Documenting Experiences of Women in Situations of Armed Conflict
Uganda, Jul 16
Isis-Women's International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) was the winner of the Gender and ICT Award presented by GKP and APC WNSP in the category "National and Local Outstanding Multi-stakeholder Initiatives".
The winning initiative focuses on recording and telling the little-known stories of women in situations of armed conflict in Uganda and other African nations. Since 1997, Isis-WICCE has documented the experiences of women in such situations in 10 countries in Africa through its networks.
From the organisation's initial survey, it was clear that very little was actually known about women's experiences in situations of armed conflict in Uganda, let alone Africa and hence the decision to focus on documentation. And so the project was born with a major focus on highlighting women's experiences, the roles they play, the effects on them and how they cope when the conflict is over.
Choosing the right ICTs to document women's experience
ICTs can only be relevant to the targeted communities if the approach used takes into consideration the needs and problems of the communities. The documentation of women's realities in situations of armed conflict analyses the root causes of conflict in Uganda, highlights the effects of the conflict on women and the coping mechanisms of women in post-conflict situations.
The use of different tools i.e. audio recording, video recording, photography and print takes into consideration the needs of the targeted communities and how they can access information despite differences in literacy levels. Given that the documentation process is intended for raising awareness and for lobbying and advocacy, it ensures the women war survivors can speak out about their experiences and make recommendations. Face-to-face interaction through meetings, focus group discussions and validation workshops is also essential.
Video allowed women to value themselves more
The process of documenting their realities gave the women involved in the project an opportunity to share their experiences which contributed to the healing process. Video in particular proved to be a helpful communication tool in allowing the women to regain their confidence. Seeing themselves speaking on video, many women were able to appreciate that they are still of value to society despite their terrible experiences.
The findings provide a powerful acknowledgement of the ordeal of conflict as experienced by women which is normally underrated in post-conflict situations. It also highlights the zeal of women and therefore the potential they have in the peace-building process. More than 1000 video documentaries have been distributed to partners and development actors internationally and have been used in training workshops and for sensitisation. Since the project has finished, one of Isis-WICCE's collaborating partners - the African Psycare Research - has continued working on the issue of trauma among war-affected communities.
Significantly, with the help of ISIS-WICCE, by using the findings as a tool for advocacy, women war survivors in study areas in Uganda have been able to obtain various types of assistance including medical treatment, improvement of shelter, capital for small-scale income-generating activities and training for women leaders. Rural women's information units were set up as spaces where women leaders could meet face-to-face and discuss issues affecting women in their communities as well as access literature online.
Source: PULA, APC-Africa-Women
