Protection for women during conflict inadequate - UNIFEM

The standards of protection for women affected by conflict and the international response to their situations are "glaring in their inadequacy", says a report commissioned by the UN Development Fund For Women. The report, "Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts’ Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women’s Role in Peace-building", found that while women are often specifically targeted during conflict, they do not receive what they need in emergencies. They are also rarely included in peacekeeping initiatives and reconstruction efforts. "War exponentially intensifies the inequalities that women are living with," the report, released on Friday in South Africa, stated. As a "direct objective of war" in communities being torn apart by conflict, women are more likely than men to be displaced and find themselves vulnerable to attacks and rape while they are fleeing. If they manage to find shelter, they have to run households in environments where, even in peacetime, a woman on her own has few rights. Although in a hostile environment, without access to basic services, women are expected to provide the necessities for themselves and their families, which too often may mean being forced to have sex in exchange for basic assistance and protection, the report found. Women who try to return home when peace agreements have been signed, worry about their safety and, in some countries, find that because of inheritance and land ownership laws, unless they have sons, can't claim property that might help them support their families. Very little attention is paid to women's health and reproductive concerns during conflict, though often she continues her responsibilities as carer, helping her family, neighbours and community. Women therefore need reproductive as well as other health services and psychosocial support, which should be an integral part of emergency assistance and post-conflict reconstructions. "It is tragic that basic health care for war-affected women must compete with food, shelter and landmine clearance," the report noted. In addition, war and HIV/AIDS are "inextricably linked" and all HIV/AIDS programmes and funding in conflict situations must address the disproportionate disease burden carried by women. Over the past two years, only four out of 15 peace operations have had dedicated staff working on gender issues. And, although they are referred to as gender units, or offices, they often consist of only one person. To rectify this, gender experts should participate at all levels of peace operations, including technical surveys, training, staffing and programmes. Women were also excluded from efforts to resolve conflict, the report found. It said that women organising at the grassroots level often lay the groundwork for organising across borders - in subregions and internationally. However, they are rarely included in formal negotiations, whether as members of political parties, civil society or special interest groups. Nor are they present in representative numbers in post-conflict governments. Turning to justice, it observed that in times of war and societal breakdown, crimes against women reached new levels of brutality and frequency. "Violence does not happen randomly - it is determined and deliberate. Assaults on individuals and basic decency must be identified, and those responsible must be held accountable." However, women were rarely consulted about the form, scope and modalities for seeking accountability. In addition to ensuring accountability to women within the justice system around the world, the report also called for the UN Secretary-General to appoint a panel of experts to assess the gaps in international and national laws and standards pertaining to the protection of women during and after conflict. For the full report: www.parliament.gov.za also: www.unifem.org