A road to sustainable development and the implementation of legal instruments for gender equality
Auteurs: RFLD RESEARCH TEAM
To guarantee peace in society, it is important that each individual cultivates tolerance, accepts the diversity that exists between himself and his fellow man, respects collective and individual values, promotes and encourages the rights of minorities, and works daily to cultivate charity.
Gender equality, or equality between men and women, encompasses the notion that all human beings, men and women alike, are free to develop their personal abilities and make their own choices, unconstrained by stereotypes, rigid role division and prejudice. [1] Gender equality means that the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of men and women are taken into account, valued and encouraged in equal measure.It does not mean that men and women must become identical, but that their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will no longer depend on whether they belong to one sex or the other.[2] According to the UNESCO training guide on gender, equality means ensuring that women and men have access to the same opportunities, rights, opportunities to choose, material conditions, for example, equal access access to medical care, sharing of economic resources, equal participation in the in the exercise of political power…while respecting their specificities. [2]
What’s more, women’s rights are also human rights. According to the Beijing Platform for Action[1], they cover all aspects of life: health, education, political participation, economic well-being, freedom from violence, among many others.
Women and girls must be able to enjoy the full and equal exercise of all their human rights and be free from all forms of discrimination, as this dimension is fundamental to ensuring human rights, peace and security, and sustainable development.[3] A positive example of this is Rwanda, which, after a period of genocide, was able to put in place specific mechanisms to increase women’s political participation. These mechanisms include a constitutional guarantee, a quota system and innovative electoral structures[4].
Ainsi, il est possible d’avoir un environnement pacifique à travers la réduction des inégalités .
But what is peace?
“Peace is a continuous creation”[2].
Whether on a personal or professional level, locally, regionally, nationally or internationally, it’s an ongoing quest that requires action to make it sustainable.
The many political and ethnic conflicts on the international scene are the most visible elements on the media scene. But far beyond these conflicts, which have political, economic, social and cultural dimensions, many actions are taken on a daily basis that are likely to disturb existing peace or contribute to fuelling sources of tension that could lead to conflict. Indeed, when efforts to consolidate peace and ensure security and development are not effective on the ground, it is often because the gender dimensions of conflict have been neglected. [5] They are often exacerbated by violent conflict. It is becoming increasingly clear that gender equality in peace, security and development must be promoted if lasting peace and social stability are to be achieved. There are global trends towards inequality between men and women. For example, women tend to suffer violence from their partners more often than men; women’s political participation and representation is lower than men’s; women and men do not have the same economic opportunities; the majority of women live in conditions of poverty; a majority of women and girls work in the informal sector and are exposed to sex trade and trafficking. All these issues need to be addressed in order to promote gender equality.[6]Although policies are in place for gender mainstreaming in peace, security and development, many gaps in practical implementation remain.[6]Men and women, due to their different roles, responsibilities and access to power, have a different impact on conflicts and are affected differently by them, both negatively and positively. This influences the extent to which they can adapt, transform conflict dynamics and contribute to peace and development. Understanding these dynamics is essential for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and development. Gender identities and expectations can influence the underlying cultures of violence and discrimination, which must be targeted in order to prevent conflict and achieve peace. Indeed, it is now increasingly recognized that there is a link between gender-sensitive approaches and more equitable, inclusive and sustainable responses to conflict. [7]
The Peacebuilding Initiative, a project designed in partnership with the UN Peacebuilding Support Office to share information within the peacebuilding community, emphasizes that there are two key dimensions to adopting a gender-based approach to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. First, the approach must recognize the differences between women and men, ensuring that women’s interests and needs are met. Secondly, the approach must recognize the key roles that women play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and facilitate these roles wherever possible (Peacebuilding Initiative, 2009).[7].
To guarantee peace through the reduction of inequalities, it is necessary to foster conditions conducive to the independence and empowerment of women, as well as their participation at all levels.
However, a dual approach is needed, consisting on the one hand of specifically supporting women’s empowerment, and on the other of integrating gender equality into all programs and policies. This ensures that changing roles and relationships can be taken into account[8].
In addition to physical insecurity, women in post-conflict situations face extreme poverty, the destruction of social networks and coping mechanisms, poor employment opportunities and livelihoods, and their exclusion from political and decision-making structures. If the causes of women’s physical, economic and socio-political insecurity are not resolved, the achievement of lasting peace and development will be compromised.
In circumstances of displacement and instability, while both men and women must adapt to the loss of social networks and the destruction of traditional coping strategies, women may feel this loss more keenly because of their greater involvement and responsibility in the daily demands of family and community life. Because they are often excluded from decision-making processes, have their rights violated to a greater extent and have less access to resources than men, women often find it more difficult than men to adapt to the transformation of social, political and economic relations. [9]
According to Wiki Gender, worldwide, women’s participation in formal peace processes is very low. According to a 2012 study analyzing 31 peace processes that took place between 1992 and 2011, only 4% of signatories, 2.4% of mediators and 9% of witnesses were women. [10] The under-representation of women is much more marked in these negotiating bodies than in other public decision-making bodies, where women remain under-represented, but where the gap is tending to close more steadily. [10] However, women have always been very active in public campaigns and mobilizations for peace with governments or armed groups. This informal role is often crucial but not very visible in formal peace negotiation forums. [1, 11]
This shows that more needs to be done to recognize women as active players and agents of change in peace-building processes.
Gender inequalities can reflect wider power imbalances that exist in society, and are therefore important indicators of the levels of quality and access to security, justice and economic empowerment experienced by a given population.
Adopting a gender approach to development issues such as health, education and human security could contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding, notably by empowering women and providing them with the skills and resources they need to participate actively in public life. This would enable both men and women to be better equipped and more resilient to adapt and respond to changing circumstances, including in situations of insecurity and instability.
In conclusion, why are gender issues relevant to peace, security and development?
Gender analysis is a useful tool that can help us see and influence the differences in power and identity that fuel conflict and play a role in creating peace, security and development.
International commitments that call for the integration of a gender perspective into peace and development, such as SCR 1325[3] and CEDAW[4], must be respected and implemented.
Both women and men have the right to be involved in, benefit from and be empowered by peace-building and development.
To guarantee peace through the reduction of inequalities, we need to move towards gender-sensitive peacebuilding. Peacebuilding and development processes can offer opportunities for populations affected during conflict, and can provide space to support a more equitable redistribution of power, resources and influence within households, communities and society as a whole.
REFERENCES
1 Egalité et Equité entre les genres
2 Module de Formation de l’UNESCO
Click to access L1final_01.pdf
3 Le Programme d’action de Beijing : inspirations d’hier et d’aujourd’hui
http://beijing20.unwomen.org/fr/in-focus/human-rights
http://www.genreenaction.net/Femmes-et-Democratie-participative-quelle-lecon.html
5 Mainstreaming Gender in Peacebuilding: A Framework for Action From the Village Council to the Negotiating Table: Women in Peacebuilding.
6 Gender Mainstreaming an overview
7 A Gendered Approach to Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
8 Equal Participation of Women and Men in Decision-Making Processes, with Particular Emphasis on Political Participation and Leadership
Click to access FinalReport.pdf
9 Women and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Issues and Sources, Birgitte S ̄rensen
10 ONU Femmes, « Participation des femmes aux négociations de paix : Présence et influence », aoûthttp://www.unwomen.org/~/media/Headquarters/Media/Publications/fr/WPSsourcebook-03A-WomenPeaceNegotiations-fr%20pdf.pdf
11 ONU Femmes, « Prévenir les
Conflits, Transformer la Justice, Obtenir la Paix », Étude mondiale sur la
mise en œuvre de la résolution 1325 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations
Unies,2015 http://wps.unwomen.org/~/media/files/un%20women/wps/highlights/language%20version%20of%20global%20study/unw-global-study-1325-2015-fr.pdf
[1]http://beijing20.unwomen.org/fr/about
[3]Résolution 1325 du Conseil de Sécurité sur les femmes, la paix et la sécurité
[4]La Convention sur l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’égard des femmes (CEDAW)
