Strengthening women's capacity for peace building in the South Caucasus region
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Strengthening women’s
capacity for peace building
in the South Caucasus region
Lessons for policy and practice1 May 2013
The conflicts in the South Caucasus are an underlying feature of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls on states to
the region’s post-independence history. The unresolved political bring women into matters of peace and security, more attention
situations stemming from the armed conflicts of the late 80s has been given to the specific contribution that women make
and early 90s remain among the most serious impediments to to a just and inclusive peace. Today, however, both women and
long-term, just, inclusive and sustainable development for all conflict-affected groups remain at the margins of involvement
of the people in the region. In addition, violence has directly in these matters, and civil society participation centres around
impacted large sections of the population, killing thousands, a relatively small expert community made up of political figures,
destroying property and creating displacement and trauma. To- analysts and members of prominent non-governmental organ-
day, hundreds of thousands of people have a direct connection isations, who have the resources, the stature, and the contacts
to those times. They include internally displaced persons, refu- to take part in such debates.
gees, returnees, war invalids, families with lost loved ones, as
well as numerous communities that live in close to proximity The importance of ensuring that the needs of conflict-affected
to the militarised borders that fragment the region and create groups are taken into account in an eventual peace has broad-
a pervasive sense of insecurity and instability. Those who are based support and is acknowledged in the official positions of
directly affected by conflict are often the most vulnerable and most parties. The contribution of women to the survival of their
marginalised groups in their societies. In addition to human households, their communities and to the restoration of their
and material loss, they have lost their standing in society and societies after the conflicts, also receives acknowledgement.
their social support networks. In many cases these groups find Unfortunately, rather than empowering women and raising them
themselves located at the geographical fringes of their coun- up in the eyes of their communities, their post-conflict burdens
tries, close to danger and far from government services or the have tied them down more in the domestic domain and dis-
attention of their political representatives. tanced them even further from public participation or political
decision making.
International efforts to resolve the conflicts are slow and take
place within the exclusive domain of international diplomacy, This paper reflects on CARE’s work with grassroots women ac-
which allows only limited information to filter down to the tivists from 20 conflict-affected communities across the South
general population. Conflict-affected populations, with their Caucasus. This work focuses on strengthening women’s skills
increased burdens, anxiety and/or lack of integration into main- and confidence to take part in community life, bringing at-
stream society, are even less likely to be informed about such tention to the contributions they make and building an evi-
progress. Acknowledging these difficulties, international stake- dence base on the specific contributions that women make to
holders in the region have looked to support the involvement of planning and decision making. The paper proposes five areas
civil society in establishing additional pathways to finding so- in which international stakeholders should focus their peace
lutions and areas of agreement. This has included bringing the building efforts in order to allow conflict-affected populations,
voices of conflict-affected groups into the discourse surround- and especially women, to contribute in the long-term to peace
ing the conflict. In recent years, encouraged by the passing of and security in the South Caucasus region. <
CARE’s experience identifies a need for international stakeholders to:
• work within conflict-affected communities to create a base of active citizens, including women,
that act as an intermediary between the people and the authorities
• work to develop local authorities’ capacity to engage civil society into questions of local governance
• put gender equality at the top of the agenda for development and reform, emphasising the contribution
of gender equality to social, political and economic life
• provide opportunities for civil society to work in a regional format that includes all of the polities
of the South Caucasus
• work to protect freedom of expression and freedom of movement, especially for civil society actors
The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion
of the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation.
This publication is funded by Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the report
the European Commission lies entirely with CARE International in the Caucasus and CARE Österreich.
2
www.care.at
Working within conflict-affected communities
“I want to regain the spirit that we felt at the beginning of the independence movement.”
Grass-roots activist from the South Caucasus, responding to a workshop question “What is the change
that you would like to make in your society?”
“We know that decisions are being made and something is going to happen,
but we have no information. It’s like sitting on a volcano.”
Grass-roots activist, South Caucasus
The unresolved conflicts and the economy rank as the most tunity. There are few spaces available to discuss community
important issues in the lives of the populations in the South affairs or even to create the sense of a community. This not
Caucasus region, and economic concerns gain in prominence only obstructs people’s ability to imagine a common interest,
from year to year. Economic opportunities are scarce with high but also acts as a block on the flow of information. Misper-
levels of unemployment and significant parts of the population ceptions or incomplete information is rife and can be dis-
subsisting from small land plots. This is particularly the case in seminated quickly, when it concerns a matter of great urgency.
rural areas, where opportunities for formal employment outside Rumours have disproportionate power and add to the sense of
of the state sector are extremely rare. In such communities, the instability and anxiety.
most stable cash income to a household is often the pension
of an elderly member of the family or similar state-guaranteed CARE’s work with women activists in conflict-affected communi-
payments. ties has shown that civil society development delivers concrete
value to such communities by filling many of the vacuums that
In addition to poverty, conflict affected groups are burdened by presently exist. Small, local level activist groups can contribute
their isolation, their lack of integration, their absence of social to a sense of community, facilitate community decision-making,
networks and the trauma and anxiety that are the consequences deliver reliable information, reach the most vulnerable groups
of both the military action and the unresolved political situa- and represent community interests with authorities. Such ac-
tion. Often these groups neither receive nor seek information tivities respond directly to people’s social, informational, and
about community affairs. They do not engage in community in some cases physical isolation. In addition, the types of skills
activities, and do not invest in their own future. Owing to their developed through such work respond precisely to the sense of
isolation, these groups view their hardships through the lens marginalisation that people feel. The most effective community
of discrimination against their group, even when poverty and activists become proactive in engaging with authorities and
lack of access to services are problems that are experienced by the general population. They become effective communicators
large parts of the population as a whole. These burdens have a who are sensitive to and analytical about the needs of their
disproportionate impact on women. communities.
International organisations and donor funding has moved from With increased skills, confidence and support, women activ-
humanitarian relief to economic recovery, but it is likely that ists were able to have significant local impact. Successes in-
many of the most marginalised are by-passed altogether by de- clude mediating between the community and utility companies,
velopment projects. In the words of one grassroots activist, raising issues of child welfare among teachers and healthcare
“Some people are so poor that they may not want to talk to us”. professionals, creating job opportunities for refugee communi-
People throughout the region respond first to economic incen- ties, attracting resources to improve rural infrastructure, and
tives or else offers of direct assistance. Engagement in ques- monitoring the local budget planning process. Once they have
tions of civic activism, policy dialogue and protection of rights achieved success, the status of these activists rises, enabling
still needs to be built up creating solidarity between people on them to be heard more broadly in their communities and to deal
strategic issues of wellbeing. with more ambitious issues such as governance or deeply held
cultural attitudes, including the stereotypes that underpin the
Economic and political collapse in the post-Soviet period region’s continuing gender inequality. Most importantly, such
also had a momentous impact on people’s opportunities to successes demonstrate the value that an active civil society can
socialise. The economic burden took away people’s time and bring to a community, stimulating the interest of other citizens
the destruction of social infrastructure took away the oppor- to participate and of authorities to respond. <
CARE believes that building the capacity of grassroots civil society in conflict-affected communities is a long-term invest-
ment in the democratic responsiveness of authorities to the well-being of their populations and is a necessary condition for
these groups to make a contribution to matters of peace and security.
CARE’s experience underlines the importance of supporting an enabling environment for civil society groups to organise
and to receive and manage funds. This should be promoted at a policy level, through reduced bureaucracy, and at a pro-
grammatic level, through more opportunities for smaller groups to receive financial support.
3
www.care.at
Strengthening participative governance at the local level
“The job of the head of the administration is to tell the regional governor what our
problems are, so that he solves them.”
Member of a rural community, South Caucasus
“For me development means improvement in basic services, such as rubbish collection.”
Deputy head of local administration, South Caucasus
Local government, which is the entry point to policy making authorities and the general population that having more women
and governance that is closest to the citizen, is a relatively at community meetings would be valuable. Similarly, women
new phenomenon in the South Caucasus. While the precise say that they would feel more comfortable dealing with local
system of administration varies from country to country, a authorities if there were more women represented.
number of features, which reflect some of the weaknesses of
local government on the whole, are common to all of the ter- The lack of financial autonomy, the connection to the centre
ritories of the region. and a failure to reach out to all of the community, result in
a lack of credibility of the system of local government in the
Local government is generally characterised by a strong account- eyes of the citizenry, who often prefer to address their concerns
ability to the centre as opposed to the local population. Local further up the chain, where they feel the power really lies, and
administrative organs have low capacity to generate and control this engagement tends to be at an individual level. In this way,
their own revenue and are dependent on transfers from the cen- advocacy, when it happens, tends to focus on specific, personal
tral government. Where representatives are elected by the local issues rather than addressing issues in the interest of the com-
population, their decisions often require validation from an ap- munity as a whole. The lack of participation by the population
pointed figure from the central government. On top of this, nor- is normally to the frustration of local authorities themselves,
mally there is not a requirement that these organs consult with whose experience of engagement with communities is one of
their constituents when making plans or taking decisions, and apathy and complaints.
quite often they do not have the capacity to do so.
CARE’s practice shows that civic initiatives had more impact
Information about local government is poorly distributed and and were more sustainable in those places where activists ef-
people often have only a vague understanding of how the sys- fectively engaged and cooperated with local authorities. The
tem of government actually works. Consistently, men were bet- contributions that civic groups and local authorities make to
ter informed than women, and dealing with local authorities each other’s work are to the benefit of both. For example, mu-
has generally been seen as the man’s duty. With few public nicipality-run buildings can provide a valuable centre for com-
spaces available to the local population to discuss community munity activity and a badly needed space in which citizens can
affairs, local administrators are often dependent on informal be informed and deliberate together to form common views on
leaders or other active people in the community to pass infor- developments. This question of space outside of the domes-
mation to the people and gain their buy-in for development tic realm can be of particular value to women, who face more
initiatives. The informal leaders are typically male, late middle closed doors with regard to spaces to socialise.
aged, and with long-established ties to local government.
The presence at local events of local government representa-
Women are significantly underrepresented in decision making tives and local civic activists who have built their credibility
positions, and while they may make up a substantial propor- in the eyes of the community enhance the standing of both
tion of the administration staff, they are typically outside of government representatives and the activists, enhancing confi-
strategic positions. Notwithstanding the limited powers of lo- dence in the local governance system overall. In addition, the
cal administrative organs, such unequal participation has quite areas of technical expertise of local activists and local govern-
serious consequences for the population, as local authorities ment staff may also be mutually complementary. For example,
can have a significant say in who benefits from a particular government representative’s knowledge of national programmes
initiative (even when the initiative is decided upon by cen- or activities in the wider region can be valuable complements
tral structures).Broadly speaking, the gender imbalance in local to the individual entrepreneurial potential of members of the
government is not considered to be particularly problematic, ei- community. Building this partnership is a natural foundation
ther by men or women until it is expressly explored more deeply. for setting broader patterns of civic responsibility, government
On closer scrutiny there is an acknowledgement, both from the accountability and mutual engagement in policy dialogues. <
CARE believes that credible, accountable and effective local government which engages in regular, open dialogue with civil
society is an essential component for the sustainability of civil society initiatives at the grassroots level.
CARE’s experience suggests that investment by international stakeholders in building the capacity of local authorities to
cooperate with civil society is a crucial entry point for bringing the general population into matters of good governance
and policy dialogue.
4
www.care.at
Bringing gender into decision making and implementation
“The social roles of men and women in our culture is at the heart of the social
and economic problems of rural communities.”
Employee at government social research unit, South Caucasus region
“We can’t put too much emphasis on gender when we talk with the authorities. We already have
so many conditions that if, on top of that, we added gender, they would just show us the door.”
Representative of international representation, South Caucasus region
The gender equality agenda has a limited hold in the South The consequences of not being able to protect their property
Caucasus. The countries of the region are signatories of major rights are serious, leaving women less empowered to start or
international documents, such as CEDAW, have taken steps to manage a business or an organisation of any sort, unable to
integrate women’s empowerment and gender equality into their take credit, more likely to tolerate abuse in the home and less
national legislation and in many cases have developed action likely to have a voice in any form of decision making. A gender
plans to make gender equality a reality. At the level of imple- lens over the question of property rights clearly indicates the
mentation, however, forward progress is not so evident, with need for authorities to proactively inform the populations on
large wage gaps, low representation of women in government, this issue, if they wish these laws to have a substantive impact.
pervasive stereotypes of men and women reproduced through
the media, and a lack of substantive public debate on gender A separate line of advocacy focused on the different opportuni-
equality, especially at critical times, such as during election ties available to men and women when looking to start a busi-
periods. Violence against women is only slowly being acknowl- ness. The issue has particular resonance in much of the South
edged as a problem that is receiving any kind of government Caucasus, where men often migrate for work and women make
attention. Activists point to the role of the international com- up the majority of the working age population in the towns and
munity in promoting gender equality at the legislative level, villages. With large parts of the population dependent on small
noting that governments know it is good for their image to be plots of land for their livelihood, starting a small enterprise is
seen to adhere to international standards. While such progress one of the only opportunities to add value to production. The
gives activists a legislative base to promote gender equality, potential contribution of women to the economy, however, is
these changes are often made hastily to improve a country’s im- restricted by negative stereotypes towards women taking part
age and with little public discussion. As a consequence, gender in business activities. Women face more difficulties interact-
equality laws have little ownership from the side of the authori- ing with the business environment or getting the support and
ties and little understanding from the side of the population, encouragement from society that is so important to succeed
meaning that there isn’t a strong social demand for implemen- in a tough economic environment. Where the state offers sup-
tation. port, such as education or re-training courses, this is not always
sensitive to the realities and challenges of women’s domestic
Considering the low level of receptiveness to the concept, CARE, duties and so remain inaccessible for them.
its partners and local activists strongly invest in creating gen-
der awareness and focused their advocacy on issues where the Women’s participation in local affairs is also not on a par with
added value of gender analysis was very clear. One such exam- that of men, with men dominating not only the structures of lo-
ple, which had resonance throughout the region, is the area of cal governance, but also the patterns of relations around them.
property rights. While laws state that women have rights equal The critical success factors for a person to be elected to local
to men to acquire, own and dispose of immovable property, government – money, support, contacts – all put women at
in actual fact property is predominantly in the hands of men. a disadvantage in relation to men. It is striking from CARE’s
When women marry, they are expected to enter the husband’s work that it is only in displaced communities, where traditional
household, and family property is generally inherited along the hierarchies are disrupted, that women are more aware of the
male line. The discrimination enshrined in these practices re- workings of local government and more active in making this
mains largely unchallenged by women, who either accept them work in their favour. Whether such changes in social roles can
as the norm or are not informed of their rights, including their be sustained without proactive methods to promote women in
inheritance rights, as protected by law. local governance remains a matter of debate. <
Examples from CARE’s practice in conflict-affected communities demonstrates that men and women’s gender awareness can
be raised most efficiently through engaging them on issues of gender equality where they have direct relevance to their
lives, such as property and livelihoods.
CARE’s work indicates a need for international stakeholders to mainstream gender throughout their programming and to
support this politically by prioritising gendered approaches to all areas of reform.
5
www.care.at
Connecting civil society across the South Caucasus
“There was a time when we used to see people from our neighbouring countries all
of the time. Now, we seem to be very far away from each other.”
Head of local administration, South Caucasus
“There is information all around, but it is very hard to know what to believe.
There are a lot of rumours and no way of finding out what is true.”
Member of conflict-affected community, South Caucasus
Since gaining independence, the newly formed entities of the Gender inequality was a cross-cutting theme that had par-
South Caucasus have been growing further and further apart. ticular resonance with activists across the region. Women’s
New borders made movement across the region more difficult. marginalisation from social, political and economic life has
The new states have established their own laws, their own similar features across the South Caucasus. Quota systems
media spaces, their own educational curricula and their own from Soviet times gave an illusion of equality in political
patterns of international relations, all of which set their own and public life. When these were lifted, women’s representa-
course for development and nation building. Where these states tion fell dramatically, but public perceptions of equality re-
are in conflict with one another, the separation has been even mained. Gender equality activists across the region are faced
more dramatic – travel across conflict lines is impossible for with similar tasks of conveying to their public the nature
the vast majority of the population, telephone calls are often of gender discrimination, which is rarely on the agenda in
blocked and national media transmit narratives that underline mainstream debate and can even be met with hostility, es-
differences and keep the memories of the war alive. For most of pecially from men.
the population there are few opportunities to receive alterna-
tive information about the region. Often, people’s images of A collective cross-regional investigation of how to engage men
their neighbours are coloured either by memories from Soviet in promoting gender equality, demonstrated similar patterns
times, by their own mass media, which prioritise national agen- of attitudes towards women’s role in public life, ranging from
das over a free flow of information, or else by violent memories “women have no role to play” to “women should be listened to,
of the conflict. but aren’t”. Women activists shared their experiences of such at-
titudes, analysed them and worked together to develop tactics
While differences are growing, there are still many character- to engage men in their future activities. A similar exchange of
istics that these societies have in common, including cultural experience focused on women’s economic rights. Women ac-
traditions developed over many years of coexistence and the tivists also found themselves faced with similar problems of
shared Soviet heritage of rapid modernisation under a patri- engaging populations in community initiatives in areas where
monial state. The unresolved conflicts, too, have a similar im- there is little culture of civic participation and in which power
pact on the societies of the region. Development is obstructed and decision making is heavily centralised. On all such issues,
and some groups remain at the margins of society. People have an opportunity to share experience and develop new practices
similar experiences of state collapse, armed conflict, the disap- had an impact on the activists’ work.
pearance of services and large-scale displacement, as well as
many of the modern phenomena that have changed their lives At such regional exchanges, issues of conflict are treated as
since the war, such as urbanisation, transition to the market part of the context in which the activists are working and can-
economy, and labour migration. not be dealt with directly. The focus is on formulating concrete
objectives for activists to work on together and the skills and
Today, internationally supported projects are one of the only experience they can share. By taking part in a regional format,
opportunities people have to receive first-hand information groups are not under pressure to deal with the most contentious
about their neighbours and the changes that their societies issues. This opens up the space for people to interact more
have undergone since independence. CARE’s practice found that freely and discuss practical problems in their societies rather
bringing civil society activists together across borders and lines than the zero-sum perspectives that are common in mainstream
of conflict offers a much appreciated opportunity to share expe- conflict narratives. Such meetings also, however, provide the
riences and establish cooperation around areas of social injus- opportunities, at the margins, for people to fulfil their curiosity
tice that they experience together. Activists responded to such about neighbouring countries and regions, therefore laying the
opportunities by adopting each other’s practices and working basis for tolerance, understanding and a willingness to listen to
together on strategies for how to address particular obstacles. different opinions and experiences. <
CARE believes that the opportunity for people at the grassroots to know about each other’s realities and exchange
information is an indispensable condition for bringing their voice to matters of peace and security.
CARE’s practice identifies a concrete need for international stakeholders working in the South Caucasus to develop approaches
towards working in the region as a whole, facilitating the inclusion of men and women from across the entire region.
6
www.care.at
Creating the space for learning and debate
“It is not possible to carry out full democratic reforms under the
present conditions, where we have aggressive neighbours.”
Official representative, South Caucasus
“For me, development means peace.”
Member of conflict-affected community, South Caucasus
Issues relating to the unresolved conflicts in the South Cauca- acter, in which official figures might make unofficial comments
sus are the most sensitive subjects of debate inside of each so- concerning the advisability of meeting someone from the other
ciety. They are tied up not only in mutually exclusive objectives, side. Today, only a limited number of civil society figures –
but also conflicting conceptions about the nature of the con- those who are reconciled to working in this grey area of what is
flict. Contained in these are deeply held questions of identity, permissible and what is not – openly engage with people from
unaddressed injustices, varying interpretations of history and the other side of the conflict and look to bring attention to the
numerous other factors that resonate loudly within each soci- results of their interactions, and at times even this grey area
ety. Difficulties in travelling to meet people from the other side is under threat. Those civil society meetings that do take place
are well known. There is not a single geographic location within tend to focus on high-level political or economic issues and the
the South Caucasus region itself, where participants from all of way global trends affect the regions. Relatively little attention
the different entities can openly meet and talk. Travel to more is given to the specific impact of the unresolved conflicts on
distant locations can be fraught with problems. Visa applica- those who have been most heavily impacted or whose fate most
tions can be problematic and authorities in the region also take heavily depends by the conflicts being resolved.
steps to restrict the movement of their own citizens beyond the
borders within which they exert sovereignty. CARE’s practice shows that today’s conditions do not permit the
most vulnerable groups to engage directly on conflict issues.
Not only is the flow of information across conflict lines heavily Indeed, being seen to be engaged with the enemy can have a
restricted, but the space for opening up the discourse around negative impact on the way one is viewed in one’s own commu-
the conflicts is also very small. Authorities in the region devote nity and may lessen the impact of activism, even when this ac-
considerable resources to maintaining official positions and in- tivism does not touch on the conflicts at all. In over three years
fluencing the terms on which the conflicts are engaged with. of work with local NGOs and activists under the “Strengthening
This has an influence on what issues can be discussed, which women” initiative, CARE was not able to communicate about
actors are engaged and which terminology is used. Such layers the nature of its collaboration or about the work’s regional for-
of complexity make nuanced discussion of the conflicts even mat. It was never possible to establish any kind of openly avail-
more complicated and accessible only to political elites or the able printed or electronic resource that demonstrated that the
expert community. As a result, these debates have little poten- local activists from across the region were all involved in the
tial to sensitize the general population to the multiple truths same initiative. The text of the present publication deliberately
and diversity of understandings held by people on all different makes no reference to any geographical location so as not to
sides of the conflict. compromise any participants or to cause distraction from its
main themes.
Discourse surrounding the conflicts that falls outside of official
narratives can be seriously punished, either by the authorities While some confidence can be built through person-to-person
or by the public, as can the mere fact of choosing to meet with interaction, significant changes need to occur in the enabling
persons from the other side of the conflict. Such harassment of environment for people to be able to travel, engage and open
civil society actors can sometimes take on a semi-formal char- sensitive issues to public discussion. <
CARE believes that civil society actors throughout the South Caucasus region have a right to freely express their opinion
and to engage with civil society from other parts of the region without fear for safety or persecution.
CARE’s experience identifies the need for international stakeholders to look to increase opportunities for persons from all
parts of the region to travel internationally to engage with other people from the region and to emphasise with authorities
that freedom of movement and the freedom of expression are human rights that must be respected and upheld.
7
www.care.at
1
This paper has been produced within the framework of the “Strengthening women’s capacity for peace building in the South Caucasus region”
project. This project was managed by CARE and funded by the European Commission under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human
rights (EIDHR) with additional funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation and private donors. The project worked directly in 20 con-
flict-affected communities across the South Caucasus region and focused on building the skills and confidence of women to take active part in
community life, highlighting the contributions women make to society, and advocating to promote an enabling environment in which women’s
rights are protected. By working in a regional format, the project looked to network women across the region to exchange experiences and pro-
mote gender equality in the region as a whole. The present paper emphasises the regional dimension of this work, drawing out commonalities
across the target region and does not highlight specific details of different target areas. The text of the present publication deliberately makes
no reference to any geographical location so as not to compromise any participants or to cause distraction from its main themes.
Publications
This publication draws on findings from various knowledge products developed in the course of the project
“Strengthening women’s capacity for peace building in the South Caucasus region”. The following publications
are available on request from CARE International in the Caucasus at caucasus@care.org.ge.
Conflict affected communities in Georgia, Brigitta Bode, 2011 (English)
Conflict affected communities in Azerbaijan, Brigitta Bode, 2011 (English)
Conflict affected communities in Armenia, Brigitta Bode, 2011 (English)
Women in Armenia: Peace, Security and Democracy from a Women’s Rights perspective, Sabine Mandl, 2011 (English)
Women in Georgia: Peace, Security and Democracy from a Women’s Rights perspective, Sabine Mandl, 2011 (English)
Women in Azerbaijan: Peace, Security and Democracy from a Women’s Rights perspective, Sabine Mandl, 2011 (English)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Georgia, Natia Aroshidze, 2012 (Russian)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Armenia, Artak Ayunts, 2012 (English)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Hadrut, David Karabekyan, 2012 (Russian)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Stepanakert, David Karabekyan, 2012 (Russian)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Shushi, David Karabekyan, 2012 (Russian)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Martuni, David Karabekyan, 2012 (Russian)
Engaging men in women’s activism in Azerbaijan, Rasim Akhmedov, 2012 (Russian)
Factors affecting public-political activities of women in Abkhazia, Ludmila Djindjal, 2012 (Russian)
Policy paper: Gender Focal Point in Azerbaijan, Sajida Abdulvahabova, 2010 (Azerbaijani, English)
Women’s Economic Rights in Armenia, Jina Sargizova, 2012 (Armenian, English)
Women’s Property Rights in Georgia, Lela Akiashvili, 2012 (Georgian, English)Strengthening women’s capacity for peace
building in the South Caucasus region
Project summary
Duration 41 months
Objective Support partner NGOs from across the South Caucasus to create an enabling environment where marginalized
women from conflict-affected communities can protect their rights and take active part in decision-making
Inplementers CARE Österreich/CARE International in the Caucasus
Partners Armenian Committee of Helsinki Civil Assembly (Yerevan)
Association of Women of Abkhazia (Sukhum/i)
Centre for Civilian Initiatives (Stepanakert)
IDP Women’s Association Consent (Tbilisi)
Women’s Problems Research Union (Baku)
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights (Vienna)
Target groups Marginalised women that have been directly affected by conflict: incl. minority women, IDPs/refugees,
returnees, widows, relatives of injured or missing persons, war invalids, ex-combatants, & socially vulnerable
women in areas that might be affected by renewed conflict.
Final • 20 targeted conflict-affected communities, particularly women, across the South Caucasus region; • Local &
beneficiaries central decision-makers in five ‘entities’ of the Caucasus; • International actors such as the European Com-
mission, members of the UN family, the OSCE and governments involved in the region as mediators or donors;
• Local and international media; • Broader society/other communities.
Main activities Capacity-building of partners, women leaders, community mobilisation, local/regional/cross-border network-
ing, engaging with male leaders, research on implementation of key aspects of UNSCR 1325/1820, local/
international advocacy
Women’s Problems IDP Women’s Association of Center for Civic Armenian Committee
Research Union Association Women of Abkhazia Initiatives of Helsinki Citizens’
Consent Assembly
CARE works throughout the countries of the South Caucasus to reduce rural poverty, vulnerability and social injustice, improve
conditions for sustainable development, thereby contributing to stability and peace in the region. CARE works with women,
youth, conflict-affected populations and people in the most remote areas, building networks of social change agents who share
this vision of change. CARE partners with civil society actors to jointly engage in programs, policy and governance, for marginal-
ized to benefit from greater social and environmental justice and increased gender equality.
Imprint:
CARE International in the Caucasus and CARE Österreich – May 2013.
For further inquiries please contact: caucasus@care.org.ge or care@care.at
This publication is also available at http://www.care-caucasus.org.ge and http://expert.care.at/expert/.You can also read
