Women of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

One of the features of this Conference was interviews conducted by the MS, Ms Hala Gorani, (CNN correspondent and anchor) and moderator:

“What fuels their passion for this humanitarian work, given the fact that they are volunteers?

Ms Fatima Gailani, President, Afghan Red Crescent:

I was a volunteer myself when I was 12.

My mother was a volunteer; my grandmother was a volunteer. So I come from a background of volunteers.

Even during peace, because we have lots of natural disasters in Afghanistan, our National Society was really respected and loved and lots of people wanted to be either a volunteer or a member. Quite frankly – I am talking about 50 years ago – I did not know any women around me among my family or friends who were not either a member or a volunteer.

Today it has changed a lot. Before it was the elite; today it is people. Because they are needed, people feel good.

Take a volunteer in a remote area of Afghanistan, when this recent earthquake happened in Badakhshan – the main reason that they were the first to call and tell us where the help was needed, was that it made them respectable in their community. They like that, to be respected, to help[i]”.

During the more formal part of the Conference, there were numerous references to women as victims, but also attempts to construct a different narrative, here the perspective of H.R.H. Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, President of the Luxembourg Red Cross.

“As time is short, I would really like to speak about one theme that is particularly important to me. I read with great interest the engagements and pledges our Movement is making to further the protection of victims and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in all circumstances, especially in armed conflicts. I do want to emphasize that while women are the first victims, they are also the first not to be considered when the process of reconstruction begins. Clearly, women still lack direct influence when it comes to the identification of reconstruction priorities that are part of standard peace agreements. We need to involve them more actively in all our efforts, as it is they who are the essential actors in rebuilding post-conflict and post-disaster societies, from the family unit all the way up to the reconstruction of a safe and economically prosperous environment at country level. I would like us to go beyond conventional images of women as victims of war and consider the important input a woman can contribute to translating individual grievances into legitimate social concerns. Moreover, many of them play significant roles in building a new culture of peace at the local level by reorganizing families and communities, relaunching economic activity and promoting peace and education in community-based reconciliation. We can no longer afford to bypass women in the peace-making process, in the making of peace treaties and in policymaking on the prevention and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence[ii]”

A little later in the same intervention, she said

“I would like us to go beyond conventional images of women as victims of war and consider the important input a woman can contribute to translating individual grievances into legitimate social concerns. Moreover, many of them play significant roles in building a new culture of peace at the local level by reorganizing families and communities, relaunching economic activity and promoting peace and education in community-based reconciliation. We can no longer afford to bypass women in the peace-making process, in the making of peace treaties and in policymaking on the prevention and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence.[iii]”

Ms Päivi Kaukoranta, Director General, Legal Service, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, took the floor somewhat later and included in her statement this paragraph:

“We pay particular attention to the situation of women and girls and the most vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. We also underline that women must play an active role in humanitarian action and decision-making.[iv]”

H.E. Dr Suraya Dalil, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Geneva, also addressed the Conference and said this in her statement:

“The Afghanistan High Peace Council is a body responsible for the Peace and Reintegration Programme established in September 2010. The members of the Peace Council, including men and women, are endeavouring to pave the way for peace and stability across the country. This demonstrates that peace is one of the top priorities of the Government and should be dealt with in a manner that could bring armed opposition groups to the negotiation table and encourage them to use democratic processes[v]”.

H.E. Mr Triyono Wibowo, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia in Geneva, made – in his wider statement – the following point:

“We also need to ensure that women, who account for the majority of those affected by crises and are disproportionately affected by humanitarian emergencies, are given equal opportunity to voice their aspirations and get involved in all phases of humanitarian assistance.[vi]”

H.E. Ms Nazhat Shameem Khan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji in Geneva, had this to say:

“Failure to address gender-based violence provides a poor foundation for women’s resilience and health in structuring the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families and communities. In Fiji, women play central roles in the household. They are responsible for shelter, food, the house and children – and children, are, of course, the future members of our society. When a disaster hits, it affects everyone, with women being affected the most, but supported the least.[vii]”

H.E. Mr Thomas Barankitse, Ambassador, Assistant of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi spoke on several issues, and included the following

“The Government of Burundi is also convinced of the pressing need to strengthen the capacities of local communities. The Burundi Red Cross has already established local branches throughout the country, encouraging women and young people in particular to become involved as stakeholders in humanitarian action. [viii]”

The Conference’s Commission C, which dealt with “Joint action on the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence” noticed this:

“Gender inequality and discrimination underpin SGBV and are exacerbated during emergencies. Solutions must therefore address gender equality, women’s empowerment and enlisting men and boys as agents of change.[ix]”

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[i] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 215/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[ii] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 227/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iii] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 227/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iv] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 252/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[v] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 293/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[vi] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P2 92/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[vii] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 317/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[viii] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 324/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[ix] Report of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2015 Council of Delegates; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2019?];  P 368/380 in the electronic version – it has never been printed – at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DOC/icrc_CI_2015_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

There are quite a few mentions of “women” as victims and beneficiaries but a young man from Uganda, Mr Mawanda Shaban, Member of the Youth Commission, took a different tack:

“Well, of course, it is a fact that when you talk about violence, even when you talk about migration, you cannot separate it from the youth. But I would like to look, in thirty seconds, at what causes this violence. And the major challenge is definitely lack of integration with the society. Once there is lack of integration, when the youth are not integrated, when the women are not integrated – culturally, economically, or socially – there will be violence. So, I think that there should be campaigns to integrate the community – the women, the youth, the different tribal sectors and cultural sectors in the community. I think then there will be no violence at all[i]”.

A representative of the Government of Norway, Mr Rolf Einar Fife, the Director General of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded with references to gender and representation:

“Finally, we salute the efforts of the ICRC to promote better gender representation and participation, in particular through the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security. We are here assembled in Geneva with united resolve and a unique platform illustrating existing partnerships and highlighting potential for further effective action.[ii]”

The President of Burkinabé Red Cross Society, Ms Ouandaogo Bana, delivered a report on the organization and activities of her National Society, during which she mentioned the following, seeing women as actors:

“Nor has our National Society lagged behind, in such sectors as food security (2,100 women were taught to read and write and 12,600 benefited from income generating projects), hygiene/sanitation, assistance to the elderly and the disabled, and in efforts to combat poverty through a comprehensive women’s project in several of the country’s provinces. [iii]”

The Vice-Chairman of the Ugandan Red Cross, too, raises the issues of the roles of youth and women in a relatively brief intervention:

“Madam Chairwoman, in conclusion, I just want to say a little about violence. Many speakers have talked about this, but I would like to mention that the National Society, and indeed the Government of Uganda, would like to challenge in terms of what measures can be taken by our government to reduce violence. I would like to list the following questions. I want the National Societies and the heads of government to think about them. Are we doing enough to involve young people and women in decision-making across the board? Are parents doing their best to mould our young people to be good citizens? Have we looked at the serious problems that young people are burdened with as a result of family breakdowns? Are we instilling values and virtues in our children that will make them respect humanity? Are our governments providing enough social security and educational benefits to our young people? Have National Societies, the ICRC, the International Federation and governments taken initiatives to provide for enough youth activities in their programmes? [iv]“

During the closing of the Conference, the Chair, Ms Mandisa Kalako-Williams spoke: choosing her word order deliberately, one might think, while thanking the volunteers at the meetings:

“Now ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start the end of the Conference in the following manner. I would like us all to thank, in the most visible and special way, the volunteers who have made this Conference live for us. From the day the Movement’s statutory meeting started, they have been women and men in red T-shirts, and I would invite them to come and be seen by everybody and be applauded by the Conference[v]”.

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[i] Report of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2007 Council of delegates, Geneva, 23-30 November 2007; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2009]; P 222; P 224/350 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2007_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[ii] Report of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2007 Council of delegates, Geneva, 23-30 November 2007; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2009]; P 212; P 214/350 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2007_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iii] Report of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2007 Council of delegates, Geneva, 23-30 November 2007; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2009]; P 242; P 244/350 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2007_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iv] Report of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2007 Council of delegates, Geneva, 23-30 November 2007; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2009]; P 294; P 296/350 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2007_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[v] Report of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: including the summary report of the 2007 Council of delegates, Geneva, 23-30 November 2007; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, [2009]; P 336; P 338/350 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2007_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

At this Conference rather more references to “women” occur, many of them in the context of particular needs for assistance or protection – in terms of access to health care services, for example, or against sexual and gender-based violence. Most of these references have been omitted in the following but may have served to remind the Movement of the need to pay more attention to women in all issues under discussion.

One of the resolutions of the 28^th Conference concerned the reduction of risk and impact of disasters, including the General Objective 4, which was “Reduce the increased vulnerability[i] to diseases arising from stigma and discrimination and from the lack of access to comprehensive prevention, care and treatment”

One of the paragraphs of that decision reads:

“4.1.3 States, assisted and supported by National Societies, are urged to undertake operational measures, with special emphasis on empowering women and addressing the gender imbalance, to promote the widespread availability of and equitable access to comprehensive prevention, care and treatment, including improved and enhanced sexual and reproductive health care[ii]”

Fernanda Texeira of Mozambique Red Cross, who was General Rapporteur of the Conference presented the “Consolidated report of the Commissions on tolerance, non-discrimination and respect  for diversity”, including this paragraph:

“Many participants underlined that some of the biggest challenges come from within ourselves, both individually and within the Movement. It was felt that the Movement’s components are not sufficiently representative, that National Societies do not always reflect the diversity of their societies. Even those that are representative sometimes fail to empower sectors of society such as women and youth[iii]”

In his opening address to the Conference, the President of the ICRC – Jacob Kellenberger – referred to his own organisation’s work in relation to women since the previous Conference:

“The ICRC has kept the promise it made in 1999 to attend to the special needs of women and girls affected by armed conflict, and to endeavour to draw the attention of warring parties to the prohibition of all forms of sexual violence. It did this by publishing a detailed study on the subject in 2001. By integrating the study’s conclusions into its own operational practice through guidelines issued to its delegations, the ICRC has been able to take better account of women’s special needs.[iv]”

Icelandic Red Cross, in a statement, also referred to the work of the ICRC in this regard:

“We would also like to salute the work of the ICRC on both customary international humanitarian law and women and war.[v]”

Jacob Kellenberger was given the floor, during the first plenary session, to present their report on Women and War, referring primarily to the problems facing women, and the possible ways forward in terms of reducing these, but also reminded the audience that “woman” as not the same as “victim”:

“Turning firstly to the impact of armed conflict on women, the study found that women’s experience of armed conflict is multifaceted. In wartime, women may face grave risks to their security, they may lose loved ones, they may suffer from reduced access to the means of survival, they may face increased risk of sexual violence and injury, they may be forcibly displaced from their homes. Yet women should not be classified solely as vulnerable. They demonstrate resilience in countless ways, such as holding their families together and supporting dependents. They are often actively engaged as politicians, leaders of non-governmental organizations and campaigners for peace. They may take up arms, voluntarily or involuntarily, or participate in logistical support roles in the armed forces or armed groups. Thus, the Women facing war study demonstrates that the words “victim” and “vulnerable” are not synonymous with “women”[vi]”.

Later, he refers to one of the practical measures implemented by the ICRC:

“There is a greater awareness of the value of having mixed teams of male and female delegates and translators, in order to make the ICRC more approachable for women and to foster dialogue. Wherever possible, the ICRC endeavours to provide women with the option of speaking with female staff.[vii]”

After winding up the first morning of the first plenary session, the chairman – Mr Jaime Ricardo Fernández Urriola – gave the floor to Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan who introduced an exhibition related to the “Women and War” discussion.

In her address, Queen Rania said, among other things:

“These women have found loyal champions in the R ed Cross and Red Crescent, which understand that a woman’s well-being is more than just a marginal concern. An unsettled woman means shrinking levels of health and education for her family. And troubled families mean a troubled future for social and economic development. But by the same token, if we can uphold the safety and rights of women — if we can protect their human dignity, even in times of upheaval — we can lift the horizons for humanity as a whole.[viii]”

Ms Annika Söder, a Swedish Junior Minister took the floor on the issue of HIV / AIDS, and among the things she said was this, which may illustrate emerging new ways of thinking:

“The prevention of HIV/AIDS is one of the most controversial topics in the world today. It is about the balance of power in society between men and women, children and parents, rich and poor. This makes the struggle difficult but not less important. Everybody needs to engage[ix]”.

Later, the Conference heard from the Danish Ambassador, Mr Tyge Lehmann, who addressed a wide range of issues, including the following:

“The Danish government, together with the government of Chile, the United Nations and the European Commission, held a conference in Santiago de Chile in November last year on the subject, “Building Capacities for Peacekeeping and Women’s Dimensions in Peace Processes”. One of the Conference’s conclusions was that more women must be involved in peacekeeping and conflict resolution in order to ensure better protection of women.[x]”

Anders Milton, then President of the Swedish Red Cross, took the floor and spoke to several issues, including this:

“The mission of the R ed Cross and R ed Crescent Movement is to prevent and alleviate human suffering. Our task during and after conflicts is to protect and support the most vulnerable, the better to succeed, especially in cooperation with women’s organizations, at addressing humanitarian challenges, at alleviating suffering during and rebuilding society after an armed conflict. Women around the world are in many cases discriminated against. Women’s groups have the knowledge and experience of what is needed to lessen violence in society. We need to use that knowledge and cooperate with them. I would also like at this point to thank the ICRC and welcome the study on women and war.[xi]”

Ms Felicita Nanuse of Namibian Red Cross spoke on behalf of their Secretary General, Ms Razia Essack-Kauaria, giving a perspective on HIV/AIDS:

“We acknowledge that multiple factors such as poverty, migration, wars and conflicts, cross-border movements, substance abuse and the status of women and girls fuel the AIDS pandemic.[xii]”

Mrs Alicia Hunt, representing Belize, also went beyond “women as victims”:

“In conclusion, as my governments representative at this Conference, I would also like to reiterate our aim to advance social justice by promoting and enhancing opportunities for women to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security. These conditions are vital to improving the social standards of all nations. Moreover, I personally believe that women should be encouraged, to the greatest extent possible, to become more involved in their societies and that it should be an integral part of government programmes to promote women to become more politically active and present on the world scene[xiii]”.

Commission B3 of the Conference, which discussed “Reducing the risk and impact of disaster and disease: Reducing the risk and impact of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases on vulnerable people”, which included – among its conclusions:

“Because women shoulder the burden of infection and other HIV associated problems, the Declaration should include measures to empower women and alleviate their suffering.[xiv]”

and a little further on:

“The participants consider that the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a respected voice and has access to governments to advocate for:

…

4. the advancement and empowerment of women and their protection from violence;[xv]”

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[i] This was probably drafted rather late at night …

[ii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 27; P 29/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 105; P 107/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iv] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 131; P 133/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[v] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 144; P 146/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[vi] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 152; P 154/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[vii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 152; P 154/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[viii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 153; P 155/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[ix] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 166; P 168/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[x] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 175; P 177/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[xi] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 228; P 230/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[xii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; P 242; P 244/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[xiii] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; PP 245-246; P 244/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[xiv] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; PP 245-246; P 244/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[xv] Report of the twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 2003 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 14th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2005; PP 245-246; P 244/284 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_2003_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

Interestingly, a modest “modern” view of women and gender in humanitarian work makes a reappearance at the International Conference – not through women of the Movement – although many worked behind the scenes in the same direction – but through invited guests.

The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Ms L. Frechette spoke during the opening session, and towards the ned of her address included these words:

“That is the hope which has been kept alive, ever since your Movement began, by the men and women of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. Your commitment to the protection of non-combatants has been clear and consistent ever since your founder, Henry Dunant, summed up his philosophy as “compassion in the midst of battle””[i].

WFP, through and intervention by Ms C. Bertini, mentioned women, mostly as victims, but at least referred to them as actors, too:

“Reaching women with emergency assistance, including food aid, is crucial not just to empower them and combat their sense of hopelessness, but to carry out successful strategies to help communities cope with crises. One consequence of humanitarian emergencies is a dramatic increase in the number of female-headed households. In many cases, women and teenage girls are the sole providers of food for their families. At the same time, the greater burden on women for finding food, shelter and so on, is worsened by their decreased access, when compared with men, to resources such as relief commodities, credit, seed, tools and productive land. [ii]”

She continued:

“But will a focus on women work as an aid strategy? Women may be the leading victims of humanitarian emergencies, but is targeting aid on them really effective? They may be at the heart of the problem, but are they part of the solution?

At WFP, we are encouraging our field staff and our partners to follow guidelines on involving women in assessing foodaid needs, distributing food to households and monitoring distribution. We are pleased to have such an agreement with the ICRC.

Particularly in emergencies like those in Rwanda-Burundi or in Kosovo, the easy way out in delivering food aid is to use the existing community governance — the male power structure, for want of a better term. In such cases, much of the food often does not get to the victims — at least, not for free. But we want to see more food distributed by and to women and we want to see women engaged at the outset in the designs and plans for local emergency operations and food aid used in development. And we have seen time and time again that if food is distributed to heads of households, in majority women, most of that food is consumed by those for whom it is intended.

This has been controversial at times. I recall seeing southern Sudanese men complaining on CNN about how women were being given WFP food that would normally go through tribal leaders. Frankly. I was pleased to see the complaints — they showed the system was working, at least in Sudan.

There are tremendous advantages to this approach of targeting women with humanitarian aid. For example, female-headed households may be the only remnant of social structure left in an emergency. A household with a mother, involved in her community both socially and economically, is far more likely to withstand the strain of physical uprooting or a sudden loss in normal food supply channels.

At the same time, women are. for better or for worse, far less likely to be part of local political problems or agents that perpetuate them and, therefore, are less suspect conduits for aid. They are likely to put their immediate families first, and less likely to be drawn into the game of using food as just another weapon in ethnic or tribal conflict.

Women are a logical channel for humanitarian aid in emergencies because of their widespread role as food producers. Most people are unaware of the large role women play in agriculture, especially in a number of areas where there are ongoing major humanitarian crises. Eight out of 10 farmers in Africa are women and 6 out of 10 in Asia. Women are, in fact, the sole breadwinners in one household in three worldwide. We need to strengthen their economic role in recovery measures and not design operations in the field that treat them as passive welfare recipients, rather than as active participants in the economic system.

Finally, and most importantly, women are the people in the household most committed to ensuring that every member has access to food for consumption. Unless we get food to women, we will never effectively end hunger.

To be frank, in making women a priority we have to work very hard to get cooperation from local authorities or national governments, and even from some NGOs and other international agencies. A concerted effort to focus on women means change and many of us resist change.

It is so gratifying to see the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement involved in important initiatives on behalf of women; including women in peace mediation, in decisionmaking, and in humanitarian assistance; and devoting its special attention to women as victims. A strong emphasis at this Conference and beyond on implementing effective, practical policies that reflect the fact that most adult victims are women and that women can make all the difference in keeping families and communities together, can only be welcomed.

I congratulate Cornelio Sommaruga and Astrid Heiberg for all their efforts in addressing the gender dimension of humanitarian assistance. And let me take a moment also to thank you, Cornelio, for having been such a powerful moral voice and effective leader during your time as President of the ICRC and, even more, for having been such a wonderful colleague and friend. We are all fortunate that, in this decade of the nineties, the world has one consistent, strong, vocal, uncompromised advocate for all conflict victims throughout the world — Cornelio Sommaruga. We will miss you, but we are stronger because of you.

In conclusion, all of us working to reach out to the victims of humanitarian crises need to place a major emphasis on women. Women and their young children are the first to suffer when a nation is seized with violence. They must now be first in line when we provide humanitarian aid.

If there is anything to learn from the Rwandan mothers and their children conceived in violence, from the Angolan street children, from the young Kosovar rape victims — it is the strength of their human will to survive, search for hope and move on. Despite the rising violence against our own colleagues in the field, all of us in the aid community — the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the UN agencies, our NGO partners — must match that strength. We must search together for better solutions, so that when men wage war, women and children need not suffer so much anymore. (Applause) [iii]”

Towards the end of the Conference, Ambassador Y. Bikè. Vice Chair of the Conference, presented the “pledges” recorded.

Among his remarks was this:

“On a more practical basis, many pledges are aimed at strengthening the capacities of National Societies through the implementation of Strategy 2010, which was approved by the General Assembly of the International Federation at its 12th session. It should be noted that all the pledges from one geographical region, and from a number of other countries, include a specific commitment to ensuring that more women are involved and represented in decision-making bodies. [iv]”

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[i] Report of the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 1999 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 13th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2002; P 108; P 110/172 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1999_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[ii] Report of the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 1999 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 13th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2002; P 114; P 116/172 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1999_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iii] Report of the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 1999 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 13th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2002; Pp 114-115; PP 116-117/172 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1999_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf

[iv] Report of the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent including the summary report of the 1999 Council of Delegates and of the constitutive meeting of the 13th session of the standing commission; Geneva : ICRC : Federation, 2002; P 146; PP 148/172 in the electronic version available at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1999_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf