Women's suffering by men's wars |
Just as there is much to celebrate on the International Women's Day in terms of inspiration and achievement, there is even more to reflect on. In a world shaped by wars that are imagined, crafted, orchestrated and thrust upon (almost exclusively) by men, civilian women carry a disproportionate burden of the aftermath.
Conflict continues to be the primary driver of forced displacement of people from their homes. Research done in dozens of countries and communities shows that among those who are forcibly displaced, women tend to do much worse than men on nearly all indicators. Rape has become a weapon of war and subjugation. In refugee camps and informal settlements, women face heightened risks of domestic and gender-based violence and chronic insecurity. Child marriages of young girls in refugee camps are a fairly common practice. The impact of forced migration on pregnant women leads to malnutrition and infection, on top of........