Peace Processes
Are Failing Women
May 19, 2007 – (Economic &
Social Research Council) As societies emerge from
conflict, men's dominance at all
levels of decision-making ensures women never feel truly secure according to new
research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC).
In a unique study of
women's security and participation in
three post conflict societies—Northern
Ireland, South
Africa and Lebanon—researchers found that women
see security differently from men. And because men dominate the institutions of
peace-making and peace-building, they often fail to consider the specific
security needs of women.
The investigation, which was part
of the ESRC's New Security Challenges
Programme, was carried out through a research partnership between the University
of Ulster, Queen's University Belfast
and Democratic Dialogue and with research associates in South Africa (Centre for
Study of Violence and Reconciliation) and Lebanon (Lebanese American University
in Beirut).
In all three case studies, women
saw security as much more than physical safety. It was about feeling represented
in societal institutions, having a job, an education for their children, a good
health service and a feeling that society recognised the specific interests of
women.
"For me, the word security in
Arabic is not to be afraid. First, not to be afraid to be hungry, to move, to
think, and to be misjudged," explained a Lebanese woman to the
researchers.
Yet the ceasefires that signalled
the ending of the conflict in all three countries and made the first significant
step in bringing security and safety to people's lives had not been followed by reconstruction
efforts that freed women completely from violence.
In Northern Ireland and South
Africa women expressed concern that
'normal' crime was increasing in communities and that
gender-based violence had increased, partly as a result of the demobilisation of
ex-combatants. In all three societies women criticised policing in the
transitional environment and found that the provision of security remained
heavily influenced by patriarchy and
gender-insensitivity.
Professor Paddy Hillyard, from
Queen's University, Belfast and the leader of
the project, said: "The dominant institutions of the state following
peace-processes remain overwhelming male. Their transformation has to be part of
the reconstruction effort before women can feel truly
secure".
All the evidence from the research
indicates that the UN resolution 1325 on Women Peace and Security must be fully
implemented so that women can play a full and equal part in societies coming out
of conflict. The UN resolution affirms the important role of women in conflict
resolution and peace building, and demands that women be equally represented in
all spheres of public life.
The South African experience
clearly demonstrated the critical importance of including women at all levels of
decision-making. In Northern
Ireland the experience of the
Women's Coalition provided evidence
that women operate in a manner very different to male politicians, stressing
issues that differ from traditional political preoccupations. In Lebanon
women played a much more limited role and their marginalisation was reflected in
women's perceptions of their own and
their children's
insecurity.
The case studies show how women
experience violence in multiple ways and from a myriad of sources. From the
family and community, through societal structures of class and power, violence
against women continued during post-conflict transition. Measures addressing the
inequalities of power between men and women have to be addressed. As one respondent commented: "There are still too many men in the
room when post-conflict settlements are
negotiated.