Report of the August 27, 2024 Webinar
The Webinar organized on August 27, 2024 by the Center for Gender, Peace and Security (CGEPS) on the theme: Vulnerability and resilience of African women in times of armed conflict: state of play and perspectives was a real success.
Of the three presentations expected, the numerous participants were finally treated to just two, Doctor Mohamed Lamine MANGA, research professor at Ziguinchor's Assane Seck University, having been unavailable despite his motivation. Dr Ludovic POUNTOUGNIGNI NJUH acted as moderator.
Ms. BABY AISSATA, UNFPA and ICRC-Mali expert in gender, human rights and gender-based violence, was the first speaker of the day, addressing the audience on the theme: “Between vulnerability and resilience, what is the impact of conflict on African women: conflict-related sexual violence? The presentation had two main objectives: to understand the motives and impact of sexual violence linked to armed conflict, and its impact on women and girls; and to question preventive measures and responses to this phenomenon.
Following a conceptual clarification of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) and, above all, its impact on women and girls, Ms. BABY AISSATA presented an overview of CRSV in Africa, and Mali in particular. The many statistics and case studies presented helped to make the presentation easier to understand.
According to Ms. BABY AISSATA, “SLCVs are a cross-cutting issue requiring the mobilization of multiple players, including host countries, UN country teams, humanitarian country teams, NGOs and civil society organizations”.
The second paper was presented by Professor Eric Wilson FOFACK, Executive Director of the Center for Gender, Peace and Security (CGEPS), on the theme: Between vulnerability and resilience: the impact of war on African women. He spoke to participants on the issue of women's vulnerability in times of conflict, in an attempt to understand and relativize the situation. In addition, he presented armed conflicts as factors structuring women's resilience.
According to the ICRC, “the notion of vulnerability covers the dangers to which women are exposed, their ability to cope with the situations, stress, shock and trauma of war”. Beyond this, it appears that war has sometimes led to the “demarginalization” of women, by developing in them an attitude of resilience. Women's resilience in times of armed conflict is proof of their extreme courage, their immense potential, and their extraordinary capacity to adapt and survive whatever the circumstances.
At the end of the second presentation, an exchange between the participants and the speakers shed light on certain aspects of the subject under debate. The quality of the exchanges and the participants reinforced the CGEPS team's ambition to contribute to the evolution of the debate on the role and place of women in issues of peace and security in Africa and the world.
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