Role of women in emergencies discussed

In times of war, men account for the largest number of combatants but women and children make up the largest proportion
of conflict-affected civilians, members of a panel of leading women said in New York on Wednesday.

"Men wage war. Women and children suffer the consequences," WFP Executive Director Catherine Bertini said. Adiatu Deigh representing the Sierra Leone Youth Empowerment Organisation said: "Women and girls are consistently raped whenever there is a (rebel) attack."

Facilitated by the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator a.i Carolyn McAskie, the panel focused on the impact of emergencies on women and vice versa. In addition to Bertini and Deigh the panel included UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy and leading women from Afghanistan and Colombia.

Up to 80 percent of internally displaced persons and refugees worldwide are women and children, according to a policy statement produced by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) at the meeting.

"This leads to a dramatic increase in the number of women heads of households with responsibilities and high demands for meeting the needs of both children and ageing relatives," the IASC statement said.

Bellamy told the audience that women in emergencies should be considered heroines for their role in holding families together and in trying to ensure that their humanitarian needs are met. Bellamy added that it was often older women among refugee and displaced populations who were the first to return home at the end of a conflict.

According to the IASC the provision of humanitarian assistance during times of conflict should be "gender-sensitive". For example, in the context of food aid, Bertini said that women should be involved in targeting and in the decision-making process.

"Women tend to choose food aid over cash," Bertini said. "If food comes into a household they can control it. They cannot always do the same with cash."

The panel discussion is one of many events timed to coincide with a special session of the General Assembly, titled "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century" held from 5-9 June at UN Headquarters in New York.