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Africa's Women Report 2001

Tunis, Tunisia 2001

"Women and Conflict Management in Africa"

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Africa Leadership Forum in consultation with the Africa Women’s Committee on Peace and Development (AWCPD), Femmes Afrique Solidarite (FAS) and the Tunisian Ministry of Women and Family Affairs convened in Tunis, Tunisia, the Third Africa Women’s Forum, from the 22-24 January 2001.

The theme of the three-day meeting was Women and Conflict Management in Africa. H.E. Dr. Specioza Kazibwe, Vice-President, Republic of Uganda chaired the proceeding. Ms. Angela King, United Nations, Assistant Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs and Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Gender Issues delivered the Keynote Address. Madam Naziha Zarrouk, the Minister for Women and Family Affairs, declared the meeting open.

In attendance at the meeting were over 100 participants from twenty countries. They represented a cross-section of the various networks within the women’s movement in Africa and Europe, including political leaders, members of parliament, ministers and development professionals and a representative from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). 

The conference expressed thanks and its gratitude to the people and government of Tunisia for the hospitality extended to them throughout the meeting. Participants commended H. E. President Zine Abidine Ben Ali for his government’s continued commitment to advancing the status of Tunisian women. The meeting noted with satisfaction the appointment of five new women ministers at the time of the conference. Participants saluted this rare coincidence.

The meeting also acknowledged the participation of H.E. Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Vice President of Uganda underscoring her demonstrable commitment to improving the status of African women. Participants further commended her positive leadership of the Africa Women’s Committee for Peace and Development, a body that is expected to play a key role in changing the face and status of the African woman.

The meeting commended the Council of Conveners, the Executive Committee and Secretariat of the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF); particularly as the Tunis meeting provided a timely opportunity for the AWCPD to hold a series of consultative and working sessions aimed at sharpening its vision and focusing its activities. There was further acknowledgement of the financial support provided by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa; the Education for Democracy and Development Initiative (EDDI) and the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid, (CORDAID).

THE CHALLENGES:

Deliberations during the meeting pointed to the new dimension in the nature of conflicts in Africa. It was noted that combatants no longer aim at defeating opponents and enemies but at inflicting pains and humiliation on civilians by destroying their identity and sense of community. Participants deplored the targeting of women and children as a tactic of warfare. This development highlights the imperative of mainstreaming issues of gender equality and human rights as salient features of conflict management and peace building in Africa.

Participants identified the following three major challenges facing women in their struggle to take their rightful place both at the peace table in the post conflict reconstruction process:

• Poor representation of women at higher levels of decision-making;

• Gender based violence against women;

• Persistent stereotypical attitudes towards the respective gender roles of women and men.

To meet these challenges, participants suggested that African governments and development partners must allocate adequate resources to strengthen the capacity of women engaged in peace building and conflict management. As a confidence building mechanism, additional training for women community leaders and candidates for political and professional office must be increased. Participants urged all Africans to advocate and promote the campaign of zero tolerance to violence against women.

Participants noted that efforts at building peace in the past had been fraught with ineffective execution of policies and measures. Participants further acknowledged that hard sacrifices must be made if the current wave of conflicts on the continent is to be reversed. It was agreed that a new spirit of communality must inform the design of newer and better mechanisms and techniques.

It follows that the AWCPD, which was set up by the OAU in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in 1998, should be fully operationalized to enable it to serve as an umbrella organisation coordinating all women’s peace initiatives on the continent and articulating the concerns of women.

As part of efforts designed to strengthen women’s work in peace building, participants urged the evolution of stronger partnerships with all institutions of authority in particular, the Organization of African Unity, United Nations and their various agencies, as well as sub-regional organizations involved with conflicts management.

Participants called for creative internal resource mobilisation strategies. Opportunities for including the private sector in internal resource mobilization should be pursued. The meeting also recognised the need to reinvigorate women’s NGOs in Africa and to make them more transparent and accountable. Participants acknowledged the critical role of donor agencies in assisting peace initiatives, but were further enjoined to increase the level of support women’s organisations generally and in particular peace initiatives.

The meeting deplored the role of external forces in the numerous crises plaguing Africa. They condemned those forces profiting from the sale of arms as well as those others who exploit and plunder resources of African nations during crisis periods. The activities of such bodies aggravate tension and undermine the work of African women in conflict prevention and peace building.

RESPONSE STRATEGIES:

The meeting commended the OAU for adopting the Solemn Declaration on Conference on Security Stability Development and Cooperation in Africa, (CSSDCA) at its 2000 Summit. Women’s movement were enjoined to facilitate greater dissemination of this Declaration because of the new opportunities it offers for greater collaboration and potential for accelerated development of the continent. In addition, participants also agreed to undertake the required steps to engage different segments of the African publics with the principles and policy implications of the CSSDCA.

There was further agreement that the implementation meetings on the various calabashes of the CSSDCA reflect the various recommendations on women and peace building, which culminated in Security Council Resolution No. 1325 on women and conflict management among others. Participants noted that it is important to see issues of national security and those of human security, as two sides of the same global security coin. Women, it was pointed out, should share the core of any agenda for peace and security in Africa and should form part of the decision-making machinery on this or other global initiatives.

The meeting urged all governments that have signed on to implement Convention on Elimination on Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and should further refrain from enacting and applying laws or decrees that suppress women’s rights.

The meeting agreed on developing modalities for increasing women’s role and responsibility in the early warning mechanisms for prevention of simmering conflict.

Participants strongly condemned the escalation of violence against women as a warfare strategy. As deterrent, they called for classification of sexual violence as punishable war crime. Likewise, they deplored the conscription of children as soldiers as immoral and unacceptable. It was recommended that such conscription should also be seen as a crime against humanity, even after the fact of war.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF CIVIL SOCIETY:

Participants acknowledged the importance of communication, media and the potency of information technology in today’s world. They urged women’ s access and training in the use of appropriate technology the internet, computers electronic mail, web casting.

On the one hand, participants took note of the role of the media in aggravating tension by focusing on the adversarial dimension of conflict. On the other hand they recognised that the media’s positive aspect in exposing perpetrators war crimes, giving prominence and greater visibility to women working the area of peace and security and the impact of conflict on women and children.

The meeting emphasized true peace must be home-grown. It must be based on bonds of trust and confidence. It has to be built on interrelation of social and cultural norms and values informed by international human rights instruments and democratic principles. The vision of a world free of the scourge of crisis and war can only be realised with equal and fair participation of women in the conflict management and decision-making processes. In particular, women should be facilitated to take critical positions of authority and leadership in peace- keeping operations.

The meeting agreed on systematic documentation and wider use of positive traditional knowledge systems and mechanisms that will facilitate and promote effective conflict management. They also expressed the need to conduct an evaluation and review of all on going conflict management initiatives by African women with a view to enhancing them and optimising their workability.

Participants noted, with sadness, the gap between policy intent and practice in conflict management. With a view to strengthen women’s capacity for peace building; it was suggested that ALF in collaboration with relevant organisations should organise a series of capacity building workshops in peace building.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS:

The meeting noted the multiplicity of initiatives by women as indicative of the magnitude of the work that must be done in conflict management. The meeting acknowledged the positive contributions of the various initiatives in the promotion of peace. However, it was suggested that deeper networking, greater collaboration and consolidation of efforts would enhance greater effectiveness and efficiency.

The meeting called for a comprehensive study and research into conflict management initiatives by African women. Such a study is expected to enhance and to build on the lessons learned from the experiences of others responding to new forms of challenges confronting the continent.

Participants commended the initiative to establish an African Women’s Development Fund. They urged greater support and encouragement of similar initiatives in the face of globalisation and diminishing support for development work on the continent.

The meeting suggested that a range of capacity building workshops should be organised for women on leadership development. The Africa Women’s Forum was requested to incorporate such workshops into its next meeting.

The meeting urged the various African women’s movements to propose concrete strategies aimed at replenishing its ranks. This must include a strategic modality for preparing the future generation of Africans for critical leadership roles and the culture of peace.

The meeting was informed about the World Conference on Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Durban, South Africa. The meeting noted the significant negative impact of discrimination on conflict in Africa and on Africa women. Participants requested for greater involvement of women in the process leading up to and after the conference. They therefore called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as African governments to facilitate greater and effective participation by African women in the process.

Participants acknowledged the contributions of women in conflict management and regarded the meeting as a starting point in celebrating the accomplishments of African women in different parts of Africa. The valiant contributions of African women in the various peace processes in Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, the Mano River Union (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea) as well as other parts of Africa were regarded as instructive and inspiring.

Participants acknowledged the personal challenges and risks of the women who have led this process and called for greater recognition of their efforts. >>>continued