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JRS Statement on International Women's Day, 8th March 2006
'Refugee women can be leaders'
Française
[FR]
Español
[ES]
"Sick of the rampant corruption in the distribution of supplies
in Lainé camp in southern Guinea, a group of refugee women
decided to do something about it. They challenged the camp
leadership. Running on an anti-corruption platform, a refugee
woman, Nancy Washington, was elected president and 16 out of 27
camp representatives were also women", said Sr Maria Irizar, JRS
Guinea Director.
On 8 March, International Womens Day, JRS calls attention to the
fact that refugee women can be leaders and can contribute fully
to their communities, if steps are taken to ensure access to
education, to employment, and to participation in decisions that
affect their lives. JRS urges governments to fund programmes for
displaced persons which promote women's participation and
equality, and where necessary measures to positively
discriminate in favour of women.
"Nine months on, Nancy's struggle against entrenched
profiteering in the camp is well underway. It shows when refugee
women are given genuine opportunities to participate in
decision-making, all of the community benefits. We hope that
getting women into leadership positions will also result in
greater protection for women," added Sr Irizar.
Regrettably what happened in Lainé camp is not the norm. Women
refugees face additional discrimination, as refugees and as
women. Often as women they are denied access to education and to
the workforce, the right to property, just to mention a few. As
refugees, forced to flee their homes, they live without the
normal support provided by extended family and friends.
All over the world JRS advocates for the rights of refugee women
to participate fully in their communities and to take on
leadership roles. In Uganda, its affirmative action programmes
for girlseducation has resulted in substantial increases in
participation rates, educational attainment and attitudes
towards the value of educating women. In Nepal JRS has insisted
on the admission of all the Bhutanese refugee girls to the camp
schools, and on the recruitment of women to teaching and
non-teaching posts.
Refugee women are fully capable of making decisions about their
own wellbeing and that of their families. Refugee women can be
agents of equality, development and reconciliation. Aware of
their human rights, refugee women would be in a better position
to lead their communities and challenge discriminatory laws and
practices, such as restrictions on their rights to own or
inherit property.
Notes to the editor:
JRS works in over 50 countries in six continents around the
world. It employs over 1,000 staff: lay, Jesuits and other
religious to meet the education, health, social and other needs
of over 450,000 refugees and IDPs, more than half of whom are
women. Its services are provided to refugees regardless of their
race, ethnic origin, or religious beliefs.
For further information contact:
Mr James Stapleton, Communications Coordinator, JRS
International;
Tel: +39 06 68 977390; +39 346 234 3841
email: james.stapleton@mail06jrs.net; www.jrs.net
................
James Stapleton, Communications Coordinator
Jesuit Refugee Service (Int. Office)
Tel: +39-06 68977390 Fax: +39-06 6880 6418
Email: james.stapleton@jrs.net
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