WUNRN
WOMEN, PEACE & SECURITY: POLICY
RESPONSES
& SOLUTIONS FOR OUR PACIFIC
REGION
For Publication: Contact Sharon
Bhagwan Rolls - sharon@femlinkpacific.org.fj
or WUNRN - mosie@infionline.net - 3.95 MB pdf
____________________________________________________________________
PACIFIC REGION - WOMEN, THE PEACE
PROCESS,
TRANSITIONAL GOVERNANCE,
SECURITY +
UN
Security Council resolution 1325, clearly calls for women's effective
participation in all peace processes, including in the planning and
implementation
of
Transitional Governance processes.
"This is not just about political security but also community security, and ensuring that women are part of the process all the way" says femLINKPACIFIC Coordinator, Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, "femLINKPACIFIC would like to draw Pacific Leaders attention to the recommendations contained in the October 2008 publication " Women, Peace and Security: Policy Responses and Solutions for our Pacific Region" which is a result of the documentation and media initiatives of regional Peacewomen in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Bougainville and Tonga on 7 critical areas of concern including Transitional Governance, Security Sector reforms and DDR processes, which if taken into account, as part of the Pacific Forum Leaders initiative to assist Fiji return to parliamentary democracy should serve as an important guide for the leaders.
These recommendations are formulated taking into account not only Pacific women's experiences during times of conflict, but also represent a collective vision in our struggle for sustainable peace and a de-militarized society."
Like the women’s media initiatives undertaken by the network of regional and rural correspondents coordinated by femLINKPACIFIC, the policy initiative gives women the opportunity to negotiate their way through a maze of information and communication channels in order to be heard, in order to be recognized, in order to communicate a culture of peace, especially at the political level.
Last year, members of the regional network affirmed the role and responsibility to continue to promote United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 which they believe is an important component of the collective and on-going work on human rights, and women, peace and human security.
The recommendations include:
Transitional Governance – More than Elections
Peace processes do more than end conflict. If done skilfully, peace processes can build a foundation for nation-building and restoring community life.
When a nation is moving from war to peace, citizens and leaders are asking large questions. What kind of society do we want to build? How does it need to change? What kind of governance structures will include everybody fairly and prevent conflict from erupting in the future? What kind of election rules should we have? What kinds of laws do we want to live under and who gets to decide? How can our rights and standards be protected under a constitution?
Women’s formal political participation in decision-making at this vital stage in a peace process is more than having women as observers in decision-making fora and it is more than a few women candidates standing in elections. Gender justice and equality principles should be enshrined in constitutional and legal reforms, the establishment of multi-party systems and elections, and women should be equally represented in these institutions as lawyers, judges, police, as well as political candidates. Women should also be included in decision-making about issues that go beyond gender. They should be included in discussions about security and about resource allocation.
Too often, women’s answers to these questions are not heard because they are excluded from the process or their contributions and opinions are devalued. To overcome these obstacles to an effective and just nation-building, women’s participation must be deliberately sought, perhaps through a quota system, targeted consultations, the establishment of and/or strengthening Women’s Ministries or Departments, the appointment of women judges, police and law reform authorities.
Recommendations
1. Gender equality should be incorporated into constitutional reforms to reaffirm the principles of nondiscrimination, equality, affirmative action, and women’s right to freedom and security, as well as the protection of women participating in constitutional conventions.
2. Gender equality should be incorporated into law reform processes, especially to family, civil, labour and land reforms. National legal systems should penalize and remedy all forms of violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations. Specially trained police units should be established to investigate crimes against women. Law enforcement officials, including judges, police and armed forces, should be sensitized about such crimes. Women’s access to justice should be ensured through legal literacy programmes, support services and legal aid.
2. Women’s human rights experts should be included in drafting the mandate of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions and other Transitional Justice Mechanisms as well as their planning and implementation so that crimes against women are included, special hearings for women are scheduled, the rights of women testifying and participating are protected throughout and considerations of gender equality and women’s concerns are included in the recommendations and other outcomes of these mechanisms.
4. National electoral laws should incorporate gender equality quotas and ensure voter registration and education for women, as well as the increase of women in electoral commissions and observer missions. Electoral experts should work with local women’s groups to provide relevant training for women candidates and political parties.
Disarmament and Reintegration – more than weapons disposal
Peace depends on the willingness of armed groups to lay down their arms, disband military structures, and return to civilian life. If armed groups or warlords do not put down their weapons, and if those weapons remain in circulation, peace will never be possible.
For women, more guns do not mean more security. Through women’s eyes, there is a broader notion of security –one that is defined in human, rather than in military terms. Women most affected by guns often have the best ideas about how to remove them from the community.
Peace is possible when civil society regains faith in and democratic control of all organisations that have the authority to use or threaten to use force. Peace is possible when incentives are provided to ex-combatants and importantly, also to those displaced as a result of the conflict. Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programmes that create or continue the divisions in society can hurt more than help. These programs need to be comprehensive and holistic and need to go beyond supporting only those who carried guns in war.
Development initiatives can bring war-torn communities together – both ex-combatants, the displaced and civilians affected by the conflict – to rebuild social and physical infrastructure through employment programmes. Disarmament initiatives can ensure that the enormous financial resources invested in weapons that kill can be diverted to much needed initiatives that improve lives and help create true human security.
Recommendations
1. Pacific Forum Leaders and Security Committee should ensure gender analysis is incorporated into all aspects of small arms and light weapons disposal programmes by including women civil society experts in official and informal working groups on, including border security and control to stop gun running.
2. Women should be involved in the development of legislation on gun licensing, the marking and tracing of weapons and the destruction of home made weapons and ammunition, including through their leadership in traditional ceremonies.
3. Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes should equitably benefit ex-combatants and those taking up and forced into support roles in armed groups. Reintegration and pension packages should include reasonable compensation for years of service, injury, illness, mental illness, trauma and stress counseling, and retraining.
4. A Pacific-wide DDR study should be conducted by locals, building on the knowledge of community based organisations, including cost projects for adequate DDR in the region, drawing on the INSTRAW and DCAF Gender and Security Sector Reform Working Group to support this process.
5. Governments to actively work in close participation with civil society in disarmament and non-proliferation machinery including small arms and light weapons control, the banning of cluster munitions and landmines, and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
6. Consumer councils to work with Peacewomen for a ban on toy guns and the delegitimisation of other military style toys such as Rambo knives and army greens for children that glamorize militarization and which contribute to a culture of consumerist militarism.
7. Police to increase level of response to the violation of women’s security, and uphold standards to build confidence and trust that may have been eroded through corruption, violence or abuse of power.
8. Governments to ensure that gun control and domestic violence laws are harmonized.
9. Environmental impact of conflict to be incorporated into the post-conflict reconstruction effort, including the addressing of unexploded remnants of war, toxic pollutants and lead contamination.
Security through Women’s Eyes
Until the state's security and legal infrastructure are rebuilt, women's security is threatened inside and outside of the home, where they are subject to the rule of aggression rather than the rule of law.
Under constant threat of attack by family members, rogue elements, ex-combatants, criminals, women are unprotected as they search for water, food and firewood and care for children, the sick, the elderly and their extended families. Their caretaking responsibilities limit their mobility and ability to protect themselves.
The glaring gaps in women’s protection expose the systematic failures of the humanitarian community to reach women and the security sector to protect them. Until women feel secure in their homes and communities, countries cannot be assured of sustainable peace in the nation.
When women feel secure, peace is possible. When women feel secure enough to resist war and organise for peace –expressed through theatre, public demonstrations and civil disobedience – peace is on its way.
Pacific women want their leaders to utilize quiet diplomacy, mediation, sanctions and other measures as conflict prevention measures rather than deploy force after the outbreak of conflict. By consulting routinely with women technical experts, the security sector can enhance its expertise and change its policies and regulations to provide security for all.
In the context of women’s security, we wish to state that for women,
‘security’ is pervasive, not just related to armed conflict and affects every
area of women’s lives.
We wish to clarify, that this is about the welfare and status of women, our
human security issues, and the impact of decisions in relation to the form and
functions of the military, police and the broader security sector has direct
impact on women in this country. Whilst we applaud the efforts to strengthen
legislation to address the national problems and impact of domestic violence,
women, peace and security issues are not just about ‘domestic violence’ either.
Our concerns are inclusive of the elimination of violence against women and children, but we are also advocating for a gender mainstreaming aspect to and relevant training for peacekeeping operations; the importance of gender-sensitive demobilization programmes for security/military personnel as this has considerable implications for their families and greater communities; about ensuring that not only women’s needs but women themselves are engaged in the planning and delivery of humanitarian assistance, to name a few.
Women’s civil society representatives with relevant expertise must also be involved in helping to redefine and ensure implementation of the new human security agenda, including through representation on National Security Councils and other local or district/provincial level committees and delegations addressing security issues
Recommendations
1. Recalling Pacific Forum Leaders’commitment to implementation of the Human Security Framework, national government should, in close collaboration with civil society, conduct a review of defence and national security policy, their postures and budgeting processes in order to meet human security needs.
2. Governments should ensure gender sensitivity training of security sector personnel, in full compliance with resolution 1325, in order to support the implementation of existing commitments, and utilize tools such as gender-based early-warning indicators.
3. Through institutions such as the Regional Commissioners of Police Network, law enforcement agencies, and the military, governments should provide gender disaggregated data in order to map the ratio of men and women in the security sector.
4. Pacific governments should commit to the international governance standards requiring democratic civilian oversight of the security sector.
5. Community police initiatives should be enhanced through regular engagement with women’s groups, and the recruitment of women with expertise and life experience to community policing programmes.
6. All troop and police contributing countries should engage gender experts and expertise to be included in all levels and aspects of peace operations, including in technical surveys, the design of concepts of operation, training, staffing and programmes.
7. All troop and police contributing countries should develop training for pre- and post-deployment training in 1325, international human rights standards, violence against women and the UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy.
Website: www.femlinkpacific.org.fj
Sharon Bhagwan Rolls
Coordinator: femLINKPACIFIC - Media Initiatives for Women
sharon@femlinkpacific.org.fj
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to:
wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com. Thank you.