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Women and Women's Organizations in Postconflict Cambodia

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Women and Women's Organizations in Postconflict Cambodia Aftermath: Women And Women’s Organizations In Postconflict Cambodia By Krishna Kumar, sector team leader, USAID Hannah Baldwin, humanitarian assistance adviser, DevTech Systems, Inc. Judy Benjamin, International Rescue Committee Working Paper No. 307 July 2000 Center for Development Information and Evaluation U.S. Agency for International Development Washington Contents Preface iii 1. Introduction 1 2. The Country Context 2 Nature and History of the Conflict ............................................................................................ 2 The Present Situation ............................................................................................................... 4 3. Conflict and Cambodian Women 5 Effects of the Conflict............................................................................................................... 5 Gender Issues and Challenges ................................................................................................... 9 4. Women’s Organizations in Postconflict Cambodia 11 Emergence of Women’s Organizations ..................................................................................... 11 Women’s Organizations ........................................................................................................... 13 Major Activities of Women’s Organizations ............................................................................. 13 5. Impact of Women’s Organizations 16 Overall Impact ........................................................................................................................ 16 Factors Affecting Performance and Impact............................................................................... 17 6. Women’s Organizations and the International Community 19 The International Community: A Critical Role .......................................................................... 19 Nature of International Assistance ........................................................................................... 19 Areas of Tension Between Women’s Organizations and the International Community............... 20 Sustainability of Women’s Organizations ................................................................................. 21 7. Lessons of the International Community 22 Design Comprehensive Gender Policy Programs ...................................................................... 22 Build on Economic and Political Gains During the Transition................................................... 22 Promote Women’s Education and Leadership Training in Refugee Camps ................................ 23 Channel International Assistance Through Women’s Organizations .......................................... 23 Foster Women’s Organizations Through the International Community ..................................... 23 Plan for Multiyear Funding and Longer Time Frame ................................................................ 23 Enhance Women’s Social and Political Power Through Women’s Organizations ....................... 24 Build Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity .............................................................................. 24 Support Sectoral Specialization ............................................................................................... 24 Foster a Vision for Women’s Organizations Congruent With the Economic Reality .................. 25 References and Selected Bibliography ..................................................................................... 25 Preface s part of its ongoing studies on the rehabilitation The purpose of the assessment was to generate a body of A and reconstruction of societies ravaged by civil empirically grounded knowledge that could inform the wars, USAID’s Center for Development Information and policy and programmatic interventions of USAID and other Evaluation (CDIE) undertook a multicountry assessment international donor agencies. of gender issues in postconflict societies. The assessment concentrated on three sets of questions: CDIE sent research teams to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, and Rwanda. n What has been the impact of intrastate conflicts These teams conducted in-depth interviews with key in- on women? How did these conflicts affect their formants, reviewed literature, and conducted fieldwork. economic, social, and political roles and respon- They prepared comprehensive reports, which were re- sibilities? What are the major problems and chal- viewed by USAID and outside scholars. lenges facing women in these societies? This paper, which Hannah Baldwin and Judy Benjamin n What types of women’s organizations have wrote with me, examines the effects of two decades of emerged during the postconflict era to address the conflict and genocide on women and gender relations in challenges women face and to promote gender Cambodia. I am grateful to my co-authors for their in- equality? What types of activities do they under- sightful analysis. take? What has been their overall impact on the empowerment of women? What factors affect their —KRISHNA KUMAR performance and impact? Senior Social Scientist n What has been the nature and emphasis of assis- tance provided by USAID and other donor agen- cies to women’s organizations? What are some of the major problem areas in international assis- tance? 1. Introduction As a part of its multicountry evaluation of gender issues officials of the Cambodian government, the U.S. am- in postconflict societies, USAID‘s Center for Develop- bassador, USAID mission director, and senior USAID staff. ment Information and Education undertook a case study It also collected documents, records, and other publica- of Cambodia. That country was embroiled in turmoil tions not available in Washington. from 1970, when warfare broke out between govern- ment forces and communist Khmer Rouge guerrillas, This case study is based on the data, information, and and 1979, when Vietnamese troops overthrew the Khmer ideas gathered from the above sources. Regarding autarky. This case study was designed to answer three women’s issues, it draws 10 major lessons from the sets of questions: Cambodian experience: 1. What has been the impact of the prolonged conflict § Internal conflict on the scale that took place in Cam- on women? How did the conflict affect their economic, bodia leaves deep scars on the national psyche. There social and political roles and responsibilities? What are is a need for comprehensive, targeted gender poli- the major problems and challenges facing women in cies and programs. postconflict Cambodia? § The war created a manpower shortage, opening new 2. What types of women’s organizations have emerged economic and political opportunities for women (ex- in the postconflict era to address the problems faced by cept during the Khmer Rouge era, when economic women and promote gender equality? What unique con- activity was prohibited). During a transition, do- tribution do women’s organizations make? What has nors should build on such gains. contributed to their establishment and growth? What types of activities do they undertake? What have been § Education and training of women and their partici- their overall impacts? What factors affect their perfor- pation in refugee camp activities can prepare them mance? to assume leadership roles in postconflict societies. The international community should support edu- 3. What has been the nature and goal of assistance pro- cation and training programs for women in refugee vided by USAID and other donor agencies to women’s camps, enabling women to acquire new skills, ex- organizations? How has the assistance affected their perience, and vision to help reconstruct gender rela- priorities and sustainability? tions—and their country—upon their return to so- ciety. USAID’s Center for Development Information and Evalu- ation (CDIE) followed a multistage research methodol- § Newly founded women’s organizations in ogy. First, it undertook a systematic review of project postconflict societies can implement a wide range and program documents, reports of the international of programs funded by the international commu- agencies, and relevant academic publications on Cam- nity. When donors do not want to administer assis- bodia. Once the review was completed, CDIE commis- tance either through the government or international sioned a background paper on women’s organizations nongovernmental organizations, indigenous women’s by a Canadian scholar working in Cambodia. The pa- organizations can provide a viable option. per provided detailed information about the nature and functioning of women’s organizations. It also helped § The international community can help establish sharpen the scope of inquiry. women’s organizations in postconflict societies. Such organizations can develop local roots and gain Finally, in January 1999, CDIE sent a three-person team political legitimacy despite their dependence on in- to Cambodia for fieldwork. The team visited 28 organi- ternational resources. zations, interviewed more than 40 key informants, and conducted four focus group discussions with program § In the impoverished condition of typical postconflict beneficiaries. In addition, the team met with the senior countries, women’s organizations will have to de- Aftermath: Women and Women’s Organizations in Postconflict Cambodia 1 pend on foreign donors for years to come; they can- developing local capacity to respond effectively to not become economically sustainable within the the
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