Focused conversation: Women and Rebuilding Conflict Areas

Violent conflict presents challenges but also offers opportunities for women’s empowerment. The World Bank’s study “Moving out of Poverty” looked at 125 life stories of women around the world who lived through violent political conflict. The study produced two key findings: among the 37 communities studied, women’s empowerment ratings were on average higher in communities affected by conflict than in those that were not, and communities that recovered faster and reduced poverty more quickly had more empowered women.

That indicates that post-conflict periods present opportunities to change gender norms. There is a tight window, however, in which creative programs addressing infrastructure, market support, and well-targeted welfare programs can make a difference.

During conflict, most public and private infrastructure deteriorates quickly, yet women are successful in informal enterprises. In times of conflict, women successfully carry out their every-day activities with little support. The biggest barrier to women’s empowerment after fighting ends is the lack of women in decision-making roles.

Although access to economic opportunities and political opportunities is crucial, it is not enough to have quotas in parliament. Empowerment and peacebuilding require participation in decision-making, but quotas do not necessarily guarantee decision-making power.

Local and international actors must look at the next step in understanding how to truly engage women in decision-making. We need greater on-the-ground participation from those men and women involved to help us understand how their economic systems work and what roles women can and cannot play.