The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

Return and Reintegration
In addition to the experiences <strong>of</strong> communities before and during
displacement, the return and reintegration phase has a number <strong>of</strong> implications for
reproductive health status. <strong>The</strong> post-conflict setting poses constraints to meeting
basic reproductive health needs while, at the same time, new needs will have
arisen as a result <strong>of</strong> the conflict.
Women’s traditional roles, responsibilities and support networks become
dramatically altered by involuntary migration, extended family networks may be
completely lost and women may have to face hostilities from the community
which did not leave during the conflict. <strong>The</strong>re are many differences between
returnees, IDPs and “stayees” which compound the reintegration process for
many <strong>of</strong> these related to reproductive health status; gender relations;
STI/HIV/AIDS levels; desired family size; experience <strong>of</strong> sexual violence; and
access to services.
It is imperative that women are part <strong>of</strong> the peace building process as they
play a key role in the health <strong>of</strong> entire communities, building bridges and
preserving social order. As has been shown women will invariably have taken on
new roles during displacement, gender attitudes may have changed and it is vital
that these advances are not lost in the post-conflict setting but rather are built
upon in the rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> societies.
<strong>The</strong> disruption to the social fabric with traditional roles within families
severely disrupted by the war and its aftermath was a key issue facing the
MSI/Stope Nade programme. <strong>The</strong> challenge was to ensure that social
reconstruction needs were not lost in the rush to rebuild physical infrastructure.
<strong>The</strong> programme aimed at facilitating the return and reintegration <strong>of</strong> displaced
women and girls into viable family units and the community by promoting
participation, empowerment, self-reliance and self-organization.
Educational activities to empower women to organize themselves in order
to articulate their human and social rights and needs and to become active
participants in local, national and international institutions were important factors
in the reintegration process.
Reconciliation, conflict resolution and reintegration were key aims <strong>of</strong> the
project. Women who visited MSI centres were <strong>of</strong>ten instrumental in helping to
overcome intolerance between nationalities and trying to improve communication
between peoples regardless <strong>of</strong> nationality or religion. Women were instrumental
in helping to overcome difficulties between refugees, IDPs and returnees in
mixed-group sessions in the centres.
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