Promoting IDPs' and Women's Voices in Post-Conflict Georgia

More documents

Recommendations

Info

even IDPs themselves. The HRBA seeks to counter this perspective, while also linking IDPs as rightsholderswith the Georgian government and other stakeholders as duty-bearers.Gender equality is a central consideration within HRBA. In this case, we seek to promote men’s andwomen’s equal access to opportunities for participation, so a gender-based approach is also afoundation of our research. UNDP defines a gender-based analysis as the “collection and analysis of sexdisaggregatedinformation” based on the assumption that women and men have different experiences,knowledge, talents and needs. 59 Gender analysis systematically explores these differences as expressedthrough avenues such as participation, resources, norms and values, and rights so that policies,programs and projects can identify and meet the different needs of men and women. 60 Moreover, theyshould ensure that non-discrimination in access to resources based on different aspects of identity.In this context, it was crucial to consider that men and women may experience displacement differentlydue to their gender; they may also face different needs, opportunities and barriers when it comes toparticipating in civic life. Therefore, we have mainstreamed consideration of gender throughout ourresearch and analysis.To employ both of these approaches, the following international human rights instruments (to whichGeorgia is a party or accepts as the UN Member State) and some of their relevant articles provide aframework for our analysis: 61• Universal Declaration of Human Rightso Article 2: Non-discrimination• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightso Article 2: Non-discriminationo Article 3: Equal rights of men and womeno Article 25: Right to voteo Article 26: Equal protection without discrimination• European Convention on Human Rightso Article 14: Non-discriminationo Article 3 (Protocol 1): Right to hold free elections• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Womeno Article 2: States need to enact policy to eliminate discriminationo Article 5: Modification of social and cultural norms to support gender equalityo Article 7: Support for women’s involvement in political and public life59 UNDP. Quick Entry Points to Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Democratic Governance Clusters. 2007. 4.60 European Commission. A Guide to Gender Impact Assessment. 1998. 5.61 See Appendix C for a more detailed list of the relevant articles in these instruments.19
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Securityo Article 1: Increase representation of women at all decision-making levels in conflictresolution and peace processeso Article 8: Adopt a gender perspective in peace agreements• The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement 62 :This document provides the cornerstone of our analysis of the participation of IDPs in Georgia.The Guiding Principles comprise an internationally-recognized (though non-binding) standard ofrights specific to IDPs and corresponding duties of governments and other actors “providingassistance and protection to IDPs.” 63 The Guiding Principles define three “durable solutions” todisplacement: integration in the place of displacement, 64 resettlement to another part of thecountry, and dignified safe return. The Guiding Principles name national authorities as theprimary duty-bearers with responsibility to “establish the conditions, as well as provide themeans” to make each of these solutions available for IDPs to choose freely. 65 Central to ourproject is the provision that national authorities and other duty-bearers make special efforts to“ensure the full participation of displaced persons in the planning and management of theirreturn, resettlement and integration.” 66 The Government of Georgia notes the relevance of theGuiding Principles in its policies documents. However, it narrows the Guiding Principles’definition of IDPs failing to include people displaced by natural disasters, focusing only on thosefrom the conflict regions.Research ProcessWe determined that a qualitative research strategy would allow us to gain the most nuancedunderstanding of factors influencing IDPs’ political participation. While our findings cannot be taken asproving causation or as being representative of all IDPs in Georgia, the scope of our analysis supportsgreater understanding of opportunities for greater and more effective inclusion of IDPs in policymaking.In addition to desk research, our assessment is based on original source materials gathered throughroughly 70 semi-structured and spontaneous personal interviews and five focus groups. Team membersconducted two field visits to Georgia totaling 24 days, with fieldwork done in Tbilisi, Zugdidi, Koda,62 Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Brookings – LSE Project on Internal Displacement. Web. 15 Dec. 2011.63 Ibid.64 We adopt an understanding of the term “integration” that is specific to the Georgian context. The discourse in Georgia onthis topic ranges from viewing integration as mutually exclusive with IDPs’ return to their former home, while the more recentview presented in the state strategy suggests that these two concepts can also be complementary. 64 We also differentiatebetween integration and assimilation. The former term usually refers to migrant groups both adjusting to life in their newenvironment and maintaining their identity, while the latter generally refers to a process whereby the distinguishing markersbetween migrant groups and host societies fall away. 64 These issues become relevant when considering the current situation ofprotracted displacement in Georgia and its effects on the ways in which integration and assimilation play a role in IDPs lives.These issues also relate to the extent to which the broader society views displaced persons as a distinct social group.65 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. 2004. 14.66 Ibid.20
Page 2 and 3: Promoting IDPs’ and Women’s Voi
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSAcronyms and Abbreviations
Page 6 and 7: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYInternally displac
Page 8 and 9: THE WOMEN’S POLITICAL RESOURCE CE
Page 10 and 11: fair reporting on politically sensi
Page 12 and 13: people-to-people diplomacy efforts
Page 14 and 15: and the Guiding Principles, in Febr
Page 16 and 17: an effort to address these stereoty
Page 18 and 19: The identities, perceptions, and re
Page 22 and 23: Karaleti settlement, and Potskho-Et
Page 24 and 25: displacement differently, with men
Page 26 and 27: on an equal footing with men in for
Page 28 and 29: The Ministry for Internally Displac
Page 30 and 31: Defender’s Office) and leave no r
Page 32 and 33: prominent national level IDP NGO wo
Page 34 and 35: in the past but none have yet to be
Page 36 and 37: Grassroots Peacebuilding EffortsCiv
Page 38 and 39: esettlement and local integration h
Page 40 and 41: ability to contribute to the new Ac
Page 42 and 43: Women convened a working group to a
Page 44 and 45: were involved, in addition to “wo
Page 46 and 47: towards addressing this population
Page 48 and 49: waves. 224 A Conciliation Resources
Page 50 and 51: governing shelter requirements. 238
Page 52 and 53: esults of eviction on those who did
Page 54 and 55: FINDINGSSIPA team member Drilon Gas
Page 56 and 57: unique opportunities exist for them
Page 58 and 59: an important opportunity for women
Page 60 and 61: early morning…when I was going to
Page 62 and 63: our office to investigate these iss
Page 64 and 65: on this? It’s impossible.” 322
Page 66 and 67: high levels of unemployment and pov
Page 68 and 69: groups do not differentiate between
Page 70 and 71:
funding and influence to implement
Page 72 and 73:
een in operation for two years or l
Page 74 and 75:
organization, and highlighted that
Page 76 and 77:
The Education System’s Influence
Page 78 and 79:
system has an important role to pla
Page 80 and 81:
Political FactorsMany elements of t
Page 82 and 83:
international organizations working
Page 84 and 85:
uling party. 433 There were some si
Page 86 and 87:
especially highly-influential broad
Page 88 and 89:
ationale behind the government’s
Page 90 and 91:
international working for a major d
Page 92 and 93:
Also, according to a World Bank rep
Page 94 and 95:
willing to challenge authorities th
Page 96 and 97:
The lack of narrative connecting po
Page 98 and 99:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GEORGIAN GO
Page 100 and 101:
the government also needs to commit
Page 102 and 103:
‣ Continue to support and expand
Page 104 and 105:
‣ Address male IDP needs (Immedia
Page 106 and 107:
The campaign should have a face, su
Page 108 and 109:
APPENDIX BList of IntervieweesLocal
Page 110 and 111:
Kristy KellyLincoln MitchellLawrenc
Page 112 and 113:
Article 10 - Non-discrimination in
Page 114 and 115:
Principle 18.1 - Adequate standard
Page 116 and 117:
Esaiashvili, Mariam (Official, Mini
Page 118 and 119:
Lanskoy, Miriam and Giorgi Areshidz
Page 120:
Transparency International Georgia.
show all

Promoting IDPs' and Women's Voices in Post-Conflict Georgia

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?