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GENERAL INFORMATION
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Name
of Initiative
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Documenting Experiences of Women in Situations of Armed Conflict in Uganda
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Initiative URL (if available)
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Submitted
by
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Country
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Uganda |
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Organisation
Name
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Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) |
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Organization
URL (if available)
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http://www.isis.or.ug |
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Organisation's
Vision/Mission
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Mission:
Isis-WICCE exists to promote justice and empowerment of women globally, through documenting violations of women’s rights and facilitating the exchange of information and skills, to strengthen women’s capacities, potential and visibility.
Vision:
Isis-WICCE envisions an informed society that values and ensures women’s rights, and promotes the full realization of their capacities and potential.
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PROJECT INFORMATION
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| 1.
Why, when, and how did the project begin? |
Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) is a global action oriented women’s resource centre that was established in Geneva Switzerland in 1974 with the objective of strengthening women’s communicative mechanisms. At its founding, the organisation worked around various issues relating to women’s empowerment, with the core emphasis on generation and dissemination of information on and about women with emphasis on enabling women, especially those from the global south, to acquire skills that would facilitate their empowerment in all aspects of life.
In 1993, Isis-WICCE relocated to Africa from Geneva with the objective of tapping African women’s voices through documenting their realities and making them part of the global knowledge base.
The 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights that highlighted the need to respect women’s rights, and the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action Section 129 (a) (b), that called for the collection of disaggregated data on the consequences of the violence as a measure for prevention and redress were a landmark that influenced Isis-WICCE found it pertinent to focus her attention on documenting the conditions and needs of women living in situations of armed conflict.
From the organisation’s initial survey, it was clear that very little was known about women’s experiences in situations of armed conflict in Uganda, let alone Africa and hence the decision to focus on the documentation. Since 1997, Isis-WICCE has documented the experiences of women in situations of armed conflict in 10 countries in Africa through its networks.
The documentation process was carried out using different ICTs. This included use of tape recorders, video recording, photography, and face to face interaction through meetings, focus group discussions and validation workshops. All this contributed to the production of a variety of materials on the experiences of women in situations of armed conflict in different formats.
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| 2.
What are the goals of the initiative? |
§ To tell the women’s side of the story of armed conflict
§ To raise awareness among the population about the consequences of armed conflict to cultural, social, economic and political development, and particularly to women’s well being.
§ To provide stakeholders with tools that would enhance their ability to plan for effective redress, as well as formulating conducive laws and policies that would reduce conflicts among the African people.
§ To engage the population in Africa and the Great Lakes in particular, in discussing peace building and co-existence.
§ To create awareness about the need for accountability and redress to women’s situation in post conflict situations.
§ To lobby for specific programmes that would address the emergency needs of women war survivors e.g. reproductive health
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3.
Who participates in the initiative?
[Please
identify participants, beneficiaries, and implementation partners. Provide
specific demographic (age, income, rural/urban) information about your beneficiaries.] |
The project targeted areas that have experienced or are experiencing armed conflict in Uganda. These included the districts of Luwero, Gulu, Kitgum, Kasese, Soroti, Katakwi and Kumi. The participants included Isis-WICCE programme staff, Members of Parliament from the district, Local leaders in the districts as well as women war survivors.
Professional and technical experts in research, medical field and media were also key participants.
§ Women War survivors
The documentation was accomplished with the full participation of women from the affected communities, including women combatants, affected women, veterans, and local leaders. The involvement included giving information, identification, mobilisation and actual interviewing of respondents.
Age: The women and girls interviewed were between 12 years and 43 years.
Income: Majority of respondents (77%) were involved in small scale farming and were living in abject poverty with no source of income.
Location: All the respondents were based in affected rural areas. It is only the various professionals with whom Isis-WICCE worked with throughout the documentation process who were based in urban areas.
§ Implementation Partners: included Isis-WICCE, media crew, Professionals from different fields, Heinrich Boll foundation and UNIFEM.
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| 4.
Please identify the project’s most important partners and
explain their role in the project and in helping to mainstream gender. |
The major partners in the project were Isis-WICCE, Project funders (Heinrich Boll Foundation and UNIFEM), Professionals from different fields and the women war survivors.
The major focus of the project was to highlight the women’s experiences in situations of armed conflict, the roles they play, the effects and how they are coping in post conflict situations. These issues were therefore central in the process of developing the concept and script.
The concept and script was developed by Isis-WICCE in consultation with professional in research, health and the media. The script was then shared and discussed with Heinrich Boll Foundation which was the first partner to support the documentation of women’s realities in situations of armed conflict and later UNIFEM who supported the production of the video documentary.
Consultation with key professionals and experts in the area of research, health and media was also done to ensure that the pertinent issues as regards gender are not overlooked and that the instruments used in the documentation process bring out the gender related issues and disaggregated data. This process also ensured that the process includes a few men as a control group. |
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| 5.
Please describe the management structure and processes of the project,
with particular emphasis on transparency and accountability. |
§ Preparatory and planning phase: The planning phase involved a series of meetings amongst Isis-WICCE programme staff and the identified professionals in the area of research, health and media. A concept and script was developed on which the documentation process was based. The concept and script were approved by the Isis-WICCE International Board.
§ Consultation with project funders: The concept, script and the drafts of the research instruments were shared with the project funders (Heinrich Boll Foundation and UNIFEM). This process enriched the concept and script, which contributed to the successful accomplishment of the project.
§ Consultation with Local Leaders: Consultative meetings with local leaders and members of Parliament were done. This process was very useful in getting consent and approval of the project from the community leaders as well as identifying key respondents and research assistants.
§ The women war survivors; these were informed about the purpose of the documentation and its intended use in raising awareness among different communities and for lobbying and advocacy. Their consent was sought and permission to use the testimonies, video clips and photographs was granted by the women themselves. It is at this stage that some of the women got confidence in a tape recorder and could record their voices and listen which was quite amazing to them.
§ Pre-testing: the drafts of the research reports and video were pre-tested at the district level to validate the findings. Participants at the pre-testing workshops included women survivors, local leaders from the affected communities, medical professionals, human rights activists, women rights activists, communication specialists and the media among others. This process raised a number of issues that were further incorporated in the final research reports and video before it was finally produced.
§ National Launching Workshop: The research reports were launched at the national level. |
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| 6.
What tools and processes did you use in monitoring and evaluating the results
of the initiative? |
§ Pre-testing of the draft research reports and video documentaries enabled the communities to ascertain the feelings of the communities about the content and its relevance.
§ Talk shows: Programme staff featured on a number of radio and television talk shows where they debated issues highlighted in the findings. The process stimulated debate amongst key stakeholders and the general public on the need to resolve conflicts amicably and promote peace building.
§ Medical Intervention; a one month short medical intervention into the sexual and reproductive health complications, psychological and orthopaedic problems of women war survivors was carried out in the affected areas where a number of women were treated as well as undergoing surgical operations.
§ Workshops: The dissemination of the research findings made the different violations inflicted upon women in situations of armed conflict visible. Some policy makers committed themselves to address the situation. In Luwero (Central Uganda), The Minister in Charge of the War torn area was able to solicit building materials for 5 women to improve upon their shelter. |
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| 7.
What results and/or immediate outcomes has the initiative achieved,
and what impact has it had on the beneficiaries, participants, and community? |
§ 2012 clients treated of various ailments and 110 surgical cases handled. Majority of the survivors had ailments that had never been attended to 10-15 years after the armed conflict. For those who benefited in the intervention, their lives have been restored and they can smile and actively engage in activities that can empower their lives. One woman said, ‘Thanks to Isis-WICCE. I can go to church after 14 years of absence due to licking of urine … I am able to interact with others and now I am in control of my life again’.
§ 45 women leaders have undergone a five year training in the areas of conflict analysis, peace building and leadership. They have also been trained in the use of drama as a tool of enhancing further dissemination of information in the local communities.
§ 27 women and 11 men acquired skills of documenting women’s realities from a human rights perspective.
§ The Ministry of Health was able to incorporate mental health as a key area of focus in its 5-year strategic plan (1999-2003). Mental Health had been ignored but the findings of the documentation highlighted the high level of trauma especially amongst women war survivors, which needed immediate attention.
§ 6 research reports, two video documentaries, photographs, pictorial posters were produced. Such a comprehensive package of information has been useful to a cross section of development workers and policy makers in lobbying for peace building.
§ Some survivors have been able to receive redress in form of building materials to improve upon their poor housing.
§ The project has given women an opportunity to let the world know about issues they had never shared before. To some extent this has healed their wounds since a good number who had given up life have been able to move on. Many of them have at different fora challenged decision and opinion leaders in their communities to address their problems.
§ About 1000 video documentaries have been distributed to partners internationally and have been used in training workshops and for sensitisation.
§ Isis-WICCE used the research findings to influence the Ministry of Gender and Community Development to incorporate the issue of peace as a cross cutting issue in the National Action Plan. The areas of priority in the action plan are: Poverty, Income generation and Empowerment; Reproductive health and Rights; Legal Framework and Decision Making; and the Girl Child and Education.
§ The African Psycare Research Organisation with whom Isis-WICCE worked with during the documentation, picked interest and have continued working on the issue of trauma among war affected communities. |
| Describe
how the initiative reflects each of the Gender and ICT Awards' criteria
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| 8.
Strategic use of ICTs. |
Information and communication technologies can only be relevant to the targeted communities if the approach used takes into consideration the needs and problems of the communities. The documentation of women’s realities in situations of armed conflict analyses the root causes of conflict in Uganda, highlights the effects of the conflict on women and the coping mechanisms of women in post conflict situations. The use of different tools i.e. audio recording, video recording, photography and print takes into consideration the needs of the targeted communities and how they can access information despite the differences in literacy levels. Given that the documentation process is intended for raising awareness and for lobbying and advocacy, it lets the women war survivors speak out their experiences and give their own recommendations. |
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Mobilizing awareness and participation and/or building capacities.
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Majority of the communities in Uganda and Africa do not know much about the underlying causes and consequences of armed conflict most especially the gender violence that women experience and the problems they face in post conflict societies. Conflicts are the major causes of poverty in Africa and the continued marginalisation of women.
The Research reports and video documentaries are powerful tools is raising awareness amongst communities on the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts and peace building. It enables both women and men, educated and illiterate to understand the causes of conflict, the physical and psychological effects on women and men, as well as the need for harmonious and peaceful living.
For women who are normally unable to access information due to the numerous gender roles they have to accomplish, video gives them an opportunity to receive the information since the tape is normally short (either 15 – 40 minutes) and participate in the discussion that follows. Further more, the women survivors who are leaders in the communities have been trained in the use of drama, which they use in raising awareness. |
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Contributing significantly to the promotion of gender equality and/or
women’s empowerment. |
The process of documenting women’s realities gave women an opportunity to share their experiences with the entire world and to know that it is through communication and sharing that those concerned can know about their pain and thus find avenues of addressing.
The findings acknowledge the roles played by women, which are normally underrated in post conflict situations. It also highlights the zeal of women and therefore the potential they have in the peace building process.
The project had a skills building component for women leaders in conflict resolution, peace building, leadership and information management.
Rural Women’s Information Units were set up as spaces where women leaders would meet and discuss issues affecting women in their communities as well as access some literature. |
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| 11.
Please describe processes or mechanisms that are in place to ensure
the project’s sustainability. |
§ A team of 45 women leaders from the affected areas have been trained. They develop plans of action related to conflict resolution and peace building in their communities which they implement on an annual basis.
§ The videotapes are available at a substantial fee to support production of more copies of the documentary.
§ The research reports can be downloaded from the Isis-WICCE website (http://www.isis.or.ug) |
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| 12.
How can your project be replicated elsewhere? |
Isis-WICCE through its Exchange Programme has been training women activists from countries that have or are experiencing armed conflict in documentation skills from a gender and human rights perspective. The women from the following countries have sp far been trained; Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leonne, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri-Lanka and Yugoslavia.
All of the women have documented the experiences of women using different ICTs and below are a few topics;
- Mass rape in Philippines.
- Trauma among sexually violated women in Democratic Republic of Congo
- Right to live in Sudan
- Right to health and economic well being in Uganda
- Internally Displaced Persons of Azerbaijan; the women’s experiences
- The genocide experience of Rwanda.
- Linking violence against women in peace times and in war to the human rights framework, S.Africa
- Blood feuds in North Albania.
- Sexual violence among the Kosovo Refugee women
- Eviction of slum dwellers in Dhaka:a human rights |
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13.
What are the key lessons learned from the implementation of the
project? *
(Please include information on unexpected outcomes, both good and bad.) |
§ The process of documentation enables women to speak out and share their experiences about the violations of armed conflict. This process contributes to the healing process of the victims of armed conflict. Video in particular makes them regain their confidence. When they see themselves speaking on the video, they appreciate that they are still of value to society despite the gender based violations inflicted upon them.
§ Isis-WICCE was able to justify the fact that the effect of armed conflict impede greatly on women’s participation in the reconstruction of their lives, the households and communities in general.
§ By using the findings as a tool for advocacy women war survivors in the study areas in Uganda have been able to receive various types of intervention such as, medical treatment, improvement of shelter, capital for small income generating activities and training for women leaders.
§ The documentation enabled Isis-WICCE to recognise the animosity that prevailed among the different affected ethnic groups and was able to initiate women peace building initiatives that have effectively contributed to the peace building processes in the affected communities.
§ Communication using information and communication technologies is very expensive and due to the limited resources Isis-WICCE was not able to use the approach exhaustively.
§ The process takes a lot of time.
§ High expectations from survivors which cannot be met in a short period.
§ Government is very slow in responding to the recommendations highlighted.
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| 14.
How might your initiative benefit from a multistakeholder partnership?
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N/A |
| General
Remarks and Additional Information |
| Remarks |
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| Attached
files |
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