africa/global: new un proposals to protect women

IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET #211
Initiatives and Activities of Women Worldwide
By Anne S. Walker

October 21, 2002

THE IMPACT OF VIOLENT CONFLICT ON WOMEN AND GIRLS.
STUDY RELEASED TODAY BY UN SECRETARY GENERAL

New York, Oct 21 2002,1:00PM
Seeking to address the disproportionate impact of violent conflict on
women and girls, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has submitted a series
of concrete proposals aimed at protecting their rights to the Security
Council for adoption.

In a report to the Council released today, the Secretary-General points
to the many ways that war particularly harms women, beyond death and
injury. These include exacerbating existing inequalities, sending women
and children fleeing across borders, and subjecting them to sexual
violence and torture. At the same time, Mr. Annan stresses that, "Women
play an active role in informal peace processes, serving as peace
activists, including by organizing and lobbying for disarmament and
striving to bring about reconciliation and security before, during and
after conflicts."

The Secretary-General says the extent of human rights violations against
women and girls must be factored into peace support operations, and
recommends that contacts be set up with women's networks in order to
gain more information on the issue.

Concerning the legal dimensions of the problem, Mr. Annan urges the
Council to call on all parties involved in conflict to adhere to their
obligations under applicable principles of international humanitarian
law, human rights law and refugee law as they pertain to women and
girls. Efforts should be made to ensure that amnesty provisions included
in conflict settlement agreements exclude impunity from all serious war
crimes, including gender-based crimes.

Mr. Annan also recommends that the Council explicitly integrate gender
perspectives into the terms of reference of UN missions to countries and
regions in conflict. He says that all UN-brokered peace accords should
address the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, their
contributions to peace processes and their needs and priorities in the
post-conflict context. Women should also be fully involved in peace
negotiations.

The report suggests that the Council ensure resources for setting up
gender units in peacekeeping operations. Efforts aimed at reconstructing
conflict-torn societies should incorporate activities focused on
specific constraints facing women and girls. Urging recognition of the
impact of armed conflict and displacement on family relations, Mr. Annan
calls for the development of programmes to prevent domestic violence.

"We can no longer afford to minimize or ignore the contributions of
women and girls to all stages of conflict resolution, peacemaking,
peace-building, peacekeeping and the reconstruction processes," the
Secretary-General cautions. "Sustainable peace will not be achieved
without the full and equal participation of women and men."

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

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