UNHCR field offices around the world undertook a number of activities for the 16 Days of Activism in partnership with persons of concern, host communities and other actors and agencies. Here are a few examples:

Police officers help create Peace Houses in Bujumbura

At the opening ceremony of the 16 Days in Bujumbura, Burundi, male UNHCR staffers, police officers and partner agency personnel  laid the foundation of the Peace House while their female colleagues provided the initial building blocks. Persons of concern then filled in the rest of the Peace House.

In Fugnido, Ethiopia, staff and persons of concern gathered for a panel discussion about the local implications of this year’s theme, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World,” to launch the 16 Days.  Many other activities were also planned, including a school debate amongst primary school students on girls’ education, cultural dances performed by refugee children, role-playing exercises about sexual and gender-based violence, a community sport competition and construction of a Peace Tukul, the traditional homes of the refugee community.

UNHCR staff in Fugnido facilitate a community discussion

A school debate in Fugnido about the household responsibilities of men and women

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Amman and Al Mafraq, Jordan, UNHCR together with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education organized in public and private schools an awareness campaign about children’s rights, SGBV and other forms of violence.  This campaign utilized a puppet show as a way of sharing information. Both refugee and local children attended these events, which sought also to foster tolerance and acceptance of difference.

UNHCR also organized a community outreach campaign for adults on SGBV within local and refugee populations with its partner Jordan River Foundation (JRF). The community educators had previously participated in a Training of Trainers organized by JRF.

T-shirts distributed during school events. It reads: I am a child and I have rights. Let's start from home.

At all three offices in Kyrgyzstan, a series of awareness-raising and informational meetings, trainings and discussions were organized with persons of concern and other partners. In Bishkek, a conference of UNHCR and other UN agencies and stakeholders was organized to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As well, UNHCR with partners organized meetings for male and female refugees and asylum-seekers to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence and response mechanisms.

In Jalalabad and Osh, UNHCR, Help Aid International (HAI) and local Social Protection Departments (SPD) organized information sessions about violence against women and available assistantce programs. Also in Osh, UNHCR organized information sessions on HIV for families with HIV+ children for World AIDS Day, and UNHCR and HAI organized an information session for 50 elderly and disabled persons, 20 of whom were provided with wheelchairs by the local SPD, for International Persons with Disabilities Day.

Information session with Uzbek refugee women at a reception center

Information session with refugee men in Kyrgyzstan

In the Republic of Congo, many events and activities were organized. In Betou, UNHCR staff and partner agency personnel attended presentations and workshops and created a Peace House. In Impfondo, persons of concern and the host community gathered for singing, dancing and poetry recitations at the opening ceremony for the 16 Days, as well as a presentation of their Peace House.

Congolese group dance in Impfondo

Staff in Betou with their Peace House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Yemen, UNHCR and its implementing partners organized a number of events and activities around this year’s theme, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World,” on domestic violence, child abuse, FGM, early marriage and HIV/AIDS. Refugee children created peace houses reflecting their ideas of peace in the home and refugee girls competed in a basketball match. Theater plays were presented on domestic violence, family planning, FGM, education and early marriage as awareness and outreach strategies. Awareness sessions and workshops on FGM and HIV/AIDS were held for refugees and partner agency staff, and International Persons with Disabilities Day celebrations were organized for children and adults. UNHCR also organized a roundtable discussion on domestic violence with police, judges and civil society organizations. You can find a slideshow of these events here.

Refugee girls compete in a basketball match

Refugee children decorating a Peace House in Yemen

This past month, UNHCR offices around the world celebrated the 21st anniversary of the 16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Beginning 25 November, International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women, and ending 10 December, International Human Rights Day, UNHCR field staff and persons of concern organized and participated in a variety of events and activities intended to raise awareness and address sexual and gender-based violence, which disproportionately affects women and girls. UNHCR decided to mark this year’s 16 Days theme, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World,” by creating peace quilt homes made up of individually-designed squares of words and images reflecting ways of achieving peace in the home.  Here are a few examples of Peace Houses from Headquarters in Geneva and our offices in Burundi, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Congo and Togo:

Peace Houses in Bujumbura, Burundi

Peace Tukul (traditional house) in Fugnido, Ethiopia

Peace House in Amman, Jordan

Peace House in Kyrgyzstan

Peace House in Betou, Republic of Congo

Peace House in Impfondo, Republic of Congo

Peace House in UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

Peace House in Lome, Togo

By Community Services, UNHCR Sub Office Jijiga              

 

Celebrations for the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women, 25^th November, kicked off the 16 Days of Activism campaign against sexual and gender-based violence in Shedder, Aw’bare and Kebribeyah Refugee Camps in Eastern Ethiopia. Speeches, music, traditional dances and dramas on GBV entertained the large assembled crowds. In deference to the 2011 theme of ‘Peace in the Home to Peace in the World’,   UNHCR with IRC and the refugee community constructed Peace Tukels in each of the camps. The Peace Tukels, as with the traditional Somali pastoralist habitats found in the camps, are covered with a patchwork cloth. Messages from the community promoting positive change and ending violence against women were collected and adorned the patchwork coverings.

Men and Women at the Peace Tukel in Shedder Refugee Camp uniting to end violence against women.

After the campaign comes to a close on 10^th December for Human Rights Day, the Peace Tukels will be given over to the community for use for activities and meetings relating to gender equality and peace initiatives. The anti-Early Marriage Team in Shedder has already requested to host their meetings there on Tuesday evenings.

Aw’bare Refugee Camp Peace Tukel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Events during the 16 Days of Activism are organized to target the whole community from pre-schoolers to the traditional and religious leaders. Poster and poetry competitions, football and volleyball games, quizzes and panel discussions challenging societal acceptance of FGM, Early Marriage and other harmful traditional practices will take place throughout the campaign. The Male Involvement groups are active, performing dramas and leading marches in the camps speaking out against rape and espousing the importance of keeping girls in school.

Peace messages

On the eve of World AIDS Day, 1^st December, a candlelight walk will take place throughout the camps at 7 pm. The theme for 2011 is Getting to Zero; Zero New HIV Infections, Zero AIDS Related Deaths, and Zero Discrimination.  Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development is the theme of this year’s International Day of Person’s with Disabilities on 3^rd December.  Fun activities such as wheelchair races will be combined with stronger messages to tackle issues of stigmatization in the community and accessibility.  Human Rights Day will conclude the campaign on 10^th December.

Interior of Kebribyah Peace Tukel

Exterior of Kebribyah Peace Tukel

 

 

 

 

This time we took the  Regional Dialogues on Women and Girls all the way down to Zambia in southern Africa where we stayed from 11-16 April. The last two days of the Dialogues were attended by Erika Feller, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection and one of four most senior officals in UNHCR.

Most refugees in Zambia live in two huge refugee settlements in the North Western province  called Meheba and Mayukwayuka, while others are in urban areas or even self settled. By the end of the year, the refugee status of refugees from Rwanda and Angola will end and many of this group– apart from some with special concerns–will return home.

“Cessation is an important step for refugees and UNHCR” said Erika Feller, “No refugee should be a refugee forever. “

We (the facilitators from the University of New South wales and UNHCR)  spent the week with seventy women and ten men from Angola, Rwanda, the Democratic republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia who had come from all over to gather in Lusaka.

Erika Feller, UNHCRs top official attends the dialogues, a model which she believes should be duplicated worldwide (UNHCR@A.v.GenderenStort)

During our talks all women spoke about the huge concern they have about violence and rapes and about the impunity faced by perpetrators of crimes, We kept on hearing stories about children being raped, and some even as young as four years old. Teachers in the schools, the women said, were often very young and good grades would be offered in exchange for sex.  Protection for the girls cannot be guaranteed, and as a result women are very scared to send their children to school or leave them at home alone, unattended. Anyone could just come in.

Medical care and staff are also limited, medication not enough and clinics so far removed that deaths occur as a result. “There are so many forced teenage pregnancies but there is not enough medical care. Girls die on the way to the clinic, simply because their hips are not wide enough” one refugee said.

Refugees also spoke about the lack of schools, and the overcrowded classrooms which make receiving good education nearly impossible.“Some schools have ninety pupils in one class. Scholarships are rare. Girls drop out early and are forced into early marriages.”

Many also highlighted the lack of freedom of movement for the refugees and the difficulties they face with too expensive work permits.Sometimes only the father of the family has a work permit to run a shop and when he falls sick, his wife cannot take over. Single mothers can hardly make ends meet, having to care for their families, earn an income and survive in a difficult refugee surrounding. The lack of enough sanitary material or soap to wash material needed during the menstruation period, can confine a woman to the house for a week every month which can seriously impact the family she is expected to support.

Erika Feller was very happy with the dialogue process but also commented that it was very disturbing to see that in 2011 so many women still face daily problems of violence and abuse and have to fight to fend them for themselves. She stressed that everyone has the responsibility to (help) empower the refugee women and to provide them with skills which can make them more independent.

It seems so difficult to address all the problems refugees face. The UNHCR office in Zambia is doing a fantastic job, but is seriously hampered by the fact that it does not have enough staff and funds to address all the issues raised by the refugees. This is where it is very important that the government, UNHCR, donors and the refugee community work very closely together. Even without a lot of money, communities can be empowered to fight against violence and injustice around them and refugees can be taught by their own teachers and cured by their own doctors. Nothing comes for free, but a lot can be done with little as long as there is help and goodwill of all. (for more check also UNHCR website at http://www.unhcr.org/4dac46d66.html)

Refugee women in Zambia expressed their concern about violence and rape in particular against young girls who need to be better protected (UNHCR@AvGenderenStort)

The 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day was celebrated with numerous events in UNHCR operations around the world. The UN-selected theme for this year was Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women. “Just as we are using the commemoration of the anniversaries of the refugee and statelessness conventions to help forge a new protection dynamic, let us use the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day to make the millennium development goal of gender parity in primary and secondary education a reality,” said High Commissioner Guterres.

These are just a few examples of the many activities organized around the world:

In Jijiga, Ethiopia, refugee communities provided performed songs, dances and drama. In Aw’bare speeches were delivered on access to education and increased employment opportunities, high performing female primary and secondary school students received awards, and volley ball and basket ball competitions were held. In Kebribeyah, the Girls Club from the secondary school held question and answer sessions on gender equality and youth groups presented dramas on education. The community discussed problems girls face in attending school particularly issues in relation to drop out and enrolment. Despite an upward trend in enrolment and retention, many teenage girls are out of school and working to support their families.

Community drama in Jijiga, Ethiopia

UNHCR is addressing this problem through providing evening classes, so girls can combine school and work. A secondary school club in Shedder refugee camp gave engaging performances about girls in school and how women are the umbrella for all activity in the family and community, so an educated mother means an educated family. See for the full report: Ethiopia_Jijiga Camps _ IWD 2011

Dance by refugee girls from Ourecassoni

In Oure Cassoni camp in Chad, refugees, humanitarian agencies and representatives of the Chadian authorities gathered for the celebrations, which included theatre and dance performances by refugee women and girls, as well as a visit to the new office of the women’s refugee committee. See for the full report: IWD 2011_Bahai, Chad

Afghan refugee woman who received a sewing machine: “now I and my daughter can work with this machine, my daughter is going to university and with the money that we will earn by tailoring she has a chance to continue her education”

In Iran, ceremonies were held in Tehran and its sub-offices in Ahwaz, Kerman and Mashhad with the attendance of (133) female and (28) male refugees. Speeches emphasized the importance of education for refugee women in terms of protection and self-sufficiency.  See for the full report: IWD 2011_Iran

Five female heads of households familiar with tailoring each received a sewing machine donated by UNHCR. In sub-office Mashad, an Afghan female university student delivered a lecture on SGBV and depression among Afghan refugee women. An Afghan refugee woman read a poem that she had written and a live music was performed.

In Burundi, a multitude of activities took place in different locations around the country. In Bujumbura, celebrations included discussions about girls’ education, testimony by a former refugee, theatre performances by school girls, traditional dances, SGBV awareness raising and poems. In Makamba, Bururi and Rutana camps, awareness raising session were held on women and girls’ rights, girls’ education, woman’s independence in production. In Gasorwe et Musasa camps, women and girls participated in a football competition and performed theatre on the theme of SGBV and the economic independence of women. Discussions were held about girls’ education and women’s participation in camp activities. In the province of Ruyigi, awareness raising discussions on equal access to education and production means took place.

Read the newsletter of UNHCR Amman, Jordan, on their achievements and activities to empower refugee women last year: Jordan _UNHCR Newsletter Electronic Version

Watch the new film produced by UNHCR Colombia on the situation of internally displaced women there:http://www.acnur.org/t3/el-acnur/eventos/dia-internacional-de-la-mujer-2011/

International Women’s Day took place as the fourth of the Regional Dialogues with refugee women and girls was under way in Kyangwali refugee settlement in western Uganda. Celebrations in Kyangwali were therefore postponed until Friday the 18^th of March, after the end of the Dialogue. The day was kicked of with a musical march through Kasonga village, and was followed by a series of speeches, and traditional dances and theatre.

In Zambia, the UNHCR operation that will host the next Dialogue in April, the UNHCR Representative held a mini Dialogue with refugee women of different nationalities in the capital, Lusaka. The discussions revolved around participation, individual registration, SGBV and sanitary materials – the themes of the High Commissioner’s Five Commitments to Refugee Women.

Exhibition of Regional Dialogues storyboards at UNHCR HQ in Geneva

At UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, an exhibition of storyboards created during the Regional Dialogues with refugee women and girls in India, Colombia and Jordan portrayed the protection problems refugee women and girls face, as well as the solutions they propose.

The fourth round of the dialogues for women and girls is well under way in Uganda, while the Jordan dialogues are wrapped up. We look back on those:

“Life is hard, but at least we are safe. I still feel like a stranger here but at least I have a home.” These were the words of one refugee who took part in the third Dialogue in Amman, Jordan, alongside some 80 other Iraqi, Somali and Sudanese women and over 50 refugee men. Jordan has shown immense generosity by opening its doors to a large number of refugees. Whilst all participants were grateful for having been let into the small country, which has its own internal challenges, they also described the multiple problems they face. Many felt caught in a negative downward spiral.

Discrimination and abuse, especially towards children, were highlighted as particular concerns. Refugee women said they felt watched and refugee men felt that whilst they had to be on high alert, they were often powerless when they or their children were beaten or abused.

Paticipants said that lack of money and access to work permits made them dependent on the limited financial support they receive. This narrows the choice of housing to sub-standard, unhealthy rooms and multiplies their health and family problems: domestic violence, aggressive behaviour, and depression. Medical issues were highlighted as a particular challenge, given the high cost of treatment for everyone in Jordan.

During this exercise, different colored balls of wool were used to demonstrate that human rights are interlinked and form a strong network of protection for every human being. Each color represented a specific human right.

This Dialogue gave refugees the time and space to air their problems thoroughly and to propose solutions. Being heard over a period of five days provided a sense of relief and a feeling of recognition to refugees who often feel alone and simply do not know where to turn for help. Many expressed the hope not only for good health and a future for their children, but also for a chance to contribute to the country that is so generously hosting them.

UNHCR RSH Nairobi provided support to country operations in the region to conduct campaigns and various activities during the 16 Days of Activism that took place from 25th November 2010 to 10th December 2010. Please follow the link to download the report.   Regional support HUB_Nairobi_Report 16 Days of Activism_2010

Nakivale says no to violence against women

“I am fine, well, not very fine, as we have many problems,” was the answer to the question “how are you?” that came from one of the first refugee women we talked to yesterday morning upon the start of the Women’s Dialogue. Enthusiasm to participate in the Dialogues among both refugees and UNHCR staff and partners is high – an indication of the many problems refugees face here and the great willingness to share their stories to hopefully improve their situation. More than 40 refugee men and 70 refugee women are participating in the Dialogues in Kyangwali refugee settlement, northwest Uganda, which started on Wednesday and Thursday.

The settlement currently hosts about 19,000 of the 150,000 refugees in this country, most of them from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many of them arrived in recent years, fleeing the violence that is haunting the east of their country. Another large group represented in the Dialogue is the Southern Sudanese – the majority of whom remain unable to return despite the recent referendum. Smaller numbers of refugees come from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and other countries. In contrast to a camp situation, refugees in settlements in Uganda are given small plots of land to build their homes and grow some crops. This generous policy gives them a certain degree of autonomy – nevertheless, most refugees have to rely on food assistance.

Distances between the different parts of the settlement – consisting of 14 villages – are long, and in the absence of public transport, this means people spend hours walking to the health clinic, or children to school. From our comfy UNHCR van, we saw groups of children walking to and from school in their brightly-coloured pink or purple uniforms, yelling “Muzungu! Muzungu!” (white person) and waving at us.

Our team is staying in a wonderful guesthouse run by the local parish. We’re sharing delicious meals with the fathers and learning about their lives. Last night we discussed the universal topic of soccer – the refugee settlement has a team too, but they don’t often get to play out of the settlement, despite invitations from the local parish.

After the eventful and inspiring Dialogues with refugee and displaced women and men in India, Colombia and Jordan, our team arrived on Saturday in Uganda to start the fourth Regional Dialogue. Timing of this dialogue is very appropriate, as it coincides with the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Upon arrival to sunny Kampala we stumbled upon preparations for the city’s International Women’s Day celebration. We saw a great youth dance troupe performing to some wonderful East African percussion, and an older Muslim women’s collective who sang songs in praise of the strength of women. Women’s Day is even a public holiday in Uganda! Great to see the importance accorded to it – just a little inconvenient when we tried to exchange money at the bank this morning…

On Monday we drove up from Kampala to Hoima, a town in North Western Uganda close to Lake Albert which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the way: beautiful lush green hills, bountiful coffee plantations, lively villages, people transporting enormous piles of wood or other produce on bikes, children in school uniforms, women carrying loads of banana’s or jerry cans of water on their heads. In Hoima, we received a very warm welcome from staff at the UNHCR Sub Office, who work in the refugee settlements of Kyangwali and Kiryandongo.

Yesterday we celebrated Women’s Day with a training of trainers to UNHCR staff from Kampala, Hoima and other field offices, as well as Implementing Partners who provide health and other vital services to the refugees in Kyangwali – where we will be holding the Dialogues. During the training, we simulated the methodology that is being used for the Dialogues, and staff shared their enthusiasm to replicate it in their work.

We discussed many of the problems refugees in Kyangwali face and participants in the training brought the weight of their experience to the analysis of these problems. Participants shared the broad range of programs that they offer and some of the challenges that they are faced with. Of note was their analysis of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) – which was as excellent as it was disturbing. Rape, sexual exploitation, prostitution, domestic violence, early marriages and pregnancies are all problems faced by the communities of Kyangwali. Refugees live in extreme poverty and the majority relies on food assistance. While refugees in principle have access to education, most students – particularly girls – drop out after primary school because of the high cost of secondary school, uniforms or simple school lunches.

We will hear more on these and undoubtedly many other problems refugees face in the Kyangwali refugee settlement, where we will speak to 60 refugee women and 30 refugee men, over the course of the next 10 days.

The third round of dialogues have just started in Amman, Jordan. A part of our team stayed behind in Colombia to wrap up the second round. They sent us this account:

We just finished the dialogues in Medellin, which were impressive, powerful, heartbreaking but also very inspirational. Violence and insecurity are part of displaced women’s daily lives, the UNHCR office in Bogota had warned us during the initial briefing. In Medellin the displaced women agreed: “Violence is all around us in the streets, it creeps in under our doors and into our hearts,” as one woman put it. Another woman added: “When a displaced woman arrives in the city of Medellin, she has three choices: prostitution, begging or starvation. Which option would you choose?”

Last week, researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia and our (UNHCR) team met with more than 80 displaced women, girls and men in Medellin during the second round of Regional Dialogues on Women and Girls. Medellin, Colombia’s second biggest city, is home to over 194,000 of the more than 3.5 million internally displaced Colombians. Of these more than 11,000 have been displaced within Medellin, due to the high levels of violence. All fled their homes in recent years, escaping the continuous cycle of internal violence and armed struggle that has been haunting Colombia for more than 40 years.

Medellin is home to over 194,000 of the more than 3,5 million displaced Colombians UNHCR@ R. Valderrama

“A woodcutter is in the forest cutting wood and gets his leg stuck under a tree. He is left with two choices: either cut off his leg or die there. He decides for the first option. This situation is like our experience as displaced people: when you flee, a part of you stays behind.” With this powerful analogy, women participating in the dialogue illustrated their situation.

We learnt that many indigenous displaced Colombians not only lost their homes and their land when they fled, but also their unique culture, language and wisdom gained from living in nature. During one of the sessions one impressive indigenous woman told about her people’s traditional knowledge of medicinal plants: “Mother earth was our university.” In the city, without access to these natural resources, they told us they have to rely on conventional healthcare, which is unknown to them.

The displaced told us that they find all but safety when arriving in Medellin. Neighbourhoods are controlled by armed gangs and the level of violence, including in supposedly safe places such as schools, is high. Many women and girls said they are faced with sexual violence or have to sell sex to survive. This sexual and gender based violence continues on from generation to generation. Better prevention strategies are needed to change this situation. The women also expressed their need for psychological care and trauma counseling to deal with the immense pain that they are suffering. They suggested the establishment of a community based women’s centre to through which they can help and learn from each other.

Many of the displaced are very poor and often do not get the assistance that is destined for them. One mother told us: “Many times we have to take one egg and share it with three children”. One of the men who took part in the male discussion groups added: “When my wife goes to seek support, they give her papers. But those we cannot eat…”

Despite these very difficult living conditions, the women we spoke to were incredibly strong and hopeful for the future. They told us they want to participate in vocational training to get a better job and send their children to school, so they can escape from the cycle of poverty, violence and injustice in which families are trapped. We did note and were told that significant efforts have been made at the local level to meet the challenges facing Medellin. There is a strong rights-based public policy and a plan of action for the displaced people. The city of Medellin invested over 27.5 million dollars in 2010—from Emergency Assistance to measures leading to Local Integration. UNHCR colleagues told us that although their teams in Medellin work closely with the government to improve the assistance, implementation at the field level remains a huge challenge. Our colleagues in Colombia are happy that the problems of the displaced are recognised but they ask for greater ownership at all government levels.

The women in Medellin moved us to tears on various occasions, especially at the end when they sang a song of solidarity against violence and injustice.

We are holding the Dialogues in seven countries world wide. The third round of the Dialogues has just started in Jordan where refugee women and men from Iraq, as well as Sudan, Somalia and Syria are taking part. We will give you soon an update on this latest round.

UNHCR Dialogues team