Woman, training and work

Gender! A Partnership of Equals
Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

Armed conflict and employment promotion

"Men and women experience and respond to conflict in different ways. It is thus essential to consider such responses in programme design and implementation"Eugenia Date-Bah

There are many faces to the gender impact of armed conflict. The type of conflict, demographic changes, the disruption of the economy and the labour market, and the peace process all have profound implications for women and the structure of gender roles, both during and after conflict. Economic hardship, physical insecurity, and women's unequal access to resources can increase their vulnerability during conflict, especially due to the increased numbers of women who become heads of households. At the same time, women are seen to step out of their socially ascribed roles to respond to crisis. This variation in roles can make it easier for women to enter previously male-dominated sectors and contribute to the breakdown of stereotypes which impede their advancement in the economic, political and social spheres. It is an opportunity which can be capitalized upon through gender-sensitive employment promotion and skills-training programmes.

The planning process is central to ensuring that the gender implications of conflicts are fully reflected in programming. The use of gender analysis, gender-disaggregated statistics (i.e., statistics broken down by sex) and community-based participation can help to emphasize the distinct impact of conflict on women and men. They also serve to point out past imbalances and disparities which should be corrected. For these tools to be used to their full potential, planners themselves should be trained in gender issues and analysis, especially with reference to the conflict-affected environment.

Programmes in reintegration, reconstruction and peace-building should be guided by the principle of contributing to a more just and equitable society in which previously marginalized groups, particularly women, become full players in the redevelopment of the country. However, the urgent demands of conflicts pose many challenges to the establishment of stability and prosperity. At the household level, men and women have difficulty adjusting and readjusting to the change in roles which frequently occurs during a war. Yet, there are opportunities which can also be drawn upon, such as new skills learned, the cessation of violence, and new market possibilities.

The challenge is to maximize opportunities and overcome constraints. Adopting a community-based, inclusive approach is central to reducing competition within and between different groups. Using artificially constructed categories of war-affected populations masks the differential impact of conflicts on an individual's experiences, and can create, rather than minimize, conflict within communities. This is true for women's projects which exclude men. Segregating women and men often reinforces assumptions of women's vulnerability and victimization, and creates gender conflict and competition.

Gender-based assumptions also need to be challenged in demobilization programmes, which primarily target men to the exclusion of female ex-combatants and kin of demobilized soldiers. As efforts focus on channelling male aggression into productive activities, the particular needs and issues of female veterans are often left out. Moreover, the implications of demobilization for the family are seldom considered.

While conflicts intensify vulnerabilities among households, communities and individuals, the capabilities which people and communities have are less apparent. These capabilities should be identified, and programmes should try to strengthen them to improve the present situation and reduce the risk of crisis in the future. Recognizing women's capabilities in particular, may well contribute to a greater acceptance of their expanded role in society.

Increasing the gender sensitivity of labour market information systems and personnel will work toward ensuring a more accurate representation of women. Labour ministries can benefit from training in gender awareness, as well as the establishment of gender focal points in bureaus responsible for labour and economic policies and increased participation of women professionals in policy development. Civil society groups, including labour unions and women's organizations, have an important role to play as advocates of policies and practices which promote gender equality. Here, too, statutes and legislation which have hampered women's access to more productive livelihoods, such as property rights and eligibility for credit, should be considered.

The rehabilitation of physical infrastructure is critical to women in their productive and reproductive capacities, and therefore requires women's involvement at all levels, and sensitivity to the constraints posed by their roles, such as child-care obligations, time pressures, health concerns, etc. Skills acquired through these programmes may also serve the long-term interests of expanding women's entry into non-traditional, more lucrative professions.

Vocational training can offer women the opportunity to enhance prospects for employment and increased income earnings. There are, however, a number of constraints to women's participation in, and benefits from, these programmes. Life- skills can be an important value-added component to vocational training courses. Basic literacy, numeracy, health-care information, etc., can also be made available through such programmes. It is important that information on health, child care, and other such topics also be provided to male trainees, for gender roles will not change unless efforts are made to extend knowledge of "female responsibilities" to men.

Microenterprise and microcredit also offer women the opportunity to earn an income. There is a clear need to invest in business training, advice and information, as well as flexible and creative microfinance institutions to provide financing, which will form the basis for more profitable enterprises and the increased economic empowerment of women.

As conflicts increase the number of vulnerable people, the need for social security and protection systems is underscored. For women, expanded social insurance packages and basic living allowances can prevent them from adopting dangerous coping strategies, such as sex work, which increase their vulnerabilities in the long term.

With a historic mandate in both peace-building through employment, and in gender equality, the ILO is well placed to demonstrate the inherent link between them by advocating and promoting the visibility and participation of women in reintegration, reconstruction and peace-building. In its advisory services, monitoring of the application of international labour standards and provision of technical assistance such as employment promotion and skills-training, the ILO can play an important role in acknowledging, accounting for, and tackling the problematic gender impacts of conflict, with a view toward creating a more equitable and just society.

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