Women, Peace and Security Include us, don't ... - World YWCA

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CC 12Take Actionpolitical will backed-up with knowledge,skills and gender perspectives thatbring a qualitative contribution toconflict prevention, negotiations andpeace building.Secondly, it is also clear that womenmust accept that power is never given—even where there is a quota system,one has to assert, affirm, negotiate,position and present oneself as a leader.Therefore, growing and nurturing theleadership of women lies at the heart ofimplementing these resolutions. Thirdly,it is about resources. Implementingthese resolution demands financialresources, time, skills and expertise.Investments in women and girls inpeace building means a consciousapproach for resource prioritisation bythe various actors and communities.Lastly, the human rights ofwomen and men must be affirmed.Acknowledging the life long yearningfor humanity to live a life with dignity,in safety and with security, withthe necessary freedoms and theaccompanying responsibilities, iscrucial in ensuring internationalinstruments on peace and justice areeffectively implemented.The YWCA as a movement, foundedon Christian basis, continues to affirmthe mystery of creation, the uniquenessof being and the complimentary of lifeforms. Our nations lose direction whenthe spirit within is suppressed andnot nurtured, egos become the being,power to dominate creates strife andconflict. We must continue to reachdeep within for the spirit of sharing,respect and giving.By Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda,World YWCA General SecretaryCase studies:Post-electioncrisis in Kenyaand ZimbabweIn 2008, Kenya and Zimbabwe held general elections that endedin violence and instability. The YWCA movement responded withcompassion and a sense of urgency. This extract, from a reportby Hélène Yinda, Regional Director for Africa and the MiddleEast, on the World YWCA’s response to post-election conflict inKenya and Zimbabwe identifies the actions taken immediatelyfollowing the elections.Struggle forsurvival in ZimbabweIn Zimbabwe, political violencecharacterised the March 2008general elections and theensuing June run-off election.The context in Zimbabwe wasexacerbated by the dire economicsituation and lack of political spacein Zimbabwe before the electionsas well as the targeted internationalsanctions imposed on the country forseveral years.In response to the post-electioncrisis, which lasted six months,international aid and interventionswere restricted in the country.Nevertheless, the World YWCAbegan working with the YWCA ofZimbabwe even before the electionsgiving special support in responseto the economic crisis. The YWCA ofZimbabwe received an invitation toofficially observe the election and theWorld YWCA encouraged the YWCAof Zimbabwe to integrate advocacyinto their services work. Nearly 100YWCA members were trained andinvolved in the observation. Anxiousfor the safety of their members, theYWCA of Zimbabwe communicatedwww.worldywca.org
Take ActionCC 13their fears and insecure situation theywere operating in with the World YWCA.As the elections drew close, theWorld YWCA received frequent updatesfrom the YWCA of Zimbabwe andthe Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe.Updates were detailed and informative,even providing statistics at variousstages of the election process. Thisimportant information helped providea basic understanding of the situationof woman and girls in the country fromwhich the World YWCA could help tosupport strategic planning.The World YWCA invited twoZimbabweans to Geneva, a YWCAmember from the rural area and ayoung woman from the Girl ChildNetwork, to share their experience at aWorld YWCA parallel event during theUnited Nations Human Rights Council.Their individual experiences presentedto the UN and the Ecumenicalcommunity in Geneva helped elaboratethe difficult experiences of women andgirls throughout Zimbabwe.Women and girlsdisplaced in KenyaKenyans were not preparedfor the magnitude of thepost-election violence thattook place in January andFebruary 2008. Prior to the elections,the YWCA of Kenya had alreadyexperienced working with generalelections; they had facilitated trainingson women and civic education. WorldYWCA General Secretary, NyaradzayiGumbonzvanda was visiting Kenyaduring the general elections. Whenviolence broke out, she was able towork with the YWCA of Kenya to assesshow they could join with the women’smovement to contribute to peacebuilding in the post-election crisis.As Regional Director for Africaand the Middle East, I then made amission trip to Kenya in January andjoined the YWCA of Kenya in carryingout a Rapid Needs Assessment inpartnership with the Kenya Red CrossSociety to determine needs of womenNyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA General Secretary speaks with Raila Odinga, current KenyanPrime Minister, then presidential rival, during the Living Letters solidarity visit at which the YWCA broughtthe voice of women to political leaders. February 2008 (c) Juan Michel / WCCand children in camps for InternallyDisplaced Persons (IDPs), includingYWCA premises serving as shelter.Understanding what women were goingthrough in their homes, communitiesand especially in the camps forinternally displaced people, helped usassess the specific needs of women.As a movement, the YWCA did notexpect that the crisis would becomeso deeply entrenched. As the violencecontinued and the situation worsened,Gumbonzvanda and Geeske Zanen,World YWCA Board member, madea subsequent visit with the WorldCouncil of Churches Living LettersSolidarity team. Equipped with thestories and demands from womenand youth, Gumbondzvanda, Zanenand Mwajuma Abok, National GeneralSecretary of the YWCA of Kenya, wereable to bring women’s voice to themediation table.The advocacycontinuesThe World YWCA also includedYWCA members from Kenya andZimbabwe in its delegation to theAfrican Union Pre-Summit meeting inSharm el Sheikh, Egypt in June 2008.These members brought the women’sexperiences in Kenya and Zimbabweto the regional policy-making level.In both the case for Kenya andZimbabwe, the World YWCA actedas a catalyst and a facilitator, guidedby the 2007 World YWCA CouncilResolution on CEDAW and UNSCR1325. It was evident however thathaving a resolution is one thing, andbuilding the necessary strategy andplan for emergency response demandsa high level of commitment, resourcesand skills. The lessons learnt andexperience can feed into interventionsin other regions as they arise.By Hélène Yinda, RegionalDirector for Africa and theMiddle Eastwww.worldywca.org
Page 1 and 2: MARCH 2009 | ISSUE 140A PUBLICATION
Page 3 and 4: CC 3EditorialSusan BrennanWorld YWC
Page 5 and 6: YWCAs Around the WorldCC 5Participa
Page 7 and 8: FeatureCC 7In order to adequately p
Page 9 and 10: FeatureCC 9of veisiko, a group of w
Page 14 and 15: CC 14Young Womenon the MoveInclude
Page 16: CC 16Leading ChangeJourney to lasti
Page 20 and 21: CC 20BriefingFrom the World YWCAInt
Page 22: CC 22briefingcalls on member states

Women, Peace and Security Include us, don't ... - World YWCA

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?