Gender mainstreaming in mine action

Last updated

Gender mainstreaming in mine action is the application of gender mainstreaming to mine action. It is increasingly being adopted by international and state mine action organizations. [1]

Contents

General

Gender mainstreaming in mine action is derived from the fact that women and men often have different roles and responsibilities within their communities or families and consequently different decision-making power, mobility patterns, information and control over resources. [2] The different positions of men and women have an influence on their exposure to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), their ability to access medical and psychological services once they have been injured by mines, their chances of long term reintegration in society, and the likelihood of them to be included in risk education. [3]

As a result, organizations employ gender mainstreaming in mine action by assessing the implications for women and men in all aspects of the mine action activities. [4] Gender mainstreaming in mine action attempts to ensure women and men benefit equally from mine action and that gender inequality is not perpetuated which might impede the overall effectiveness of mine action programmes. [5]

History

Women's advancement instruments in national bureaucracies started in the mid-1970s. While the concept of gender mainstreaming appeared in the mid-1980s, it was formalised in the early 1990s. [4] Gender mainstreaming in mine action was first mentioned in 1995 at the Beijing Platform for Action in the section on armed conflict, by stating that "women and children are particularly affected by the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel land-mines". [6] Gender mainstreaming in mine action was part of a larger movement to end discrimination and mainstream gender in security sector reform. Before guidelines on how to integrate gender into mine action were standardised, several documents were published to highlight the importance of gender mainstreaming in that domain. [7]

It later gained more support thanks to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on "Women, Peace and Security" which emphasised "the need for all parties to ensure that mine clearance and mine awareness programmes take into account the special needs of women and girls". [8] In 2005 the UN Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes [9] provided the first comprehensive description of how to mainstream gender in mine action, afterwards revised in 2010. [10] This guide is a manual destined to be used by the UN mine action field-based personnel and headquarters' staff and other actors involved in the sector. [10]

Convention and Normative Documents on Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action

The Convention on Cluster Munition (2008) underlines that "Each State Party with respect to cluster munition victims (…) shall (…) adequately provide age- and gender-sensitive assistance". [11]

The Vientiane Action Plan 2010-2015 (2010), [12] adopted at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munition in Lao PDR also includes gender issues in several action points, such as on Clearance and destruction of cluster munition remnants and risk reduction activities. For instance, Action 14 writes that there should be "gender-sensitive participation of the community to the development of national clearance plans, planning and prioritisation of clearance activities and land release". Action 17 states that "mine risk education should be tailored to the needs of affected communities, gender sensitive and age appropriate". In addition to the previous two, Action 22 requires states to collect sex and age disaggregated data on victims, and Action 30 that victims should be fully included in the work of the convention in a gender and age sensitive way. [12]

The Strategy of the United Nation on Mine Action 2013-2018 (2013) encourages "further efforts (…) dedicated to strengthening and mainstreaming gender perspectives in mine action planning, implementation and evaluation". [13]

The Maputo Action Plan 2014-2019 (2014) [14] was adopted during the Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction (APMBC 1997). In its introduction, it stresses that States Parties will implement the Maputo Action Plan in a cooperative, inclusive, age-appropriate and gender-sensitive manner. In the section on mine clearance, gender-sensitive mine risk education (paragraph 10), opportunities and social protection measures for all mine victims, regardless of their gender and age (paragraph 10) and gender sensitive awareness raising (paragraph 17) are mentioned. The section on International cooperation and assistance encourages State parties to articulate age- and gender-sensitive time-bound objectives and targets (paragraph 21) and to support programmes that provide accurate gender sensitive information and that promote gender mainstreaming (paragraph 22). [14]

The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) [15] were created in 2001 and are under constant revision. They provide procedures and concrete steps to follow all UN mine action operations. However, they are also the main guide for operators and national mine action programmes to establish their own National Mine Action Standards (NMAS). [16] After the revision of IMAS in 2009, [17] the dimension of gender was included in several of them, concerning land release and handover (IMAS 07.11); [18] Mine Risk Education (IMAS 04.10 [19] and IMAS 12.10); [20] non-technical surveys (IMAS 08.10). [21]

Examples of Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action

Since 2006 the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been conducting workshops on gender mainstreaming in mine action both in the field and in Geneva at the presence of representatives of mine action organisation, focused on explaining what gender mainstreaming is and helping countries implementing the UN guidelines. [5]

The Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines created the Gender and Mine Action Programme in 2006 to specifically focus on the implementation of gender mainstreaming in mine action. [22]

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in 2013 reviewed the work of the Danish Demining Group (DDG) in Afghanistan, assessing positively the progress made in gender mainstreaming, in terms of the collection of disaggregated qualitative and quantitative data, in spite of some cultural limitations. [23]

The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) has developed a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for the period 2014-2016 with the assistance of the Gender and Mine Action Programme (GMAP). In order to share the strategy, the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA) organised two gender mainstreaming workshops at the end of 2014 attended by 17 partner organisations [24] in the context of a grant provided by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) [25]

The Mine Advisory Group (MAG) – Lao PDR, through a funding from MAG and Irish Aid, conducted an assessment as part of gender mainstreaming on the priority actions to be carried out in integrating gender in mine action. [26]

Strategies

The UN Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes [27] explain how to integrate gender into four of the five pillars of mine action. [28] [29]

Mine clearance

The UN Gender Guidelines state that men, women, boys and girls differ in their exposure to and knowledge of the mine contamination. The Guidelines write that mine-action operators should obtain information about the mine situation from both sexes in all age groups in order for information to be complete and accurate before demining. Having more accurate information before can reduce costs because less time and money are spent on demining uncontaminated areas. Its concrete recommendations are:

Mine-risk education (MRE)

The UN Gender Guidelines say that men, women, boys and girls differ in their behaviours and their response to mine-risk education. Its recommendations are:

Victim assistance

For victim assistance, the guidelines explains that women and men have often different access to victim assistance due to cultural barriers and other obstacles. It states that mine action organisations should consider these barriers and their vulnerability to the economic, psychological and social implications of disability. [30] The Guidelines' recommendations are:

Advocacy

In terms of advocacy, the guidelines state that women and men have different sensibilities to messages and access to communication channels. Mine action organisations have to consider these peculiarities in planning advocacy activities. Its recommendations are:

Gender and Mine Action Programme (GMAP)

The Gender and Mine Action Programme (GMAP) is a programme of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) that strives for and contributes to increasing the effectiveness of mine action activities through the inclusion of a gender and diversity perspective in policy making, programming, and implementation. GMAP was created in December 2006 by the Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines. Before its integration in the GICHD in March 2019, GMAP worked as an independent organization for more than 12 years, aiming to promote gender mainstreaming in mine action by trying to make mine action include the needs, priorities, and knowledge of women, girls, boys, men, and members of marginalized groups in communities at risk of landmines or other UXO. The goal of gender and diversity mainstreaming is to make mine action more inclusive, efficient and effective. [22] The goal of the Programme is to research, provide training and consultation, [31] create guidelines and strategies, [32] [33] create awareness, [34] and publish material related to gender and diversity [35] [36] in mine action. [37] [38] They also support hiring more women in mine action including mine clearance. [39] It was hosted in the offices of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) in Geneva, Switzerland for 9 years before its official integration in the GICHD. [40] GMAP is part of a Gender and Diversity in Security Hub with other security organizations at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), and Small Arms Survey (SAS). [41]

Criticism

Like many criticisms of the gender mainstreaming movement in general, gender mainstreaming in mine action has faced similar problems such as ineffective results, poor implementation, those using it to hinder progress, and being primarily western dominated. Asa Massleberg, for the Gender and Mine Action Programme, wrote that the common measurements of success in mine action, such as meters squared of land cleared of mines and number of people who received a service, are insufficient because they do not take into account the overall and long term impact of a community. She argues it can only be done by assessing all the processes and procedures in a project cycle which are adapted to the needs of women, girls, boy and men in a community. [42] According to the Gender and Mine Action Programme, the effects of gender mainstreaming are still largely undocumented, not understood by those implementing it, and require further research. [43] Trying to deal with other biases not included in gender mainstreaming, the Gender and Mine Action Programme has also expanded gender mainstreaming to include the term diversity. Gender and diversity mainstreaming includes other factors in the demographics of a community that may hinder or help the long term impact of mine action. [44]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Campaign to Ban Landmines</span> International organization

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations whose stated objective is a world free of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HALO Trust</span> Non-government organisation founded 1988

The HALO Trust is a humanitarian non-government organisation which primarily works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts. With over 10,000 staff worldwide, HALO has operations in 28 countries. Its largest operation is in Afghanistan, where the organization continues to operate under the Taliban regime that took power in August 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demining</span> Process of removing land mines

Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contrast, the goal of humanitarian demining is to remove all of the landmines to a given depth and make the land safe for human use. Specially trained dogs are also used to narrow down the search and verify that an area is cleared. Mechanical devices such as flails and excavators are sometimes used to clear mines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land mines in Cambodia</span> Landmines in Cambodia

Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia that has a major problem with landmines, especially in rural areas. This is the legacy of three decades of war which has taken a severe toll on the Cambodians; it has some 40,000 + amputees, which is one of the highest rates in the world. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) estimates that there may be as many as four to six million mines and other pieces of unexploded ordnance in Cambodia. Some estimates, however, run as high as ten million mines.

FSD is a Swiss non-governmental organisation specialising in mine action. Since its creation in 1997, FSD has carried out operations in some 30 countries on four continents. Its programmes include the following four components: humanitarian demining, explosive ordnance risk education, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction and management. In 26 years, more than 1.4 million items of explosive ordnance have been neutralised by FSD.

A mine clearance organization, or demining organization, is an organization involved in the removal of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) for military, humanitarian, or commercial reasons. Demining includes mine clearance, as well as surveying, mapping and marking of hazardous areas.

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining is an international organisation working in mine action and explosive ordnance risk reduction, with a focus on landmines, cluster munitions and ammunition stockpiles. Based in the Maison de la paix in Geneva, it is legally a non-profit foundation in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land mines in Nagorno-Karabakh</span> First Nagorno-Karabakh War

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh and areas around it are considered to be some of the most heavily mined regions of the former Soviet Union. Mines were laid from early 1990s by both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces during and after the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The worst-affected areas are along the fortified former contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, in particular in the districts of Aghdam, Fuzuli and Jabrayil. According to military experts from both Azerbaijan and Armenia, the ground in those areas is covered with "carpets of land mines." The region has the highest per capita rate in the world of accidents due to unexploded ordnance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aki Ra</span> Cambodian former child soldier, deminer, and museum curator (born c. 1970)

Aki Ra is a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who works as a deminer and museum curator in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He has devoted his life to removing landmines in Cambodia and to caring for young landmine victims. Aki Ra states that since 1992 he has personally removed and destroyed as many as 50,000 landmines, and is the founder of the Cambodian Landmine Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maison de la paix</span> Building in Geneva, Switzerland

The Maison de la paix is a building owned by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. The building was designed by Eric Ott of Neuchâtel's IPAS firm. It serves as the headquarters for the Graduate Institute and houses the three Geneva Centres, which comprise the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). It is the main element of the Campus de la paix.

Mine action is a combination of humanitarian aid and development studies that aims to remove landmines and reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of them and the explosive remnants of war (ERW).

The Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines is a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). It is an umbrella organisation composed of about 50 Swiss NGOs gathered around the common objective of banning antipersonnel landmines and similar indiscriminate weapons. At the national level, the Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines successfully advocated in favor of a national ban of antipersonnel landmines and of Switzerland’s signature and ratification of the Ottawa Treaty in 1995-1997. Within the ICBL, the Swiss Campaign was a member of the Non State Actors Working Group, which it co-chaired until the end of 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mines Advisory Group</span>

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a non-governmental organization that assists people affected by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and small arms and light weapons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Mine Action Service</span> United Nations organization

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is a service located within the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations that specializes in coordinating and implementing activities to limit the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish demining group</span>

Danish Demining Group (DDG) is the Human Security Unit under the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), specialised in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance and reducing armed violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for International Stabilization and Recovery</span>

The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR), formerly the Mine Action Information Center (MAIC), is a public policy center at James Madison University that manages information, conducts training, holds conferences and workshops, and performs research relevant to humanitarian mine clearance, victim assistance, mine risk reduction and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).

MineWolf Systems provides machines and services for the mechanical clearance of landmines and other explosive devices. Its customers are mine clearance agencies in the commercial, humanitarian and military demining field. British company Pearson Engineering Ltd, a leading provider of Combat Engineer equipment, announced acquisition of the IP and Assets of MineWolf Systems in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mine Action Agency (Azerbaijan)</span> State agency in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is a mine action agency and executive body under State Commission for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of War-Affected Areas of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The agency is accountable for implementing all necessary procedures corresponding to Azerbaijan Mine Action Program in order to decontaminate mines within the territory of Azerbaijan. Donors of the agency are government of Azerbaijan ($2,400,000) and UNDP ($160,000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITF Enhancing Human Security</span> Non profit humanitarian organization

ITF Enhancing Human Security is a humanitarian, non-profit organization founded by the Republic of Slovenia., which specializes in land mine clearance and post-conflict reconstruction. It was established on 12 March 1998 with the purpose of helping Bosnia and Herzegovina in its post-conflict rehabilitation, specifically with mine clearance and assistance to mine victims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masam Project</span> Landmine clearance project in Yemen

Project Masam is a multilateral humanitarian land mine clearance project in Yemen launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in June 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Resources".
  2. ↑ A guide to Mine Action. GICHD, 2014. Chapter 4, p.110: http://www.gichd.org/fileadmin/GICHD-resources/rec-documents/Guide-to-mine-action-2014.pdf
  3. ↑ Livelihoods Analysis of Landmine/ERW Affected Communities. Third Survey: Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. Qudous Ziaee, Samim Hashimi and Shapur Qayyumi, 2013: p. 16
  4. 1 2 Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action – a Critical Background Analysis. Hilde Wallacher, Assistance to Mine-Affected Communities (AMAC), 2007, p.2: http://file.prio.no/Publication_files/Prio/Gender_mainstreaming_in_mine_action_nov_07_background_report.pdf
  5. 1 2 UNMAS and Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action. Aaron J. Buckley and Akiko Ikeda, The Journal of ERW and Mine Action. Issue 13.3, Winter 2009: http://www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/13.3/notes/buckley_ikeda/buckley.shtml
  6. ↑ Beijing Platform for Action, 1995. Strategic objective E.2. Reduce excessive military expenditures and control the availability of armaments. Actions to be taken: 143.e.: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/armed.htm
  7. ↑ A Guide to Mine Action. GICHD, 2013: p.113 to 115: http://www.gichd.org/fileadmin/GICHD-resources/rec-documents/Guide-to-mine-action-2014.pdf
  8. ↑ "Resolution 1325 (2000)". United Nations. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  9. ↑ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Refworld - Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes". Refworld. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ Convention on Cluster Munitions. Article 5, Victim assistance, p.9: http://www.clusterconvention.org/files/2011/01/Convention-ENG.pdf Archived 2015-02-13 at the Wayback Machine
  12. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ↑ The Strategy of the United Nation on Mine Action 2013-2018, 2013, p.10: http://www.mineaction.org/sites/default/files/publications/mine_action_strategy_mar15.pdf Archived 2015-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  14. 1 2 http://www.maputoreviewconference.org/fileadmin/APMBC-RC3/3RC-Maputo-action-plan-adopted-27Jun2014.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  15. ↑ "International Mine Action Standards: About IMAS". mineactionstandards.org. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "International Mine Action Standards: About NMAS". mineactionstandards.org. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ http://www.mineactionstandards.org/fileadmin/MAS/documents/imas-international-standards/english/series-08/IMAS-08.10-Ed.1-Am2.pd%5B%5D
  22. 1 2 "Gender & Mine Action Programme – Gmap.ch".
  23. ↑ Review of the DDG Humanitarian Mine Action Support to the National Strategy through Clearance and Enhanced Quality Project in Afghanistan (October 2010 – September 2013). Final Report. SIDA, p.8: http://www.oecd.org/derec/sweden/SIDAReviewDDG%20HumanitarianMineActionSupportNationalStrategyAfghanistan.pdf
  24. ↑ http://www.gmap.ch/fileadmin/GMAP_Articles_and_Papers/2014_Outcomes_of_Gender_Mainstreaming_in_the_Mine_Action_Programmes_of_Afghanistan_and_South_Sudan.pdf [ dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ↑ Gender Issue: An Example from Lao PDR. Jo Durham, MAG Lao. The Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Issue 12.2, Winter 2008/2009: http://www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/12.2/focus/durham/durham.shtml
  27. ↑ Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes. UN, 2010, p. 13: http://www.mineaction.org/sites/default/files/publications/MA-Guidelines-WEB.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ↑ Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action in Conflict Situations. Hilde Wallacher, International Peace Research Institute, Kjell Erling Kjellman, International Peace Research Institute. PRIO, Policy Brief 10/2008: http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=117659
  29. ↑ DPKO Practices in Gender Mainstreaming. Kateland Shane. The Journal of ERW and Mine Action. Issue 12.2, Winter 2008-2009: http://www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/12.2/profiles/shane/shane.shtml
  30. ↑ "Gender & Victim Assistance". 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "404 - CMC".{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  32. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2015-08-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/documents/femm/dv/gbv_toolkit_book_01_20_2015_/gbv_toolkit_book_01_20_2015_en.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  34. ↑ ""Convention d'Ottawa: Des principes d'un traité aux actions sur le terrain" | Club suisse de la presse". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
  35. ↑ "UN Mine Action Gateway - Gender & Mine Action".
  36. ↑ "Gender and Land Release: The Responsibility of the Mine-action Community, by Marie Nilsson, Virginie Rozès and Juliane Garcia (13.2)".
  37. ↑ "Gender & Mine Action Programme – Gmap.ch".
  38. ↑ "Filling a niche: Gender and Mine Action Programme". 4 June 2014.
  39. ↑ "Clearing Land Mines Becomes Women's Work in Mozambique and Beyond". 13 December 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining: Gender and diversity".
  41. ↑ "MdP Gender & Diversity Hub - Facebook". Facebook .
  42. ↑ Åsa Massleberg. "Redefining Success: Whose Reality Counts?". The Journal of ERW & Mine Action. 14 (2).
  43. ↑ Arianna Calza Bini; Nyske Janssen; Abigail Jones. "Effects of Mixed Teams on Land Release". The Journal of ERW & Mine Action. 18 (1).
  44. ↑ "Gender & Mine Action Programme – Gmap.ch".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.