Global Review of Challenges and Good Practices in Support of Women in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations

 Studies show that refugee and displaced women are treated differently from men and are
also affected differently by conflict and displacement. They have special concerns
stemming from their special experiences. Displaced women and girls face such
challenges as malnutrition; shelter; reproductive health, including childbirth and family
planning; rape and sexual abuse; relocation stress; role strains and role change; family
separation; and perceived hopelessness. This report of a workshop and meeting addresses
the issues and outlines ways of improving the response to these interwoven challenges.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been in the forefront of implementing
United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The
resolution recognizes that women experience war differently from the way men do, and
that women’s participation in peace and post-conflict reconstruction processes is essential
in programme interventions in conflict and post-conflict situations. Such interventions
include:
• Ensuring access to comprehensive health information and services, including
sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS prevention;
• Strengthening relevant sectors to ensure an effective response to gender-based
violence, in part by sensitizing and training those working in areas of conflict and
camps;
• Working to empower women through training and capacity-building to ensure
their presence and representation at decision-making levels by working with
grass-roots organizations as well as by strengthening institutional frameworks for
developing national plans for implementing resolution 1325.