Although there are dangers inherent in colluding with traditional roles played by women in caring for the vulnerable, and in building relationships and communicating, it was apparent that women's particular skills developed in these domains should be acknowledged, valued, supported and drawn upon by the peace movement at large.
Examples include the International Fellowship of Reconciliation's Women Peacemakers Program
Empowerment involves issues which are indivisible and interconnected, issues such as women's human rights (including reproductive rights), democracy, and building cultures of peace.
The challenge is how to tackle these inter-related problems without threatening men, how to help men realize that their liberation is intrinsically linked with women's liberation.
Women and men have to realize that taking on gender issues is essential if we are to work more effectively towards a better life for all.
For many women peace work is intimately connected with issues of daily life and of survival.
Donors sometimes seek to influence or even determine which issues women's groups work on: working with war rape survivors was a "fashionable" issue.
Some important issues for women, such as reproductive freedom or domestic violence, are ignored or considered to be non-issues by peace movements (or too sensitive to bring up). Links with organisations working on these issues should be developed.
There is a great need for peace organizations to ensure that their public image includes women: that women's voices and views are reflected in the media.
from former Yugoslav countries) are engaged in working with refugees. They are clear that this work is political as well as humanitarian, though it often involves helping women find basic needs such as housing, medical and schooling for children.
Women are often in the majority after a conflict, or the men are still at the front lines, leaving women to play a critical role in rebuilding society.
Their work aims at empowering women, and includes education in human rights and building democracy. It may often involve programs such as income-generating projects which are not usually considered peace work, but which are vital if more women are to get involved.
Women often bring children from differing ethnic groups together to build positive relationships and so prevent this from happening.
This same strength is also a weakness. The good solutions and programs women may come up with will not be implemented, as women often have no access to political decision-making.
Women have a double task--to gain political power in their own right, and also to change political processes and structures from patriarchal models into more democratic models.
In Chile, for example, men were in hiding or in prison and progressive church leaders told women, "It is up to you--you must do something or our situation will never improve."
While it must be recognized that the structures of war both reinforce and depend upon gender roles, and that women do suffer from very sex-specific events in conflict, women are not only victims. Women's experiences, skills and insights are very powerful and often under utilized resources in the prevention and ending of war, and in building peace.
It is vital that women's histories as peace leaders be recorded and told.
The second day Karoline from Norway told about her experiences from film-making working with women in conflict-situation and especially women who had from suffered concentration camp during the second world war. We saw peaces from her film "The time of darkness", which also was shown in its whole later that week.
The third day Shelley, Netherlands/USA, told about her project in IFoR Women's Peacemaking Programme, especially the empowering part of the programme. Shelley presented the full programme in a workshop later and showing a video from the first consultation in Europe. After her introduction followed a discussion on women's strategies in their work, strengths and weaknesses both personally and organisationally.
The fourth day we had a go around to sum up from the Gender Day. This report will be included in the report from the women's working group which were held later that week. Sara told about her experiences in the organisation of the disappeared in Chile and how women played a special role in that work.
The fifth and the last day Irina from Ukraine told about her work before we summed up. Shelley and Ellen had drafted a report from the group which was discussed. Then we evaluated the week's work by going around. Maia from Chechnya came in at the very end and gave us a brief introduction of the situation in her country.
Before starting every day Casha introduced us to a clapping tune which improved day by day.
From the evaluation it was pointed out that the mixture of presentation and discussion in an affective atmosphere, gave possibilities to listen and learn from each other, and to go home inspired and empowered to go on with our own work at home. The networking was important, also for future work. It was also mentioned by several that friends from Belgrade and Kosovo/a were missed in the group.
Ellen Elster, Sverdrupsgt. 21, 0559 Oslo 1998 WRI Triennial index page