September 22^nd 2006 

Press Statement

Considering evidence of massive women’s rights violations that have emerged as a result of official peace missions, service provision and other humanitarian interventions in Darfur and other similarly affected countries in the Great Lakes Region, Women working towards Peace Building in the Great Lakes Region, gathered in Nairobi have condemned all such violations including the renewed tribal clashes in Molo (Kenya) that have claimed two lives, left several injured and destroyed homes. 

They noted that the clashes are a replica of others that occur in different countries in the region. They are therefore calling on governments in the region to find sustainable solutions to theses conflicts. 

Despite the various international agreements that have been ratified by most of the countries in the Great Lakes Region, the situation is still dismal. Numerous atrocities are regularly committed, particularly against women and children. 

These range from rape, defilement, beatings as well as murder, where many people have been killed, while others are forced to witness the murder of their loved ones. These horrific situations have been documented by the women from the seven countries of the Great Lakes Region attending the Isis- Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (WICCE) institute, some of whom have been victims themselves. 

A very useful example is in the case of Southern Darfur, where research carried out amongst 470 respondents revealed 183 cases of rape. Many of these victims were married while others were under-age, resulting in disasters like vesico-vaginal fistula, Sexually Transmitted Infections like HIV/Aids and psychological trauma. 

There is also the case of Burundi, that still faces many human rights violations despite the signing of the peace agreement. For example there is rampant rape and sexual abuse and forced marriages and prostitution of children. Many girls are also kept out of school because their education is still not considered as important.  

Many women’s organisations have endeavoured to help these victims in several ways, such as access to treatment, as well as legal aid and provision of trauma counselling.

Unfortunately these efforts can only reach a few survivors. More help is desperately needed from the respective governments, Civil Society, the Media and the international community if we are to solve the plight of these victims and stop the unnecessary brutality.  

We the Women Peace and Human Rights Advocates from the Great Lakes Region represented here at the Isis-WICCE Exchange Programme Institute 2006 on the theme “Women Building Peace and Good Neighbourliness in the Great Lakes region (from 18^th  - 29^th September 2006) at Sports View Hotel Kasarani, Nairobi Kenya; 

Call upon and urge our Heads of States and Governments to make immediate public recognition and commitment to fulfil the promises they have made to their citizens when they acceded to or signed international and regional women’s rights instruments including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security that call on governments to ensure and support the full participation of women at all levels of decision making as well as participation in development activities and peace processes, including conflict prevention and resolution, post-conflict reconstruction, peace making, peace keeping and peace building… 

Isis-WICCE an international women’s resource centre based in Kampala, Uganda which is organizing the two week institute believes that given the right tools, women can make a difference in their homes, communities and the whole region. There is a strong emphasis among the women in the meeting on the need to involve women in the peace processes in the region as well as the Greater Horn of Africa.  

For more Information click on the link below

http://www.isis.or.ug/