“Gender analysis of militarism is essential to both feminists and peace activists who are working toward a world free of all forms of violence, injustice and oppression” Colleen Burke
2. There is a consensus that Sexual violence can be used as weapon of war.
3. The relationship between war and sexual violence
4. Children living in war zones are at high risk of developing post-traumatic stress and other emotional disorders.
https://www.rescue.org/article/five-refugee-women-who-made-history
https://vimeo.com/128182384
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2015/06/18/the-countries-with-the-most-refugees-per-1000-inhabitants-infographic/#2ec12c285561
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/rewind/2018/05/gaza-children-conflict-180503061129634.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rf-K2DWoWY&feature=youtu.be
https://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPDFViewer.html?docid=561e54069&query=women%20refugee
Militarism, Survival in Conflict Zones, and Refugees. Militarism, Survival in Conflict Zones, and Refugees. Overview of some major challenges Facing us today We have a set of topics in this module that relate to human conflict and its effects. The three inter-related issues are militarism, survival in conflict zones, and refugees. 1 What is Militarism? Militarism is an ideology that can range from believing that a strong military is necessary to a glorification of military institutions, values and goals, including glorification of war. This ideology is found in societies that also put their resources into military spending. http://www.tencate.com/themes/military/default.aspx https://1cezar.wordpress.com/ https://www.ces.sdsu.edu/military 3 Militarism and Masculinity The military has traditionally been an institution that is extremely masculine When you have militarism, it is important to pay attention to the gendered nature of what is happening What are the social priorities in that society? How are women treated? This is a large and complex topic, so we will just be skimming the surface of it! Why Gender Matters Women as victims of militarism and violence Women as terrorists and supporters of militarism Women as peacemakers Counteracting terrorism by addressing women’s concerns Amy Caiazza (2001) “Why Gender Matters in Understanding September 11: Women, Militarism, and Violence.” Institute for Women’s Policy Research Publication #I908 What are “Conflict Zones”? “Conflict zones” refer to areas of the world where fighting is going on, whether there is a declared war or not. The conflict can be between two or more armed groups, which may include states (i.e., official military) or within a state, between government troops and non-governmental groups, insurgents, or between non-governmental groups. Data on current conflict zones? Search online to see various maps that document current conflict zones Center for Civilians in Conflict -- an NGO that works to minimize harm from armed conflict http://civiliansinconflict.org/our-work/research-documentation/tracking/ Council on Foreign Relations – screenshot on 2015-Nov-12 8 What are Refugees? “Refugee” has a specific meaning in international law: 1951 Refugee Convention: A refugee is someone who: "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." http://www.cwsglobal.org/blog/refugee-mothers-endless-potential.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ retrieved 2015-Nov-14 Somali mother in Kakuma Camp in Kenya 2013. http://www.statisticbrain.com/refugee-statistics/ retrieved 2015-Nov-14 9 UN High Commission for Refugees There is an agency of the UN devoted to working with refugees. UNHCR or UN Refugee Agency Refugees are theoretically, and legally (under international law), distinct from migrants. Refugees move in order to save their lives or freedom. Migrants move to improve their economic or social prospects. http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-border-unaccompanied-children 10 Refugee? Or Migrant? In practice, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish. Example: 2014 influx of children from Central America, particularly El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, to the US. While there was a lot of evidence that extreme gang killings prompted the migration, many in the US government were skeptical of that and claimed they were just economic migrants. More now than any time in history! In recent months (October 2015), the UN Refugee Agency has announced that we currently have more refugees and displaced persons in the world than at any time in human history, about 13 million. This is in addition to the 5 million in camps set up specifically for Palestinians in 1949. Women & Gender? So, how do all of these things relate to women and gender? The simple answer is that traditionally men make war, but women and children are affected by many aspects of conflict, as the article by Amy Caiazza and other materials show. Imagine dealling with pregnancy and childbirth while in a refugee camp. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/07/11/201212747/Pregnant-And-Under-Fire-Delivering-In-A-War-Zone retrieved 2015-Nov-14 13 Breakdown of family & communities Loss of homes and livelihoods Men are killed, leave to fight, or are conscripted, leaving necessary subsistence work undone In societies with high male power and low female status, women are unable to access male decision-making structures Women may lack ways for their voices to be heard on issues that affect their lives and those of their children. Conflict and VAW “War magnifies the gendered structure of violence” (Burn, p. 33) Sexual violence is a frequent outcome of war and refugee status. Gender-based violence within the family can also be made worse, as the stress people are under becomes extreme. http://www.genderacrossborders.com/2009/11/09/domestic-violence-in-conflict-zones/ https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/domestic-violence-post-conflict-settings-interventions-shelters-and-policy-recommendations 15 Displacement “Displacement is a disempowering experience for both men and women. For women, this takes the form of added tasks or longer time spent on traditional activities such as childcare, care for the elderly, domestic work and the search for sufficient fuel and water. In addition, many of these tasks become significantly more dangerous as attacks and rape in refugee-populated areas are frequent.” UN Refugee Report 2015 Photo from UNHCR http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c25d-page2.html retrieved 2015-Nov-14 16 GBV in Refugee Work Gender Based Violence (GBV in the UN refugee literature) has become a major concern in refugee work. Look at the Action Plan for Somali refugees returning to Somalia from Kenya, around p. 10 you will see specifics laid out related to making the situation safer for women. Let’s delve into this! Only a quick overview – now check out the other materials to learn more!