Women and post-conflict reconstruction

Abstract

"Women’s contributions to war and peace have long been underestimated. In fact, women often contribute to the outbreak of violence and hostilities . in many cases, they are instrumental in inciting men to defend group interests, honour, and collective livelihoods. Women also play a key role in preserving order and normalcy in the midst of chaos and destruction. In times of conflict, when men engage in war and are killed, disappear or take refuge outside their country’s borders, it is women who are left with the burden of ensuring family livelihood. Women struggle to protect their families’ health and safety . a task which rests on their ability to cope pragmatically with change and adversity. It is therefore not surprising that women are also a driving force for peace. They are often among the first to call for an end to conflict and to strive for order and rebuilding. In post-war situations, whether in groups or individually, formally or informally, women probably contribute more than government authorities or international aid to reconciliation, reviving local economies and rebuilding social networks. However, despite their active role in promoting peace, women tend to fade into the background when official peace negotiations begin and the consolidation of peace and rebuilding of the economy becomes a formal exercise. But it is not possible to return to pre-war mores; gender roles and social values have been deeply affected by the experience of war. Thus, the reconfiguration of gender roles and positions is an integral part of the challenge of rebuilding war-torn societies. It is important for policy-makers and operational actors in national governments and aid organizations to understand the complex ways gender and rebuilding interact. The War-torn Societies Project (WSP) recognizes the value of analysing this interaction. However, as a facilitator of dialogue and consensus building, WSP has not imposed an examination of gender in its country projects. The project has therefore not specifically focused on the issue, although it has been raised and discussed in each country where WSP has been active, as part of consultations in which main actors of rebuilding attempted to define the legacy of war and prioritize strategic areas for rebuilding. In Eritrea in particular, the role of women in rebuilding was identified as a "cross-cutting" issue to be considered within all of the thematic areas selected for study. As work progressed, the importance of more closely examining the impact of gender roles on post-conflict rebuilding became increasingly obvious, and Women and Post-Conflict Reconstruction was initiated at the central level in Geneva. The objective was to critically assess the literature available in this field and to assemble a source of experience and knowledge, thus contributing to raising awareness among the many actors involved at different levels in rebuilding war-torn societies. The resulting publication should be of interest to practitioners and scholars alike. The study is based on data collected by the Geneva WSP staff over a two-year period. The material was analysed and synthesized by Birgitte Sørensen, a Danish anthropologist who was a WSP staff member from 1995 to 1997, and head of the project’s research unit for part of that time. Before joining WSP, she carried out field research on refugee displacement and resettlement in Sri Lanka, leading to a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Copenhagen. During her time at WSP, she gave much emphasis to the study of local-level initiatives and understanding the processes of integration and disintegration, not as theoretical concepts but as painful phases of adjustment lived by real people in real situations. Ms. Sørensen is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen Institute of Anthropology. Christine Knudsen, a WSP research assistant, did much of the ground work for this publication. Shiho Yamagishi worked on the project as a WSP intern."(pg ii)