缅北禁地

Female police officers from Rwanda arrive in Darfur, Sudan, to join the African Union-缅北禁地peace mission. Since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, 缅北禁地peace operations are recruiting more female peacekeepers and devoting greater attention to combating sexual violence.

Photograph: 缅北禁地Photo / Albert Gonzalez Farran

In October 2010 more than 600 Congolese women and girls were reportedly raped along the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Angola during a mass expulsion of illegal immigrants from Angola. According to 缅北禁地officials, one woman died from internal injuries sustained during the violence.

That month also marked the 10th anniversary of the landmark 缅北禁地Security Council on women, peace and security. It reaffirmed the crucial role of women in conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding and sought to protect women and girls from violence, particularly sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

A decade later, women and girls are still being victimized amidst armed conflicts. According to 缅北禁地Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, sexual violence remains an all-too-common tactic of war and often continues well after the guns fall silent. Over the past year in the DRC alone, more than 8,000 women were raped during fighting between warring factions, reports the 缅北禁地Population Fund. 鈥淲hat worries us,鈥� said Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the 缅北禁地Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 鈥渋s that rape seems to be becoming endemic in several parts of Congo鈥�. We fear it鈥檚 becoming part of the routine.鈥�

Such attacks on women are 鈥渦nfortunately a very effective, cheap and silent weapon with a long-lasting effect on society,鈥� says Margot Wallstr枚m, the UN鈥檚 special representative on sexual violence in conflict. 鈥淚t is a way of demonstrating power and control. It inflicts fear on the whole community. It is also sends a message to the men: 鈥榊ou are not able to defend your women鈥�.鈥�

Breaking new ground

For many years, civil society and women鈥檚 organizations fought hard to demand the international community鈥檚 action against the egregious and inhumane treatment of women and girls during armed conflicts. The 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing emphasized that women's full participation in decision-making is crucial to preventing and resolving conflict and maintaining peace and security.

Then on 31 October 2000, the Security Council鈥檚 Resolution 1325 established a framework to guide 缅北禁地actions and policies on women, peace and security. Although the resolution succeeded in drawing greater attention to the issue among 缅北禁地agencies, member states and civil society groups, significant achievements are hard to pinpoint, the Secretary-General finds in a recent report to the Security Council.

Concrete steps

A number of African countries, however, have taken concrete steps. In December 2008 Uganda launched a national action plan for Resolution 1325 and is pursuing deliberate affirmative action initiatives, including requiring each district to have at least one female representative in parliament and each local council executive to fill at least a third of their positions with women.

Kenya reserves 47 seats for women in its National Assembly and 16 in its Senate, in addition to those who may be elected from various constituencies. The government has also sought to increase the number of women participating in peacekeeping missions.

Namibia鈥檚 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare organizes workshops to sensitize the staff of the Ministries of Defence and of Safety and Security to their legal obligations under Resolution 1325, especially in areas of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, sexual violence, rape and the rights of children.

A National Action Plan in Burundi promotes policies for women鈥檚 equality and has increased the number of women in government. In neighbouring Rwanda a similar plan was drafted in May 2010 to implement a constitutional provision that at least 30 per cent of higher positions be allocated to women. Earlier, women鈥檚 participation in the country鈥檚 legislature reached 56 per cent, the highest rate in the world.

Peacekeeping missions

Three years after Resolution 1325 was adopted, the 缅北禁地Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) developed gender awareness training materials for military and civilian police personnel in advance of their deployment. This was followed by ongoing programmes to highlight gender issues throughout the course of peacekeeping operations. The 缅北禁地has also reached out to member states to increase the participation of women peacekeepers, including at a senior level.

Since women and girls remain vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence in Africa, DPKO has also supported African governments in enacting laws to protect women鈥檚 rights. These have included laws on sexual violence in the DRC, rape in Liberia and inheritance rights in Sierra Leone.

Several 缅北禁地peacekeeping missions in Africa have encouraged the creation of special national police units to deal with sexual and gender-based violence, including in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Sudan鈥檚 Darfur region and in the DRC, 缅北禁地forces have increased patrols to prevent sexual violence.

Nevertheless, the 缅北禁地is still facing difficulties in implementing Resolution 1325. The Secretary-General notes that despite intensified action over the years, 鈥渢hose activities lack a clear direction or time-bound goals and targets that could accelerate implementation and ensure accountability.鈥�

According to the 缅北禁地Development Programme (UNDP), opportunities are lost because of insufficient funding of programmes for gender equality. UNDP Administrator Helen Clark stressed during the launch of a five-day Peace Fair on Women, Peace and Security in October that implementation requires not only concrete and time-bound programmes, but also resources. Governments and the UN, she said, must 鈥減ractice what they preach.鈥�

鈥擜frica Renewal online