TU875 TMA03 Question As an external adviser, how would you advise interveners to work in addressing the complex challenge of supporting social change that addresses gender inequalities whilst ensuring the engagement and support of those who are currently holding power and influence? Make full use of at least one case study in your analysis Your answer should be in the form of a report and be no more than 3000 words in length. By Agwii Osborn, Personal Identifier: C7623335 1.0 Propose of the report The purpose of this report is to provide advice to interveners working to address the complex challenge of supporting social change that addresses gender inequalities whilst ensuring the engagement and support of those who are currently holding power and influence in Sierra Leone.This report is written by Osborn. Osborn is an independent consultant working in support of peace building initiatives in Uganda. He has been hired by ACCORD to make a report on gender inequality in Sierra Leone from 2002 after the civil war to 2011. The report will define social change, gender inequality and power relations, it will then analyze situation of gender in the chosen period, and then analyze the stakeholders involved in the social change process, identify possible intervention strategies and provide recommendations. It is expected that, these recommendations will enable ACCORD and interveners working in Sierra Leone to deal with inherent gender inequalities and structural issues whilst engaging all the stakeholders. 1.2.0 Definition of key concepts 1.2.1 Social change refers to a change in the social order of a given society, this includes; change in behaviors, values or social institutions (Author) 1.2.2 Gender inequality can be referred to as sexual category of both men and women with contracted social unfairness duties that are seen as a normal way of life within a society (Author) 1.2.3 Power relations is where there is unbalance of power between the people involved where one is often more powerful than the other and where he or she feels strong and in control of the situation or the other. Thus, the lesser powered person will as a result feel abused (Author) 3.0 Situation analysis Sierra Leone is a highly patriarchal society, and institutionalised gender inequalities are exacerbated by discriminatory customs, particularly with relation to marriage, property rights and sexual offences. The high levels of illiteracy and poverty amongst Sierra Leonean women prevent them from upholding many of their internationally recognised rights. Similarly, economic insecurity contributes to women’s vulnerability to gender based violence. Their marginalization from local and national decision-making processes further limits their ability to redress these gender inequalities. Any attempt to address gender based inequality in Sierra Leone must take these post-conflict realities into account and prioritise engagement with both men and women, including national and community leaders who are in a position to influence attitudes towards gender inequality. Of what I know the transitions born of conflict may yield positive social, economic, and political changes for women. During some conflicts in which aspects of a functioning state and economy continue to exist, women can take on roles as workers and laborers outside of their home, opportunities which would never be available where the society is not in conflict. For example in (TU875, DVD7), narrator says, ‘women like Hannah Foullah helped establish radio democracy to support president Kabbah’s ousted government in 1997 with British backing’. In this way, conflict can open up intended and unintended spaces for empowering women, effecting structural and social transformations and producing new social, economic and political realities that redefine gender and caste hierarchies. Despite these potentially positive aspects in most contexts, it is argued that, the result of conflict for most women is a negative sum, women during and after conflict operates in black and grey markets they are the least often employable because of their legally enforced second-class status among the gender. In most post-conflict transitions, they are first to be fired and the last to be hired. In (TU875, DVD 7) Zainab Bangura – former Presidential Candidate thus, confirms that in Sierra Leone women do not have the economic rights and power, because of the traditional role in which they are placed. And so when women have no economic power, they do not have even security at their work place thus they remain powerless. Women historically constitute the majority of the rural labor force, often as informal agricultural workers or petty traders. They also play key role in food production and in providing basic goods for the family, despite this, women are also frequently economically insecure. Jude-Elbushra argues that, conflict affect the division of labor within society with the result that women assumed new economic roles when men are in for fighting, and women hold domestic responsibilities as family heads. JudeElbushra, (cited in Yanakopulos and Hanlon, 2006). It is, argued that the incidence of female-headed households and widows do increase in the absence of their husbands who, then (the women) take on the added economic burden of caring for extended families after losing their male parents in the war. Making them more vulnerable to the adverse effects of resource scarcity. Similarly Jemba Ngobeh – Former RUF in (TU875, DVD 5) argues that, women in Sierra Leone take care of many children at home when the male, the head of their households are fighting in war. This means, women have more responsibilities to cater for their families thus, have to work for long hours assuming economic power which was initially for men. However, in those homes where men are the heads, women have limited decision-making power, and they are economically dependent, unable to control resources that they themselves contribute to the household. In most post-conflict countries, affirmative actions have been instituted to promote women’s participation in governance and decision-making, an effort to grant women the rights to participate in governance like men. Similarly in Sierra Leone women have the right to vote and to stand for election. In 2009 African development bank group, states that, two members of the 20-member cabinet were women, 16 women MPs (out of a total of 124 – 13.2%) and every local council had at least one female member (ADBG, 2011), but in practice, women face restrictions on their right to stand for office, for example women representations are not equal to men’s representation in parliament as shown in the above figure, an evidence of power of man over women in governance. Study reveals that Sierra Leone is a patriarchy society where women are barred from standing in for chieftaincy elections or in higher position of leadership such as presidential candidate because of their gender, if they do then, it is minimal. It is argued that, some women who stand in for elections do face hostility from men and other women to their participation in politics, thus many have low self confidence in politics, while some of them do not participate in politics because they are illiterate, thus making them powerless compared to men. In light of that, Zainab Bangura – former Presidential Candidate in (TU875, DVD 5) points out that “Women in Sierra Leone don’t have a lot of self-confidence, they tend to be secondary players to issues, and so they side [with] the position that is taken by the male member”. According to ADBG report gender inequality in Sierra Leone (2011), rape is prohibited in Sierra Leone and is punishable by 14 years in prison, although the law does not specifically recognise spousal rape, the US department of state reports that, rape is considered to be a ‘societal norm’ rather than a criminal act and still being practiced in Sierra Leone, and that none spousal victims are encouraged to marry their rapists. As far as I know, very little actions are taken against men raping women by government in power in Africa, hence rape of women are on increase. Study shows that in Sierra Leone, rape was used by the warring parties as weapons during civil war and still being practiced alongside other forms of sexual and physical violence. Women were mainly being affected and society took it as a normal deal. For example Bernadette Lahai – MP in (TU875, DVD5) makes the claim that ‘in Sierra Leon girls are raped and used as sexual pleasures’. Proponents against violence of women seem to clearly demonstrate that rape is a gender concern of power relations entrenched in the masculinity of men that has lowered the power of women as unequal to men and consider women as property of men that can be used at any time for anything thus, there is need for social change. According to ADBG report on gender inequality in Sierra Leone (2011), more than 80 percent of the country’s youth population in Sierra Leonean lives below the poverty line of $2 per day and over 60 percent of the youth are unemployed with large numbers of ‘working poor youth’ found especially in urban areas. Most of the jobs are being held by old aged people, leaving the active population to suffer. The unemployed and marginalized youth are significantly destructive when influenced, or conditioned to live in distress: some may end up involved in sexual violence; others become thugs, gang rapists in response to their irresponsiveness as alternatives for being jobless. Under this pressure, some people may promise them job opportunities through joining the rebel movement or gender based violent acts like human trafficking, forced labor which is happening in Africa. Similarly In (TU875, DVD5) Bernadette Lahai MP in Sierra Leone threw up a concern of youths and the women in Sierra Leone whom, when not brought to the forefront of development while still being unemployed pose a threat to peace building and development. It is worth noting that, taking a peace building lens with strong government and external interveners’ commitments is most loved strategies to women and youth that may help address the root causes of inequality leading to war 4.0 Stakeholders analysis In the Sierra Leone post war reconstruction, the stake holders include: external interveners, the government of Sierra Leone, civil society organizations, the local people or the community including traditional leaders: External interveners such as DFID, USA, UK government shall support peace through economic development aid and humanitarian relief at the request of the affected country, they can intervene at the government level to transform established structures, provide monetary support to postconflict governments, and assist in the restoration of financial and political institutions. The government of Sierra Leone shall play an integral role in peace building and reconstruction efforts to oversee and engage the peace building process; involving variety of the community specialists, including lawyers, economists, educators, and teachers, to contribute their expertise to help carry out peace building projects Civil society organizations involving women groups and other non-governmental organizations will carry out small-scale projects to strengthen countries at the grassroots level and various organizations that work to further peace-building efforts. The local people or the community including traditional leaders and chiefs have more roles to play in administering the community under their jurisdiction and have more mandates in the community involving women, men, and the youths to hold consensus debate for peace building. 5.0 Possible intervention strategies In addressing unployment Gibril Foday Musa – former student rebel quoted in (TU875, DVD 8) that “The prospects for sustainable peace are to go back and address the deprivation and neglect of the youths and women; those are the issues.” The donors such as DFID working in Sierra Leone need to initiate consensus building among different stakeholders involving, the community, youths including government in power, in the fact finding debate so as the government can learn to improve and come up with policy that provides jobs for the youths to leverage the power with those old people in the government. Similarly Jud-Elbushra quoted in Yanacopulo and Hanlon (2006) as saying that, ‘involving youth means giving them a say in how things are run, though they may challenge generation of leaders through their work.’ In African countries many governments are taking long to come to political maturity and simply regard youth as a group to be controlled rather than included in critical government opportunities or programs. Not knowing that, for sustainable peace to be achieved, the active aged group like the youth is to be engaged in development economic undertakings such as in Construction Company, working with non-governmental organizations and the government public services. On Gender based violence Sierra Leone courts are mainly administered by men. This means that the systems inherent are less likely to protect the rights of women and discriminatory decisions can be difficult to overturn. Interveners need to engage with men to combat gender based violence like rape, with chiefs and other community leaders who wield authority of the customary law. Similarly Cynthia and Dolan Socialists in (TU875, AUDIO3) argue that in this way interveners will encourage men to ensure that women have recourse to justice which will make them more active participants in efforts to end the culture of tolerance and impunity surrounding gender violence, particularly with respect to sexual and domestic violence. Therefore, violence against women is not a significant crime in a society engulfed in a patriarchy society like Sierra Leone thus, little interest for court male officials to prosecute the cases under general law where customary law is entrenched and so, interveners need to tackle the cultural element of such a society through dialogue and negotiations for social change. ‘Peace building is a capacity-expanding exercise; it involves support for individuals and for formal and informal institutions that play a role in managing or transforming conflict’. (Goodhand quoted in Yanakopulos and Hanlon, 2006). External interveners need to draw attention to the underlying governance issues of gender inequality and equip the relevant government institutions that will help to serve and strengthen the gender power relations. Men do exercise power on women due to traditions that exist in that community thus; to empower women may need sensitizing both men and women, on governance issues. It is argued that, this has been a problem in countries like Sierra Leone for example, Zainab Bangura – former Presidential Candidate in (TU875, DVD 5) points out that “the whole peace process in Sierra Leone has not addressed the governance issue and that interveners have left it completely to the government who did not learn from the first mistake in the last war.” this clearly demonstrates the need for external interveners to monitor and support the government in power walk in tandem with a ‘trotting’ child so as to establish a strong governance that protects the rights and responsibility of all gender in the country and avert any future war due to structural inequalities among gender. The general lack of capacity, education and low literacy rates among women, especially in the rural areas, is a problem in terms of implementing projects and in ensuring broad representation of women. Interveners need to involve themselves in a range of programmatic components such as microfinance, education or human rights work. External donors or interveners need to focus more on and sustain funding to women group along with improved monitoring and coordination. Goodhand makes the claim to address gender relations in (Hanlon and Yanacopulos, 2006) that, long-term funding and capacitybuilding support would enable women organizations to be able to network and strategise collectively to accurately reflect their diversity and interests. When the government of Sierra Leone and the international community in Sierra Leone work in synergy with interveners they can help address the economic problem of women. Community based organization can be a pretty deal to work with in partnership. 6.0 Recommendation The following are the recommendations that will enable interveners working in Sierra Leone to deal with inherent gender inequalities whilst engaging the entire stakeholder: There should be Strong Partnerships with civil society actors so as to enhance and build on the already existing capacities of local interveners. Noting that local community based organizations are untapped resources in terms of developing mechanisms for prevention and response to gender inequality. Therefore, donors should identify and link up with community based organizations and ensure that their initiatives complement the work that is already being done on the ground to improve gender relations. Gender does not mean women: Engaging with men, chiefs and other community leaders, men can also be victims and must be part of the solution. Interveners in Sierra Leone should engage Chiefs and community leaders who are most often men. Engaging with these key decision-makers is critical if efforts to combat stigma, impunity, and discriminatory attitudes are to be successful. While doing that Interveners are to include space for the participation of men, and strategic partnerships should be developed with key individuals within the community to ensure that they take on the commitment to address structural power that promotes men domination in the community. The linkages between gender inequality and economic insecurity should be recognized knowing those women’s economic insecurity and poverty more generally, are inter-linked with gender relations, and can trap women and girls in potentially dangerous situations where they are vulnerable to sexual violence and discrimination. Interveners should empower women to be financially independent and providing viable options for income-generation to increase their overall personal security. Legal reforms in Sierra Leone should be strengthened, coupled with widespread sensitization. The reform of discriminatory laws, particularly those dealing with sexual offences and property rights; Interveners such as, UK government, USAID donors can advocate for reforms at the highest policymaking levels at the same time supporting local actors to lobby their own government for reform. However, legal reforms should be coupled with extensive sensitisation and awareness-raising programmes to disseminate information on the new laws and how women and men can use them to protect themselves. Radio programmes, drama and other creative strategies should be developed with community based organizations to ensure that information about legal reform processes reaches rural areas particularly illiterate women and girls. National interveners should be supported to implement and sustain their commitments to addressing gender relations in a number of international standards that require governments to address gender based violence in their national contexts. Interveners should support the governments in their efforts to coordinate and implement reform laws and practices that discriminate against women and to ensure that gender is effectively mainstreamed throughout all their policies at the sometime strengthening civil society, particularly women’s organizations, to enable them participate in implementation processes as well as hold their governments to account. TOPIC; INFLUENCE DIAGRAM SHOWING THE COMPLEX CHALLENGE OF SUPPORTING SOCIAL CHANGE THAT ADDRESSES GENDER INEQUALITIES IN SIERRA LEON FROM 2002-20014 Donors Community Leaders Government Community Gender Awareness Women/youth Reduces discriminations Addressing gender Inequality Legal Reform Awareness raising Reduce stigma Drama GPS civil society Orgs Form women group Workshops Radio program Community Based Organizations References African Development Bank Group (2011) Sierra Leone Country Gender Profile 2011, Freetown: ADBG Sierra Leone. The Open University (2006) TU875 Development Management: War Intervention and Development, ‘DVD 5: DVD case studies’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2006) TU875 Development Management: War Intervention and Development, ‘DVD 7: DVD case studies’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2006) TU875 Development Management: War Intervention and Development, ‘DVD 8: DVD case studies’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2006) TU875 Development Management: War Intervention and Development, ‘AUDIO 3: AUDIO case studies’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Yanacopulos, H. and Hanlon, J. (eds) (2006) Civil War, Civil Peace. Open University Press, Milton Keynes.
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