Women facing war: how does armed conflict affect women?

In today’s wars, the line between perpetrator and victim, combatant and civilian, is becoming more and more blurred. In particular the roles played by women are increasingly diverse. Reality does not support the perception that women are always vulnerable. In Rwanda, for instance, women participated in horrific acts in the genocide, while in other conflicts women may act as spies or as combatants.

This International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) study seeks to clarify such distinctions by analyzing laws governing situations of armed conflict and assessing their adequacy. The report also analyses the impact of ICRC activities and offers suggestions for enhancing the assistance and protection afforded to women during war.

Most women's needs are adequately covered by international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law, the report asserts. The Geneva Convention, for example, prohibits the execution of the death penalty for pregnant women and mothers with dependent infants. Women thus benefit from additional specific rules. The law, however, is not always respected or implemented by parties to conflict. In some cases, it is impossible to gain access to the population in need, while in others lack of funds makes compliance by authorities impossible. While international humanitarian law binds all parties to an armed conflict (both government and armed opposition groups), the traditional view is that non-State actors (such as opposition groups) are not bound by human rights norms. This view is increasingly subject of debate.

The study, begun in 1998, assesses the needs of women in situations of armed conflict, the impact of ICRC programmes on issues such as physical safety, sexual violence, displacement and healthcare. A key finding is that much more could be done to curb sexual violence, including strenghtenedstrengthened dissemination among arms bearers on the prohibition of sexual violence.

Further findings include:

• The ICRC has provided guidance for delegates aimed at helping them to recognise issues and needs specific to women in detention.
• The ICRC actively seeks out displaced women, detained women, women in need of protection from threat or violence, those searching for missing relatives and those in need of medical, food or material assistance.
• Taking into consideration all the applicable bodies of law, human rights law and IHL do adequately cover most of women's needs during armed conflict, but in practice the law is often not applied.
• There are gaps, however, in particular relating to the issue of return after arbitrary displacement.
• The need to curb sexual violence is a priority and since the study began the ICRC has made significant steps in addressing the needs of victims of sexual violence through evaluation of its training courses for new and existing personnel, the production of new dissemination materials, and by increasing the focus on violation in dissemination activities.

Policy implications include the need for the ICRC to:

• continue to make international humanitarian law better known by all parties involved in armed conflict
• place greater emphasis on the two-tiered protection humanitarian law offers women in dissemination programmes
• increase its expertise in protection activities for persons hors de combat to better address the needs of victims of sexual violence in all its forms
• enlist the support of men by raising their awareness of the specific problems of women through its communication activities and dialogue with authorities
• enhance its response to specific needs of women as it actively seeks out those affected by armed conflict
• carry out further research to determine how agencies can secure respect for the distinction between civilians and combatants in future conflicts

Source(s):
'Women Facing War' executive summary, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), October 2001

Funded by: ICRC

id21 Research Highlight: 1 February 2002

Further Information:
Charlotte Lindsey
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
19 Avenue de la Paix
1202 Geneva
Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 730 27 73
Contact the contributor: clindsey.gva@icrc.org

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Other related links:
'Victims or partners? Working with women to rebuild the Balkans'

'Women building peace'

A Summary of United Nations Agreements on Human Rights

Urgent Action Fund promotes the human rights of women and girls with a focus on armed conflict

Saving Women's Lives Fact Sheet: Women’s Reproductive Health & Armed Conflict

See further publications by Women, Ink on Armed Conflict and the Peace Process