human rights but could represent the decisive factor in maintaining peaceful development in a troubled region,' says L.Seyoum from Eritrea.

Promoting women's roles in leading community reconstruction is advocated by the United Nations in the Security Council Resolution 1325 which 'reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and peace-building and equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.'

In response to the current crisis in Darfur, the International Women's Development Agency is seeking to help the wider development community to integrate gender considerations into emergency operations. Areas that have been addressed to date are firewood and fuel collection; the psychological effects of gender based violence, and reproductive health. These gender considerations can be found on the IWDA website and can be used freely. Any feedback is welcome.

Unfortunately, the issue of conflict and reconstruction look set to increase over the next decade. Let's hope we can use our skills, knowledge and technological advances to assist women and their families maximise their roles as peace-builders in the reconstruction of their communities.

The International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) is based in Melbourne. It works with grassroots women's organisations in developing countries. It has also worked with AusAID in developing a concept paper on women's active role in peace-building. For more information www.iwda.org.au.

2004