Women and Men in Conflicts:Fair and Equal?
The theme of the 2009 Eschborn Dialogue focuses on the nexus between security and development. It is a topic that stands on its own: many programmes of development cooperation are realised in a context of instable and tense political, economic and social situations. There is a constant danger towards escalation into armed and violent conflicts, where each conflict not only affects an ongoing development programme but might destroy past efforts within a short time. Development cooperation must address these situations primarily out of humanitarian concerns but also, secondarily, because of concerns about efficiency. Without doubt, a conflict has severe impacts on a whole society, its communities, families as well as individuals: women, men, girls and boys. How to intervene and contribute to establishing a peaceful co-existance and lasting peace is a central challenge for development cooperation, before, during and after a conflict.
The symposium on women and men in conflicts: fair and equal? focused on aspects of gender relations before and during conflicts as well as in post-conflict situations from different perspectives: victims, politics, security sector, human rights and media.The symposium contributed to reflection about the topic from different angles and was an important push for further discussions within development cooperation.
