Kashmiri Women Across the Divide

Kashmiri Women across the Divide: Kashmiri Women Mapping Initiative Report compiled for Conciliation Resources by Ayesha Saeed, (Independent Consultant) 31 August 2010 conciliation resources Executive Summary The Kashmiri Women’s Mapping Initiative records Dialogue between the different regions of the perspectives of women from the wider region of Kashmir is as important as broader bilateral Kashmir on peace and conflict and also catalogues dialogue on Kashmir. This report notes the the problems faced by them by virtue of living in a divergent experiences and views of the inhabitants protracted conflict zone. The underlying objective of this region and one observes that there is little of the initiative was to understand the operational understanding of experiences of other region. context and perspectives of Kashmiri women on In the Jammu and Kashmir conversations, this is peacebuilding in Kashmir. particularly evident with respect to the Srinagar and Laddakh-Kargil conversations. Similarly, there is The mapping initiative was simultaneously little appreciation of the perspectives held by women conducted on Pakistani and Indian sides of Kashmir. in Azad Jammu Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir. The mapping initiative collected data through central This implies that a dialogue between the different workshops and localised structured conversations regions of wider Kashmir is necessary for a nuanced conducted across all the regions of wider Kashmir. Kashmiri understanding to emerge. The conversations sought to include a cross-section of women from varied professional and ethnic Kashmiri women recognise their potential for backgrounds. Under the guidance of Conciliation peacebuilding in their regions. The majority of the Resources, parallel conversation guides were participants were not aware of UN Security Council developed and local women were trained to resolution 1325 dealing with the role for women in facilitate and record the discussions. The peace efforts. Yet their experience of the conflict discussions were conducted between December has led them to recognise the potential for their 2009 and Feburary 2010. constructive engagement for enabling peace, both in their communities and within the wider region. Major findings of the mapping initiative are Expressing distrust in the state led peace efforts, identified as follows: many participants believed that peace will result The experience and impact of conflict has not in the region when Kashmiris are involved in be been consistent across the wider region of the process. Kashmir. This report makes it evident that the impact of the Kashmir conflict has varied from region to region and this reflects in the experiences and perspectives of women involved in these conversations. Any conflict intervention effort must pay attention to the localised understanding of the conflict. Kashmiri Women across the Divide • 2 TAJIKISTAN Mintaka AFGHANISTAN Pass Jammu and Khunjerab Darkot un Pass Kh jerab Pass Kashmir Area n Thui An B u a t K h Pass ur Batura rk a Shim a Mu Glacier sh Y z t al a gh A Chumar Khan Baltit R Pass t H is p G i l gi a r Muz ta gh Hispar Glacier A Shandur R a k a po s Pass hi R Jammu a n K Mt. Godwin Chogo ge CHINA Hun Lungma Austin (K2) Ya za Biafo B 8611m rk Gilgit a a H Glacier l O n a Glacier t d ra oro Dadarili m Bra Muz ta gh Ind o ldu Pass us s h Baltoro Glacier R Karakoram A a M S R s n a i Indus to g s h a c Pass r e S e r br u a n ge he h m R Sia La n M D ig uzta Chilas E a gh A O r Bilafond La Siachen Nanga S S Glacier Astor A A Parbat I L M 8126m Skardu T M O H O PAKISTAN Goma R Babusar U O N I and N L u Pass NJ 980420 b T X R r M Sh a ig A A A ar I N Kel A N D G us S S d S A h E n h y I i o ONTR L ng k F C O o I K O L ndu L IN E A s H s a Kargil r R Y D A Tarbela Muzaarabad Tithwal Wular Zoji La Dras N Sopur Lake Pass G Reservoir A E Domel J Baramula h J e hea a Z Leh Tarbela m m A Dam Uri N Srinagar M S Chakothi Kashmir K Haji Pir A O R Pass P Karu i Campbellpore Rawala Kot r M Punch Vale of U O Islamabad P Anantnag U a Kashmir N n N T Mendhar j A Rawalpindi Kotli a Banihal I h l Pass N nc T u R S P Rajauri a Che n g na Mangla e b A Reservoir New Naushahra Mangla Dam Mirpur Riasi I Munawwarwali Jhelum Tawi N Bhimbar Chhamb Udhampur Akhnur NW 605550 X S International boundary Jammu INDIA Provincial boundary b Gujrat na he National capital C Samba Major city Sialkot Town or village Kathua Major road Line of Control as promulgated in i the 1972 SIMLA Agreement Lesser road av Gujranwala R Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control Airport in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The nal status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed 0 25 50 75 km upon by the parties. The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply ocial endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 0 25 50 mi Lahore Amritsar Map No. 3953 Rev. 3 UNITED NATIONS Department of Peacekeeping Operations October 2005 Cartographic Section 3 • Conciliation Resources Introduction The Kashmiri Women’s Mapping Initiative is a conducted by the Kashmir Institute for International project aimed at a) investigating major issues Relations (KIIR), local partner for Conciliation confronting women from both sides of Kashmir Resources (CR) in Islamabad, across the Azad Jammu and b) cataloguing their perspectives on peace and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) regions. conflict. Emerging out of a Joint Analysis Workshop Ayesha Saeed served as an independent consultant of March 200911, this is an effort to learn the lay on the project. Over the course of five months, of the land and determine the peacebuilding KIIR and CR jointly conducted 2 major workshops interventions best suited to this particular context. and facilitated 14 conversations with a cross- The mapping initiative was carried out in parallel section of women from AJK and G-B. This report across both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). It was catalogues details on the conception of the project, conducted through workshops and focus groups its objectives, design and the findings from the discussions spread over the wider Kashmir region mapping initiative. Section I provides the necessary of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on the Indian side, Azad background to the project. Section II describes Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (G-B) on the design of the project and the methods used the Pakistani side.22 to conduct the ‘raw’ conversations with Kashmiri women. Section III provides details of the lessons On the Indian side of the LoC, independent learnt from the mapping initiative. Lastly, Section IV consultant, Manisha Shobrajani, facilitated 2 major provides some closing remarks on the findings of workshops and arranged 15 conversations across the mapping initiative. the different regions of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). On the Pakistani side of the LoC, the initiative was 1. This was a workshop that Conciliation Resources organised bringing together 24 civil society activists from either side of the Line of Control in Kashmir with the objective of examining perspectives on and possibilities for peacebuilding initiatives. 2. My selection of these terms to denote the various divisions of the wider Kashmir region is without prejudice to the naming conventions prevalent otherwise. My use of these terms simply reflects the semantics used by the participants during the conversations. Kashmiri Women across the Divide • 4 Section I: What is the “Kashmiri Women’s Mapping Initiative”? Kashmiri Women’s Mapping Initiative: On both sides of the LoC, women facilitators were an introduction chosen to conduct the conversations and were trained at day-long workshops conducted by CR The mapping initiative was conceived at the Joint and/or local partners. In selecting facilitators, Analysis Workshop in March 2009, where the utmost care was taken to involve women who participants believed that it is was necessary to enjoyed the confidence and support of local include the perspective of the Kashmiri woman in communities. Over a period of 3 months, CR with this process of peacebuilding intervention. Towards assistance of local partners was able to organise this effort, it was decided that it was first necessary 29 conversations across the Line of Control. to conduct a fact-finding process to develop a CR’s consultant organised the facilitation of better understanding of the context and the level 15 conversations in J&K in different localities of of awareness of Kashmiri women to issues of peace Jammu, Srinagar, Leh and Kargil. In AJK and G-B, and conflict. CR and KIIR organised 14 conversations across 9 The women’s mapping initiative was thus localities: Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawlakot, developed as a fact-finding exercise. The purpose Bagh, Hunza, Gilgit and Chilas. Upon completion of the project was two-fold. The first aim was to of these conversations, two analysis workshops determine the socio-economic and domestic context involving facilitators, participants and civil society confronting Kashmiri women and to identify their representatives were conducted in Islamabad problems and issues. The second aim was to seek to and Jammu respectively to reflect upon the major understand their perceptions of peace and conflict findings of the initiative.

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