Gender & Peacebuilding
KOFF Gender & Peacebuilding thematic work focuses on:
Shifting gender roles in violence-prone contexts
Men and women have different roles in conflict and peace processes, are affected by conflict in different ways, and notions about manhood and womanhood (as part of the ideological underpinnings of conflict) are likely to change as a result of conflict.
Gender-based violence and conflict
Gender-based violence (GBV) is broadly defined as any harm to a person resulting from the power disparities caused by gender inequality.
This - often sexualized - form of violence is especially problematic during armed conflict and in displaced settings, where civilians are often targets of abuse. Women and children comprise the greatest numbers, and are the most vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and abuse simply by virtue of their gender, age, and status in society. However, men and boys are also victims of sexualized forms of violence in times of war and violent conflict. Yet this phenomenon is a taboo and rarely reported upon. But if sexual violence against men remains invisible, our understanding of masculinity and femininity remains un-challenged: sexual vulnerability remains a symbol of femininity, while power and heterosexual virility on the other hand remain symbols of masculinity.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325
In 2000, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The resolution together with its sister resolutions (1820, 1888, and 1889) is an important decision in raising awareness of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls and in acknowledging the vital role of women's agency in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
KOFF Activities
In 2003, KOFF took up UNSCR 1325 and its sister resolutions as a key issue for the Gender Roundtable. The Roundtable is a platform for exchange which brings together NGOs and government ministries. A large number of Swiss NGOs regularly attended these roundtables which put "1325" on the NGO agenda while KOFF steered the dialogue with the government.
In 2007, Switzerland was one of the first European countries to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) on 1325. The aim of the NAP 1325 is to ensure that gender aspects are taken into consideration in all areas of Swiss peace policy and in all its concrete peacebuilding measures.
KOFF engages in various national and international activities on "Gender & Peacebuilding" through information sharing, networking, training, and consultancies. KOFF has organized a wide range of activities like a gender roundtable, a Gender & Peacebuilding working group, backstopping mandate for SDC, FDFA, and PD IV.
Gender & Disaster Relief
Humanitarian emergencies like the Tsunami in South Asia and the earthquakes in Haiti or Pakistan underline how far women and men - dependent on the given social roles and power distribution - have different needs, interests and experiences. Recent human-made and natural disasters also stress the aggravating effects of neglecting gender-specific dimensions on the social and gender relations.
For more than a decade, international and local actors have recognized the importance of gender-sensitive disaster relief and shared relevant publications, different lessons learned, tool kits and trainings manuals.