3.1.4 Gender, Security and Development (2)
Chair(s): Rebecca Tiessen (University of ottawa, Canada)
In this second panel, we will have a second series of papers that address the themes of gender, security and development including reflections on the Research Network's Women, Peace and Security Symposium, local strategies for addressing conflict-related sexual violence in Uganda and Kenya, and women's economic security and the role of conditional cash transfers
Presentations of the Symposium
Reflections on the RN WPS Symposium: Taking Action to Address Gender Equality, Peace and Security
Lena Dedyuka
uOttawa
This presentation will provide an overview of some of the main findings from the RN WPS Symposium on "Taking Action to Address Gender Equality, Peace and Security".
Overview of Research Priorities from the RN WPS Symposium Findings
Phuong Tran
uOttawa
This presentation will offer an overview of some of the current and future research priorities for "Taking Action to Address Gender Equality, Peace and Security" arising from the RN WPS Symposium.
Ending Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Crisis- and Conflict-affected Contexts: Effective Strategies and Persistent Barriers
Rebecca Tiessen
uOttawa
More than a third of the world's women face gender-based violence in their lifetime, and acts of sexual violence in conflict were reported in 19 countries in 2022 (StopRapeNow.com). Diverse forms of SGBV are increasingly reported in crisis- and conflict- affected communities (especially in refugee communities). Survivors of SGBV are often persecuted based on
political, ethnic or religious affiliations, or on sexual orientation or gender identity, requiring an intersectional and feminist lens. Successful strategies for ending- and mitigating the impacts of- SGBV arise from the concerted
efforts of civil society organizations (CSOs), especially women-focused, loc
ally-based CSOs that have context-specific knowledge of
community-specific issues. Despite the important work carried out by these CSOs, their impacts are under-researched, and their challenges and barriers require further attention and analysis in relation to institutionalized
masculinities, patriarchal norms, and gender inequality. With increased attention to the role and impact of locally-based civil society organizations (CSOs) working to eliminate - and mitigate the impacts of - SGBV, we can better understand the opportunities for change, effective strategies, as well as the persistent challenges to ending SGBV. Additional research is therefore vital for documenting CSO programs and strategies:
their strengths, innovations and ongoing barriers.
Conditional Cash Transfers and their Impacts on Women in Nigeria
Nnenna Okoli
uOttawa
This presentation examines conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs in Nigeria, a sub-Saharan country where 63% of the population is multidimensionally poor and 41% experience monetary poverty (NBS, 2022). The program called the Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), was launched in 2016 to help poor households to improve their consumption, nutrition, education, and livelihood. Though implemented across every state in the country, knowledge of the HUP is still in its infancy because the program has barely been subjected to extensive systematic inquiry, especially from a gender perspective. While the theoretical underpinnings, impact, and morals of CCTs have been the subject of extensive empirical inquiry, far less attention has been paid to how the program which is inextricably linked to women, impacts women. Women’s voices need to be prioritized to uncover the drawbacks and strengths in the design and implementation of CCTs as they relate to their dignity and prosperity. For the HUP to cause positive change in women’s lives, it must go beyond women’s participation and inclusion to address the structures that drive unequal gender relations and women’s oppression at various levels.
