Human Security Campaigns: Past, Present and Future: WPS Flashcards
How much is Human Trafficking worth globally per year?
$150 billion
What percentage of trafficked people are women and where do they mostly come from?
80% women from conflict zones
4 important things to remember about war
- It is a gendered experience
- intersectionality occurs
- context is key
- a variety of things can be weaponised e.g. sexual violence
What groups carry out sexual violence in conflict?
all sides e.g. NATO troops in Kosovo buying sex from trafficked women
Is there a correlation between warfare and domestic violence?
yes
5 important points about weaponizing sexual and gender-based violence
- cheap to deploy and is an effective threat
- dehumanising effect
- breaks bonds between fighters and family
- Can target men in gendered military roles by manipulating to attack masculinity
- the psychological impact of manipulating gender roles
Is there a clear divide between conflict and post-conflict?
no. Violence especially sexual violence does not necessarily stop with peace agreement and the consequences of sexual and gender-based violence endure e.g. Stigma, shame, physical harm
Give the 7 elements of violence and conflict that Men, especially youth, are most likely to be subjected to
- Kidnap
- Torture
- Detention
- Forcible recruitment
- Non-combatant deaths
- Combatant deaths
- Landmines
Give the 6 elements of violence and conflict that Women are primarily subjected to
- displacement
- Sexual violence
- forced labor
- care for casualties
- single head of household
- trafficking
Srebrenica
Massacre in Bosnia 1995 which occurred within an area mainly populated by Muslims who were known to be extremely vulnerable and were supposed to be protected by the UN
What does the International Criminal Tribunal (for the former) Yugoslavia testimony state regarding Srebrenica?
That the Bosnian Serbs were gathered together, women were sent right, men sent left
How many women survived the Srebrenica massacre and what were they subjected to?
20-30,000 but were subject to violence such as abuse and rape
How many men were killed in the Srebrenica massacre?
8000, they were put in mass graves
What was one of the things that happened to women following the Srebrenica massacre?
They were forced into rape camps where they were detained and forced to perform traditional women’s tasks (cooking, cleaning) and were subject to constant rape by soldiers and police
What major event occurred in 2016 in relation to the Srebrenica massacre?
The first reparations were paid to women victims of sexual violence
Sierra Leone
- Women were forced to move along the front line with the soldiers
- forced marriage and pregnancy
- supporting the war effort
Rwanda
- sexual violence was used as an integral part of the ethnic cleansing and genocide objectives
- ‘Raped as women, murdered as Tutsis’’
- 250-500,000 women raped
- used to dehumanize, objectify, breed out the enemy and make carrying out other violence easier
Syria/Lebanon/Jordan
- within these places forced marriage as a response to economic duress, suffering and lack of opportunities is prominent
- it aims to protect individuals from economic duress, rape, and domestic violence
- child marriage key
- In Syria, this has been steadily rising (12% in 2011 rising to 32% in 2014)
ISIS
- Yazidi women deeply enmeshed in theology of IS and bureaucracy
- Have ‘warehouses’ where women are sold with courts that notarize the sales
- a 12 year old= worth 1 packet of cigarettes
- sexual slavery is integrated into the IS economy and legal structure
Leymah Gbowee
- Peace activist leader in Liberia who was responsible for leading the women’s peace movement
- Bought together women from all different groups
- used argument that these are our sons and husbands, we have a different story to tell and want peace
Mothers of the disappeared Argentina
- Children disappeared during periods of state terrorism and military dictatorships between 1976-83
- aim to find out what happened to their children
- marches in defiance of the state= weekly
- International campaign-> signs with photos and publicizing their children’s names
- raised awareness globally of the human rights abuses occurring
- the military has admitted that 9,000 still unaccounted for but Mothers say closer to 30,000
Name the 11th most unequal place in the world
Colombia
During what period were only 2 political parties in power in Colombia?
1848-1991
What occurred following the assassination of liberal reformer Jorge Gaitan in Colombia?
-la violencia ensued between conservative and liberal supporters
How many lives did La Violencia claim?
300,000
What ended la violencia how did this impact the next period of violence in Colombia?
The political Parties came to a compromise which left no hope for those wanting major reform
How did FARC and ELN emerge?
from the armed groups involved in La violencia they became leftist insurgencies that seek to replace the government
What significantly alters the Colombian conflict in 1997?
The formation of AUC, a govenment supported group trying to get rid of the guerrillas through ‘dirty wars’
What % of women make up FARC?
40%
What % of Women make up ELN?
30%
What % of Women make up AUC?
10%
Name 5 things that occur during the conflict in Colombia?
- Displacement
- Torture
- assasinations
- sexual violence
What percentage of the Colombian population were displaced as a result of the conflict?
12%
Who was the worst affected by the Colombian conflict
Women’s, Afro-Colombian and indigenous rights defenders, journalists, laborers, LGBTQ
How many people were dead by 2005 as a result of the Colombian conflict?
250,000 dead, 5.8 million displaced
How did the armed groups fund themselves?
Through cocaine production and trade, human trafficking, kidnapping
What is the key issue facing Colombia?
reconciling the differences between elites and peasants
What percentage of SGBV was carried out by AUC?
58%
How many people are on the national register of victims in Colombia?
8,500,000, however, the actual number of victims is likely to be far higher
What percentage of people on the Colombian national victims register are displaced peoples
70%
The Colombian 2005 Justice and Peace Law
- any combatant who voluntarily demobilizes receives complete amnesty unless they have committed war crimes
- introduces transitional justice process with 2005 law to convince the really bad people to demobilize
- This law reduces sentences in return for voluntary confessions, reparations to victims and promise not to return to arms
- Does not include justice for SGBV
What is the name of the constitutional court ruling in Colombia that consequently acts to include SGBV in the 2005 JPL?
Court ruling 092 from 2008
What is the impunity rate for SGBV in Colombia?
98.8%
What happens to those who seek justice for SGBV in Colombia?
They find themselves threatened due to the need to testify etc
Groups often try to silence them through killing, disappearing which creates more forms of violence
face foul language i.e. “A death sentence on the guerrilla bitches of the FARC that are opposing the policies of our government.”
Give the 10 things it is important to consider when forming a justice and rebuilding process
- Compensation for participation
- Remote engagement
- Care for children during testimony
- protection fo victims and placing them at heightened risk
- Social taboos- lower participation from certain groups
- Support services: risk ‘re-victimising’ through testimony
- combating impunity
- who will gather the testimony?
- What will justice look like?
- What crimes? Processes? Punishment?
New Transitional Justice Program for Colombia 2017
- Similar to the one used for paramilitaries except it is for guerillas and other groups
- was part of the peace accords that took 5 years to negotiate in Cuba
What does the New Transitional Justice program for Colombia do in terms of punishment?
Makes the punishment dependent on the extent to which the perpetrator confesses the truth, the more truth the lighter the punishment.
The extent of the compensation they provide their victim with also determines the extent of their sentence
How long are the sentences typically?
5-8 years if tell truth, however, they are not served in prisons they just place limits on where the individual is allowed to go
What is the sentence if the individual does not tell the truth?
10-20 years but no longer
How long are the reduced sentences to be served by soldiers?
2-5 years
Do the same sentences apply to state agents?
yes
Key issue with regards to the arms amnesty in Colombia
topography and access to the weapons
The vote on the peace accords
Big issue 51% said no
Key issue with the end of the conflict in Colombia
integration back into society given how lucrative the likes of cocaine are, not much opportunity in Colombian society unless highly educated, so trying to introduce programs to provide them with work and help upskill etc. this should not have been dependent on the peace agreement though
By what percentage are peace agreements more likely to succeed if women are involved? Why?
- 35%
- being perceived as the outsider has advantages
- ignoring women creates a blind spot
- includes other perspectives
key development in WPS in 1915
The Hague Congress= Women urged for their participation following ww1, laws of war were formed to regulate the means and methods of warfare and provide protections
Key development in WPS 1949
The Geneva Conventions, these provided protection for civilians, including against prostitution and sexual violence, however, they do not apply to crimes committed by one’s own force or outside of conflict zones
CEDAW
1979 emphasised women’s participation and agency
Key action of the ICC in 2002
incorporated SGBV into their statute
UNSC Resolution 1325
- October 2000
- the product of the World Conference on Women (1995, Beijing)
- This resolution was viatl in spurring other resolutions on related issues for example resolution 2016 which focuses on accountability of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict and stresses women’s political and economic empowerment
Pillar One of UNSC resolution 1325
acknowledges the importance of participation of Women in Multiple roles at all stages of conflict resolution and prevention
Pillar Two of UNSC 1325
Should incorporate gender perspectives into all policies and proograms both international and domestic
Pillar Three of UNSC 1325
Prevention and Protection for survivors
Pillar four of UNSC 1325
Combat impunity
Fourth Conference on Women Beijing 1995
- 50,000 participants, over 150 govts represented
- concluded that “peace is inextricably linked with equality between women, men, and development… equal access in all efforts for the prevention and resolution of conflict are essential…”
Major development for current state of WPS at the UN
UN now has a special representative on sexual and gender based violence
What does WPS exemplify?
A successful example of moving forward in the Human Security Discourse
3 Key issues with WPS
- it is focused on women not all genders
- the focus on sexual violence obscures other harms like displacement, asylum laws and economic vulnerability
- Add women and stir approach
Within the 21 Peace processes that occurred between 1992 and 2013 what percentage of signatories, witnesses, and negotiators were women?
Signatories 4%
Witnesses 3%
Negotiators 9%
What percentage of UN operation members are women?
Police 8%
PK 2%
What Percentage of senior UN appointments in 2015 were men?
92%
What percentage of funding for peacebuilding places emphasis on women as a central component?
6%
Somalia
-Interclan marriage means women have greater mobility and contact between clans
Afghanistan
Women provide an early warning for impending violence as they notice attempts to recruit and radicalise children
Syria
- when women aren’t seen as a threat thye can move between communities which aids in teh negotiation process
- Women critical for negotiating humanitarian access
Melissa LaBonte and Gaynel Curry
- question whether the aims of WPS have been achieved yet and argue that there have been mixed results
- while it has reshaped perceptions of females as victims and recaste them as agents and partners in creating change
- however have been constrained by bussiness as usual approach
SG Moon 2010
Women’s involvement cannot be an after thought
What percentage of the 2012-13 $10 million worth of OECD DAC funding for peacebuilding and transition was earmarked with gender equality as key objective?
2%
How many of all the civil wars that erupted between 2003 and 2010 were a resumption of previous civil wars? What does this matter with regards to women?
All. yet women are still excluded
Of the 16 current peacekeeping operations, how many are led by women?
5
What percentage of all male-dominated peacekeeping efforts fail within 5 years?
50%
How do Labonte and Curry argue the likelihood of achieving the WPS goals can be increased?
- linking it into other initaitives
- investing in the required resources
By 2012 what percentage of the population held half of colombian land?
1%
-in- women in Putumayo is widowed?
1 in 10
What percentage of IDPs in Colombia are women and children?
78%
What percentage of IDPs in Colombia fled because of sexual violence?
17.7%
FARC and sexual violence
doesn’t use sexual violence against women for territorial control. prohibits rape and sexual harassment, this is odd for a paramilitary militia
Colombian Government Directive 11
Issued 2010 zero tolerance for sexual violence, however, state security continued to engage in it
What is the best predictor of peace and stability?
how a state treats women
The Colombian constitution
Recognises women’s rights penalizes violence against women and SGBV, guarantees political participation and leadership roles, equal access to state resources, guarantees women’s relief and recovery from conflict
Victims and Land Restitution Law 2011
establishes preferential treatment for women seeking restitution after having been expelled from their lands and provides specific reparations for women and girl survivors of sexual survivors of sexual violence
What percentage of mayoral seats do women hold in Colombia?
9.8%
Why did women join armed groups in Colombia?
opportunities such as literacy
How many of the agreements reached between the Colombian Government and armed groups between 1990-4 contained a women’s signature?
One
What occurred in 2000 to try secure a greater role for women? How many women participated?
a big hearing 600 women particpated
Cordoba
Key figure in opening communication between FARC and the govt
facilitated the release of more than 12 hostages and helped build the confidence needed for peace talks
2012 Colombian Peace talks
all men at the table except for one Norwegian moderator but 40-50% of participants at regional working groups were women
3 Key demands of women in the 2012 peace negotiations in Colombia
stay till agreement reached
women to be included every step way
consider women’s interests
What percentage of staff at the Office of High Commissioner for Peace are women?
80%
Gender breakdown of the sub-commission on Ending the Conflict
- 25% women
- 3/10 FARC
- 2/10 govt
