WUNRN

http://www.wunrn.com

 

Guardian - International Women's Day: Voices from Around the World 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/interactive/2011/mar/08/international-womens-day-global-voices?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

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WOMEN, PEACE, EQUALITY - REFLECTIONS IN WOMEN'S LIVES


Women Connecting for Peace

 

Global Network of Women Peacebuilders Newsletter

To commemorate the 100th international Women's Day, this issue of the GNWP newsletter, Connecting for Peace, features stories from GNWP members around the globe. The women reflect on changes that have taken place during their lifetimes to further women's empowerment and equality.


 

Reflections: 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, GNWP members from the Global South were asked to contribute to an article featured on the Guardian news paper website, on how life for women has changed in their respective countries during the course of their lifetimes. We are delighted to announce that four GNWP members' reflections were chosen to appear on the Guardian website.

·  Aimee Matungulu (Women Peacemaker Program, the Democratic Republic of Congo)

·  Bandana Rana (Saathi, Nepal)

·  Jasmin Galace (Center for Peace Education, Philippines)

·  Jeanne Bitsure (Women Peacemaker Program, Burundi)

We received many insightful reflections from women across the globe. Despite the fact that many pieces revealed common issues that women still face, all the contributions also showed a clear sense of hope and a commitment to change.

Martha Quintero - Red Nacional de Mujeres Colombia

As a young girl I wanted to wear pants, yet this was a problem not because my parents were strict, but because Colombian society ruled that women should wear dresses. This may seem like a very small issue, but it shows a huge change that has taken place in my country. Now it would seem ridiculous for girls to only wear dresses as these gender stereotypes are not as pronounced as they once were and as a nation we do not feel that society imposes these distinct, yet superficial differences. I am pleased to say I have not worn dresses for the last 30 years.

As a woman in Colombia today, I feel I have more choices. I decided not to have children and I feel very free to make this decision and not be judged by it. I am a very gregarious, warm person and I am pleased that people do not assume that because I do not want children, I have an inability to connect, or to be warm. This gregarious nature and interest in people has led me to be involved in women’s groups and I am now involved in Red Nacional de Mujeres, a grass roots organization (a coalition of NGOs and individuals working for women’s full political participation in a more just society). In Colombia the issue of sexual violence is still very real and many years of armed conflict have lead to sexual violence being used as a weapon of war. In some way this has been accepted as ‘normal’ in Colombia and we still have a long way to go to get this issue recognized and to put a stop to it.

One thing that has been a major change for women in Colombia and probably all over the world is that women are now breadwinners. The truth is that women have always been breadwinners, contributing through farming, or factory work, or even as mothers, but it is only now that women’s contributions are being recognized and they are beginning to have the chance to contribute in other professions, outside of menial work. I am very pleased about this recognition and for the choices women now have.

 

Mavic Cabrera-Balleza Global Network of Women Peacebuilders Philippines

 

I have always referred to myself as an organic feminist as I did not grow up with the western women's movement but developed my beliefs from witnessing inequality first hand. As the oldest girl, I was responsible for all the chores in our home while my brothers had all the privileges. This situation compelled me to face these injustices and question the inequality that exists in my country and in the rest of the world. I see the biggest changes to have taken place in the Philippines as being represented by words - sexual violence, domestic abuse, marital rape - these are all problems that women endured for centuries and yet these terms did not exist when I was a girl. These are not just terms, but they represent courage. They embody the power that is needed to take these problems and come up with a solution. I am proud to say that these issues went from being unspoken and accepted to having laws created against them.

With more current work as International Coordinator of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, I am able to bring together women from around the world with similar stories, to work on lifting our voices in matters of women and peace and security. Many of the changes I have seen for women in the Philippines are reflected in other countries across the world, where women have found their voices and are now battling for equality. I see that in my lifetime many changes have taken place and I am pleased that we are in a time where we can really make a difference in the lives of women, not just in the Philippines, but around the world.

 

Rose Mutombo Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolese DRC


Men did not respect women in the Democratic Republic of Congo when I was a child. Women were not seen as important in the eyes of men. Now, with all the work that women are doing with raising awareness they are beginning to be seen as equals and have a better chance.

I was born into a household of all girls, the youngest of five daughters. The fact that my mother had not given birth to a boy was regarded as a big problem for my father. In DRC girls were seen as burdens and could not contribute to a household economically. Essentially my mother had given birth to five children who did not matter and would amount to nothing. For this reason, my mother was banished from our home and did not return until a year later. Upon her return my mother gave birth to another five children, this time they were all boys. It is because of the struggle that my mother faced that we girls strived for success. We have all gone on to university and are considered accomplished in our society, contributing financially and being able to support ourselves. Ironically our brothers have not been as successful as us girls, perhaps this is because they did not have anything to prove. My father is now very proud of me and often boasts of my success and the success of my sisters. I became a lawyer to serve my mother who suffered.

I feel that women still have a long way to go to be treated as equals in DRC and therefore I am pleased that I have studied law so that I am able to protect women who remain vulnerable in my country and are often undermined or disregarded by society. In a post conflict country it is often the women who deal with the aftermath of the conflict, as issues of sexual violence become lingering norms and women remain underrepresented in decision-making role. This is where we really need women to help make a difference to stabilizing the rights of women.

 

Sharon Bhagwan Rolls FemLINK Pacific Fiji


Turning forty-five this year may not seem like much of a lifetime but when one has grown up with political experiences dramatically different from that of my mother and grandmothers, it seems like a long and significant time. My outlook on life as a woman has been influenced by the military, political and even church based coups that are present in Fiji’s recent history.

As a member of a women’s NGO movement, I see that the opportunity for women’s equality has taken a step backwards, due to continued conflict and specifically the military led take over in 2006. We recognize that democracy is a precondition for the attainment of women’s rights and fear the further curtailment of civil and political rights, including media censorship and controls on public meeting, for having detrimental effects on the women’s rights movement.

In my lifetime, I see that women continue to be burdened by the lack of access to financial resources, burdened by the time spent in undertaking unpaid work. Invisible are the mothers baking pies, making food parcels, creating floral arrangements and other income generating ideas. These, and women like them, remain invisible in the eyes of policy makers because, only 31% of Fiji’s female population are regarded as “Economically Active”. Females comprise a large 51% of Family Workers and 77% of Community Workers, two groups who receive low income, and are very much under-employed.

femLINKPACIFIC, an organization which emerged from the 2000 crisis, remains guided by a focus on Women, Peace and Security (via UNSCR 1325) we have continued to advocate for full compliance of the resolution in all decisions to peace and security – through vigils, community radio broadcasts and other local and external media initiatives, as well as policy interventions, while continuing to pursue dialogue within the women’s movement as well as those with political power. It is true that whilst in this climate our rights are being challenged, the women of Fiji remain resilient.

For the plight of women to change again in my lifetime I would allude to an essay from Virginia Wolfe’s “A Room of One’s Own”; there is a need to ensure that the necessary resources are mobilized so that women have the opportunity to write their stories, have their voices heard, and their identities represented. Media content must continue to reach women in their communities, it must provide in-depth, substantive information that supports and empowers the work of women.


Featured Member: Center for Peace Education

By Jasmin Galace and Alex Stiles

Center for Peace Education was created with the mission to help advance a culture of peace through education. First established in 1997 at the Philippines’ Miriam College, the study of peace had already been integrated into several of the college’s subjects since the early 1980’s, but was fully recognized with the arrival of the Center for Peace Education Studies. The Center enabled a more systematic training of faculty and students on peace education and peace-related issues, such as nonviolence, women and security, international humanitarian law, arms control and interfaith education. The Center is also engaged in peace advocacy work, lobbying, and works on issues such as arms control, women’s greater participation in peacebuilding processes, and observance of international humanitarian law.

The Center maintains clear objectives through its teaching of peace:

·  To institutionalize and strengthen the peace education thrust of Miriam College through faculty training, curriculum development and student development programs.

·  To help promote the culture of peace in the larger society by sharing Miriam College’s inspiration, knowledge and experience with other groups and educational institutions, including those that are underserved.

·  To network, develop partnerships and work with other peace-oriented groups and with all people of goodwill towards building a culture of peace.

With these objectives at the heart of its mission, the Center for Peace Education Studies has made some significant achievements in helping the lives of women in the Philippines such as training women on peaceful conflict resolution methods such as mediation; training on nonviolence and advocacy; and helping lead the adoption of EO570 integrating peace education in basic education. The Center's work includes the running of a twinning project with a Muslim school in Mindanao, with the aim to challenge biases and build understanding and solidarity between two groups differing in ethnicity and culture. As board member of Sulong (Go) CARHRIHL and the Philippine Action Network to Control Arms, the Center's role reaches outside of Miriam college.

The Center for Peace Education Studies also worked on the adoption of the Philippine National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 and is now focusing on capacitating local government to legislate and implement pertinent provisions from the NAP, advocating greatly the participation of women in decision-making and peace building processes through the conducting of workshops with civil society groups and the security sector.

Transforming minds and hearts is the Center for Peace Education Studies main mission, with the end goal to encourage people to challenge the personal and social structures that contribute to violence. A study conducted by the Center for Peace Education Studies shows that 95% of trained participants change toward a more peace-oriented attitude and maintain their peace-oriented attitude after training, an excellent reflection of the success of peace education.

Despite limitations of funding and human resource, the Center continues to play a pivotal role in the pursuit of peace - networking locally, regionally and internationally to achieve its goals. Its work on the Philippines NAP is excellent example of its influence and effectiveness and shows the impact it has achieved throughout the Philippines.