STUDY Refugee Women as Agents for Peace The UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the Context of Forced Displacement. Country Study Austria Barbara Kühhas and Marie-Luise Möller October 2020 © Kiril Kirkov 2 Publisher: Wiener Institut für Internationalen Dialog und Zusammenarbeit – Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) Möllwaldplatz 5/3, A-1040 Vienna www.vidc.org Authors: Barbara Kühhas (Gender and Diversity Consulting) and Marie-Luise Möller Editor: Lena Gruber (VIDC) Proof reading and editing: Kim Traill Pictures: © Murtaza Elham and Kiril Kirkov Published in accordance with §25 of the Media Law. Copyright: Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC), Möllwaldplatz 5/3, A-1040 Vienna. Basic issues: discussion papers on development policies, international cooperation and south-north cultural exchange, as well as anti-racist campaigning. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the editor/VIDC. THE UN WOMEN, PEacE AND SECURITY AGEnda IN THE ContEXT OF ForcED DIsplacEMENT. CountrY STUDY AustrIA 3 CONTENT Abbreviations . .4 Foreword . 5 Acknowledgements. .6 Executive Summary . 7 1. Introduction to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda . 11 2. Contextualising the WPS Agenda to a (Forced) Migration Context within the EU . 13 3. Methodology . 15 4. Applying the EU WPS Agenda to the Rights of Refugee Women in the EU . 16 5. Applying the EU WPS Agenda to the Rights of Refugee Women in Austria . 25 5.1. Participation and Leading by Example. 26 5.2. Prevention. .35 5.3. Protection . .40 5.4. Relief and Recovery. 51 6 . Conclusion . 65 Annex 1: Bibliography. 67 Annex 2: Overview of the Women, Peace Security Resolutions. 70 Annex 3: Prevention of GBV – the Istanbul Convention. 71 Annex 4: Reception, Relief and Recovery – Standards in Austrian Provinces . .73 Annex 5: FDG/KII Interview Guides. 75 4 Abbreviations AMS Arbeitsmarktservice (Public Employment Service Austria) AGS An Garda Síochána (Irish National Police) CEAS Common European Asylum System CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CoE Council of Europe CT Counterterrorism CSOs Civil Society Organisations DDR Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration GAP II EU Gender Action Plan for 2016-2020 GED Gender Equality and Diversity GV Grundversorgung (Basic Services) IDP Internally Displaced People IRPP Irish Refugee Protection Program EU RAP European Union Regional Action Plan IMAG Inter-ministerial Working Group on WPS MS Member States NAPs National Action Plans OFPRA French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons ÖIF Österreichischer Integrationsfonds (Austrian Integration Fund) PKF Peace Keeping Forces PVCE Prevention Counter Violent Extremism SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SGBV Sexual and Gender-Based Violence SPRAR System for the Protection of Asylum-seekers and Refugees (Italy) SRHR Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights SSR Security Sector Reform ToT Training of Trainers UNSCR 1325 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UN OHCHR United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights VAWG Violence against Women and Girls WPS Women, Peace and Security THE UN WOMEN, PEacE AND SECURITY AGEnda IN THE ContEXT OF ForcED DIsplacEMENT. CountrY STUDY AustrIA 5 FOREword In the year 2000, the UN Security Council Resolution in the context of the WPS agenda. The participation 1325 was adopted – with the main aims of strengthen- and safety of a woman in Syria is of concern within the ing women’s participation in peace and security govern- framework of the WPS agenda. When the same wom- ance; ensuring their protection; enabling their recovery an flees to a refugee camp in Lebanon, her protection from conflict-related and gender-based violence; and and the prevention of further (gender-based) violence contributing to the prevention of armed conflict. In remains an issue in the WPS agenda. Somewhere on addition, UNSCR 1325 demands gender awareness in her way to Europe however, and certainly by the time conflict analysis and peacebuilding. A number of res- she is beginning to establish her life in an EU member olutions, national and regional action plans followed, state, she is no longer seen as “conflict-affected wom- which together form the UN Women, Peace and Secu- an” worthy of demanding participation, protection, re- rity (WPS) agenda. lief and recovery in the name of the WPS agenda. Yet, Great effort has been put into the realisation of this she is the same person: her story, experiences and her WPS agenda – by international organisations, the EU, expertise remain identical. It is also highly likely that state actors, international NGOs, feminist networks and during her flight she experienced the fear of, or actu- grass roots organisations. One significant group how- al, gender-based violence, as well as gaining further ever has been widely ignored in the discourse, action knowledge of the realities of other women and girls, plans and implementation of this agenda, namely for- and is therefore not only in particular need of medical, cibly-displaced, conflict-affected women and girls who psychological, social and financial support but also a have sought asylum in Europe. very valuable expert in the field of gender and peace- In general, European actors tend to look at conflict building. regions outside the EU and their immediate neighbour- The Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and ing countries to analyse, demand and implement the Cooperation (VIDC) has been working on the UN Wom- participation and protection of women and girls.- Eu en, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, as well as on ropean WPS actors observe women’s participation in diaspora engagement over many years. We seek to am- the Afghan peace negotiations, develop tools to ana- plify the voices of migrant and refugee women – for ex- lyse women’s empowerment projects in development ample by inviting them as speakers to panel discussions and humanitarian work from Colombia to Myanmar, and by developing empowerment and gender sensiti- invite female peace activists from DR Congo to Somalia sation trainings for Afghan women in cooperation with to conferences and publish analyses of conflict-related Afghan diaspora associations. We took this year’s 20th sexual violence from Bosnia to Liberia. Yet, do we also anniversary of the UNSCR 1325 as an occasion to draw acknowledge refugee and asylum-seeking women as attention to the connection between these two policy experts in conflict analysis and peacebuilding and in- areas: the WPS agenda and forced migration to Europe. vite them to WPS roundtables and conferences? Do we This study focuses on the gaps in the implementation demand and guarantee sufficient, adequate relief and of the WPS agenda in Austria with regards to the rights recovery mechanisms for conflict-affected women and and living conditions of refugee and asylum-seeking girls? And do we understand that this participation, re- women. We strongly believe that this research enriches lief and recovery and protection of refugee women and the WPS discourse and empowers refugee women as girls within the EU forms an essential part of the WPS agents for peace. agenda? Lena Gruber, VIDC The closer a woman gets to the EU border, the less she appears to be considered a person of relevance 6 AcknowlEDGEMEnts This study would not have been possible without the The photos in this study were taken by Murtaza El- Afghan and Syrian women who participated in the fo- ham and Kiril Kirkov as part of the “New Roots” project cus group discussions and shared their experiences and (2019/2020). This project was realised by Kiril Kirkov, in recommendations. Special thanks also go to Samar Al cooperation with UNHCR and the Women’s Centerega: Bradan and Negina Naseri for the translation and tran- frauen im zentrum, in order to empower refugee wom- scripton of the discussions. The VIDC and the authors en through photography workshops. The VIDC would also thank the key informants of this study, Ahmed Al- like to express great appreciation to the photographers helli, Rojin Ali, Samar al Bradan, Somah Ibrahimi, and and all the women who participated in this project. those interviewees whose names remain confidential Thank you also to the Austrian Development Agency due to reasons of safety. Your expertise and profession- (ADA) for financing this study, to Kim Traill for editing al assessment were of great value. and to typothese for the layout. THE UN WOMEN, PEacE AND SECURITY AGEnda IN THE ContEXT OF ForcED DIsplacEMENT. CountrY STUDY AustrIA 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On 31st of October 2020, the United Nations Securi- includes a different approach and represents a shift – ty Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, from a state-centred and uniform approach, towards Peace and Security (WPS) commemorates its 20th an- a greater focus on diversity and inclusiveness. In July niversary. Celebrated as a landmark resolution in 2000, 2019, the EU Action Plan on Women, Peace and Secu- it reaffirms the important role of women in the pre- rity WPS 2019-2024 (EU RAP) was established, which vention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, complements the EU Gender Action Plan for 2016-2020 peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian responses (GAP II).2 Importantly, and in line with the European and post-conflict reconstruction, and stresses the im- Consensus on Development and the Sustainable Devel- portance of their equal participation and full involve- opment Goals (SDGs), as well as within the broader hu- ment in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion man rights framework, it also includes the situations of of peace and security. refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls in Europe. Since then, nine additional WPS resolutions have At the time of elaborating this research paper, of the been adopted by the Security Council. Currently 84 18 EU MS which do have a NAP on 1325, 11 already in- member states (MS) have adopted National Action clude provisions regarding refugee and asylum seekers Plans (NAPs), and eleven Regional Action Plans (RAPs) within Europe in their NAPs on WPS.