Women's Rights

"Catch-22": The Role of Development Institutions in Promoting Gender Equality in Land Law - Lessons Learned in Post-Conflict Pluralist Africa

Citation:

Kapur, Amrita. 2011. "'Catch-22': The Role of Development Institutions in Promoting Gender Equality in Land Law– Lessons Learned in Post-Conflict Pluralist Africa." Buffalo Human Rights Law Review 17: 75-116.

Author: Amrita Kapur

Abstract:

This article explores the contours of development policies as they have been applied to pluralistic legal systems, with a specific focus on their effects on women in post-conflict African countries. Drawing on research that firmly establishes the importance of women's social, economic and political participation in post-conflict development, it identifies the flaws in gender-neutral land titling initiatives introduced and encouraged by development institutions. It then describes the gender-sensitive laws enacted as a response to continuing gender discriminatory practices in Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda. While taking into account the existence of customary law, these laws explicitly affirm women's rights with respect to land, property and inheritance.

However, the central government's reliance on local informal governance structures to apply and enforce these laws creates a "Catch-22" situation, whereby the local elites with the power to enforce the law are precisely the people who continue to apply gender-discriminatory customary norms, particularly with respect to land rights. The experiences of the three progressive societies mentioned above are analyzed to provide insight into how statutory and customary systems can develop from divergent conflicting legal orders into a more synthesized union of laws which protects women's land rights and is universally enforced.

Topics: Development, Conflict, Gender, Women, Governance, Post-Conflict, Political Participation, Rights, Land Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa Countries: Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda

Year: 2011

Sustainable Transitions to Peace Need Women's Groups and Feminists: Questioning Donor Interventions in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Citation:

Isaković, Nela Porobić, and Gorana Mlinarević. 2019. "Sustainable Transitions to Peace Need Women's Groups and Feminists: Questioning Donor Interventions in Bosnia and Herzegovina." Journal of International Affairs 72 (2): 173-90.

Authors: Nela Porobíc Isaković, Gorona Mlinarević

Abstract:

This paper argues that women’s groups and feminists should be engaged, supported, and integrated into peacebuilding processes to ensure a sustainable and just transition from war to peace. By reflecting on the experiences of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country’s post-conflict reconstruction and recovery processes, which took on a neoliberal character, the article shows how international politics within the framework of peacebuilding and development were exclusionary in their understanding of gendered experiences of war. At the same time, international politics intervened in a post-war conceptualization of gender equality. By analyzing the interventions, the paper argues that the failure to recognize the importance of addressing gendered experiences of war, as well as patriarchal and structural inequalities, immediately within the peace process and as an integral part of post-conflict recovery strategies, has impaired the building of a sustainable peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We argue that the sustainability and quality of the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina would have benefited from interventions that engaged, supported, and integrated a grassroots feminist movement. A grassroots feminist movement that puts patriarchal and structural inequalities at the center would have been able to formulate contextualized strategies in response to the challenges that are posed before a country coming out of war.

Keywords: gender equality, feminism, women's rights, nongovernmental organizations, peace negotiation, peace treaties, peacemaking

Topics: Gender, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Patriarchy, Gender Equality/Inequality, NGOs, Peacebuilding, Peace Processes, Post-Conflict, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Europe, Balkans, Eastern Europe Countries: Bosnia & Herzegovina

Year: 2019

Women’s Work and the Growth of the Civil Society in Post-War Bosnia

Citation:

Simmons, Cynthia. 2007. “Women’s Work and the Growth of the Civil Society in Post-War Bosnia.” Nationalities Papers 35 (1): 171-85.

Author: Cynthia Simmons

Abstract:

Civil society, to the extent that it exists today in Bosnia, has developed alongside the recasting of women’s roles in public life. Researchers equate civil society in Bosnia today almost exclusively with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The early post-war NGOs grew out of the peace movement that took shape before and during the open conflict of 1992–1995. Peace organizations evolved to a large extent from feminist organizing and organizations in the Yugoslav republics of Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Thus, to study the origins of Bosnian civil society, we must begin with the struggle for equal rights for women in modern Yugoslavia.

Topics: Civil Society, Feminisms, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, NGOs, Post-Conflict, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Europe, Balkans Countries: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Yugoslavia (former)

Year: 2007

The Role of Women in Peace-building in South Sudan

Citation:

Mai, Nyathon James Hoth. 2015. The Role of Women in Peace-building in South Sudan. Juba: The Sudd Institute. 

Author: Nyathon James Hoth Mai

Keywords: peacemaking, gender equality, reconciliation, women's rights, affirmative action, Peace Negotiations, funding

Annotation:

Summary:
“Grounded in the prevalent under-representation of women in peace building processes, this brief explores why women’s role in peace building is critical more generally and particularly in South Sudan. Second, the brief examines the opportunities the recent Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS) offers women in the upcoming peace building efforts. Third, it assesses the challenges that hinder the effective participation of women in peace building. Lastly, it proposes recommendations that may help address this persistent underutilization of women’s vast skills to support durable peace in South Sudan.

"The paper argues that women’s role in peace building is essential. This is because 1) South Sudanese women have played instrumental roles in resolving past conflicts, which give them experiences and skills that are crucial in the current peace building process, 2) women’s activities in peace building support healing and reconciliation efforts for women are known for bridging conflicts related divides, 3) war impacts on women quite differently, and as such, their needs and peace-building priorities are different from those of men, and 4) it is a constitutional right and an international obligation that women participate in peace-building activities.

"The current peace-building phase in South Sudan offers an opportunity for promoting gender equity, advancing the position of women in the society, mainstreaming women’s perspectives in all the pillars of peace-building and increasing their participation in leadership. This could be done through revision of and recommitment to laws and policies to address historical inequalities and root causes of conflict. However, the patriarchal nature of the South Sudanese society and the associated customary laws, the background on which peace-building works are to be executed, has in the past hindered (may still hinder) women’s participation in public life. These factors are exacerbated by the underlying lack of political will, limited funding, ethnic politics, weak institutions, and the high illiteracy rate among women. Further, these factors could be aggravated by the current move to militarize the government, evident by recent appointments of states’ caretaker governors. While some of these issues are associated with the long-term problems of underdevelopment that South Sudan faces, any meaningful change requires immediate progress on all fronts. It remains to be seen what impact the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) will make towards improving gender equity in building sustainable yet inclusive peace.

"There is a need for gender stratified intensification and tailoring of capacity building efforts, provision of more funding to support women’s role in public life, implementation of the 25% affirmative action across the board, and mainstreaming gender perspectives in all sectors of South Sudan. These initiatives may promote women’s greater participation in peace-building processes, hence sustainable peace” (Mai 2015, 1-2).

Topics: Gender, Gender Roles, Gender Mainstreaming, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equity, Peacebuilding, Peace Processes, Political Participation, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: South Sudan

Year: 2015

Colombia: Women Waging War and Peace

Citation:

Darden, Jessica Trisko, Alexis Henshaw, and Ora Szekely. 2019. "Colombia: Women Waging War and Peace." In Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars, 57-77. Georgetown University Press.

Authors: Jessica Trisko Darden, Alexis Henshaw, Ora Szekely

Annotation:

Summary:
“This chapter offers an overview of how women have been mobilized in the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC) and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army, or ELN). Given the long- standing history of these two groups, we pay particular attention to exploring how mobilization processes have evolved. Specifically, our analysis shows that women became more engaged and strategically important to the FARC over time, eventually culminating in the highly visible presence of women as negotiators during the Havana talks. Over time there has also been an ideological evolution among armed groups on the Colombian left regarding gender rights and LGBTQ rights that coincides with the growing importance of women in the conflict. We argue that this evolution is a by-product, rather than a cause, of the engagement and advancement of women within these groups. It appears that various armed groups (at least on the left) have emulated one another in ideological development, in strategies related to the use of women, and in the inclusion of women in peace talks. These coincident evolutions suggest a dynamic of “outbidding” among these groups” (Darden, Henshaw, and Szekely, 2019, 58-59).

Topics: Armed Conflict, Civil Wars, Combatants, Female Combatants, Gender, Women, LGBTQ, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Peace Processes, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Americas, South America Countries: Colombia

Year: 2019

Derecho a la tierra y empoderamiento económico de las mujeres rurales en El Salvador

Citation:

Navas, Candelaria. 2015. “Derecho a la tierra y empoderamiento económico de las mujeres rurales en El Salvador.” Serie Documentos de Trabajo 159, Grupo de Trabajo: Desarrollo con Cohesión Territorial, Programa: Impactos a Gran Escala, RIMISP, Santiago, Chile.

Author: Candelaria Navas

Topics: Gender, Women, Rights, Land Rights, Property Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Americas, Central America Countries: El Salvador

Year: 2015

Is the Future of Foreign Policy Feminist?

Citation:

Thompson, Lyric, and Rachel Clement. 2019. “Is the Future of Foreign Policy Feminist?” Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations 20 (2): 76–94.

Authors: Lyric Thompson, Rachel Clement

Annotation:

Summary:
“In 2014, Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallström took the world by storm when she launched the world's first explicitly feminist foreign policy. The new policy would be a way of doing things differently in Sweden's international affairs, organizing its approach to diplomacy, development, and defense under a 3 Rs framework of women's rights, resources, and representation, the latter of which this journal issue seeks to explore.

“How did this come to be? For Sweden, it was not just the future of diplomacy that was female; it was the past and present as well. Sweden's parliamentary representation has hovered near parity for some time. It has also boasted a long line of female foreign ministers dating back to the 1970s. Thus, there was a strong historical precedent of women's leadership that had normalized female power in such a way as to enable the country to offer something unique to the world: a feminist foreign policy” (Thompson and Clement 2019, 76).

Topics: Development, Feminist Foreign Policy, Governance, Political Participation, Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Europe, Nordic states, Northern Europe Countries: Sweden

Year: 2019

Feminist Foreign Policy: A Fine Line Between ‘Adding Women’ and Pursuing a Feminist Agenda

Citation:

Scheyer, Victoria, and Marina Kumskova. 2019. “Feminist Foreign Policy: A Fine Line Between ‘Adding Women’ and Pursuing a Feminist Agenda.” Journal of International Affairs 72 (2): 57–76.

Authors: Victoria Scheyer , Marina Kumskova

Abstract:

The proliferation of feminist foreign policies has become a sign of commitment to another world order. Governments that adopt such action envision a world where women’s rights are equally important to those of men. They commit to empowering women and ensuring their meaningful participation across various issues. Such commitments, therefore, are understood as the objectives of a feminist foreign policy. This article explains that, while a commitment to women’s rights is important, the current practices of purportedly feminist foreign policies do not reflect an authentically feminist approach. We look into the theoretical background of feminist analysis in international relations, propose criteria for a feminist foreign policy based on feminist theory, and use these criteria to analyze and conduct gap analysis of existing feminist foreign policies. Overall, this study helps unpack the definition of feminist foreign policy and highlight areas that can be addressed by those willing to commit to redefining security and peace in the current world order.

Topics: Feminisms, Feminist Foreign Policy, Gender, Gender Analysis, Peace and Security, Rights, Women's Rights

Year: 2019

Land Tenure Dynamics in East Africa : Changing Practices and Rights to Land

Citation:

Otto, Opira, Aida Isinika, and Herman Musahara. 2019. Land Tenure Dynamics in East Africa : Changing Practices and Rights to Land. Current African Issues 65.

Authors: Opira Otto, Aida Isinika, Herman Musahara

Abstract:

Agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for most rural people in East Africa. Farming is dominated by smallholders, of whom the majority are women. Their tenure and access to land is important for reducing rural poverty, enhancing food security and stimulating agricultural development. Secure tenure represents one of the most critical challenges to the development of sustainable agriculture in the region. In an effort to understand the land question and its variation across the region, this book analyses the land reforms, their context and dynamics. The book presents recent studies on the dynamics of land tenure and land tenure reforms in East Africa with a focus on Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. By selecting these five countries, the book is able to show the changing practices and variations in the land tenure dynamics and explain how they relate to historical and more contemporary issues. The chapters are written by researchers, policy makers and activists with a diverse background and experience/expertise in relation to the land question. Their contributions offer a multiperspective basis for critical rethinking and reflection on the future of the land question in East Africa. 

Keywords: land tenure, land ownership, land acquisition, farmers, women's rights, agricultural development, urbanization, East Africa

Annotation:

Table of Contents:
Preface

Kjell Havnevik
 
1. Introduction

Opira Otto
 
2. When customary land tenure meets land markets : Sustainability of customary land tenure in Tanzania

Aida C. Isinika, Yefred Myenzi and Elibariki Msuya
 
3. Securing peasants’ land rights through dispossession of the landed rich in Uganda

Fredrick Kisekka-Ntale
 
4. Land matters in South Sudan

Ole Frahm
 
5. Effects of large-scale land acquisitions by local elites on small-holder farmers’ access in Tanzania

Hosea Mpogol
 
6. From male to joint land ownership: The effect on women’s possibilities of using land titles as collateral in Rwanda

Jeannette Bayisenge
 
7. The benefits for women from land commodification – a critical reflection

Mary Ssonko Nabacwa
 
8. Is agriculture a generational problem?: The dynamics of youth engagement in agriculture in northern Uganda

David Ross Olanya
 
9. Legal pluralism and urban poverty in peri-urban Kisumu, Kenya

Leah Onyango
 
10. Crossroads at the Rural–Urban Interface : The Dilemma of Tenure Types and Land Use Controls in Housing provision and Urban Development in Kenyan Cities

Jack Abuya
 
11. Our Inheritance: Impacts of Land Distribution on Geita Communities in Tanzania

Godfrey T. Walalaze
 
12. Land use consolidation and water use in Rwanda: Qualitative reflections on environmental sustainability and inclusion

Theophile Niyonzima, Birasa Nyamulinda, Claude Bizimana and Herman Musahara
 

Topics: Agriculture, Economies, Poverty, Environment, Gender, Women, Land Tenure, Livelihoods, Rights, Land Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Africa, Central Africa, East Africa Countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

Year: 2019

Revisiting Women Empowerment: A Review Of Policies On Landuse And Food Security In Zimbabwe

Citation:

Dzvimbo, Munyaradzi Admire, Monica Monga, and Tinashe M. Mashizha. 2018. “Revisiting Women Empowerment: A Review Of Policies On Landuse And Food Security In Zimbabwe.” Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal 5 (4): 323-32.

Authors: Munyaradzi Admire Dzvimbo, Monica Monga, Tinashe M. Mashizha

Abstract:

The Land question in Zimbabwe and most countries of the Global South has always been marred by the injustices perpetrated by the colonial governments in the equitable distribution of land. Women have been severely disadvantaged yet they are the ones who contribute so much in agricultural production and food security. Thus, land tenure, ownership, food security and access are interlinked, directly and indirectly. This paper seeks to explore while revisiting policies that have addressed land-use, tenure security and ownership in relation with women in Zimbabwe. Women have always been a domineering force in agriculture in which they contribute immensely though their contributions has not been fairly chronicled and publicised. Thus land is a key resource to empowering women in the socio-economic growth trajectory and poverty alleviation. Successful realisation entails a functioning transparent land administration system. Hence, access to arable and productive land is vital to most women who live in the communal areas and depend wholly on farming for their livelihoods. It is in this realm that, land plays a significant part and as a socio-economic catalyst, policies inclined should clearly state the position of women as far as ownership is concerned. Various statutory and legal statutes should address rights of women so that they will be able to continue contributing to food security. In light of these objections, this paper further examines and explores current and also already researched literature on empowering women in the lenses of land-use, right, access and their contributions to food security.

Keywords: agriculture, food security, land rights, tenure

Annotation:

Topics: Agriculture, Coloniality/Post-Coloniality, Economies, Poverty, Gender, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Land Tenure, Livelihoods, Rights, Land Rights, Women's Rights, Security, Food Security Regions: Africa, Southern Africa Countries: Zimbabwe

Year: 2018

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