Download File - Refugee Consortium of Kenya

UNHCR NGO Consultations 2014
Closing Remarks by Lucy Kiama,
Executive Director, Refugee Consortium of Kenya
The Deputy High Commissioner, UNHCR
The organizers of this year’s Consultation
Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen
I want to start by thanking you all for giving me this opportunity to make closing
remarks in such an important forum. I would like to honour all the refugees who
managed to participate in this year’s NGO Consultations, in particular, Luz Mery
Mesa who courageously shared her story at the opening session on Tuesday.
My Short Story
Since childhood, I have always had the drive to help vulnerable communities. Born
in a vulnerable situation myself – my mother was still a teenager in high school - I
was brought up by my late grandparents. I really appreciated their support, and at
the back of my mind, I have always wanted to help other people the same way my
grandparents assisted me. I previously worked at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital,
Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) where I did a lot of work supporting
survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, initially as a Medical Social
Worker, and later as a Program Manager. During my work at GVRC, I contributed
to drafting and advocacy for the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act 2006.
After that, I worked with the German Technical Corporation (GTZ) as the
GBV/Human Rights Senior Programme Advisor – seconded to Ministry of Health
where I contributed to establishment Gender Based Violence Recovery centres in
public national referral hospitals. I also contributed to ensure that survivors of
sexual violence in Kenya access free Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and
Emergency Contraceptives in all major government hospitals.
During this time, I began to desire a job in which I could make decisions, exercise
management skills, and fulfill my potential to reach out to more people without
being confined to bureaucratic government systems. Working as the director of
RCK has given me such a role. I have contributed to the advocacy for enactment of
the IDP Act 2012 in Kenya, the draft National policy on Internal Displacement,
drafting of the urban refugees litigation case that quashed the Government
directive on encampment, among others.
Turning on to this year‘s NGO Consultations, I would like to summarize the key
messages in one sentence - “We all want women’s meaningful participation with
the support of men and boys.”
Key enablers/drivers that encourage women’s leadership and participation
1. Inclusion of women in protection initiatives. – A key protection best
practice that has been employed over the years within the humanitarian
sector is the recruitment of persons of concern as community based
workers/incentive workers. The recruitment of women as incentive workers
is a commendable initiative of encouraging them to participate and become
champions of their own protection in the communities they live in.
2. Training of women on business skills and improving their access to
meaningful livelihoods. Sustainable livelihood activities that enable women
to become breadwinners for their families, decision makers in their
households in terms of their expenditure, health, nutrition of their children
etc. This will assist to restore their dignity and improve their self esteem,
which in turn will motivate them take up leadership positions in
communities where they live.
3. Targeted capacity building and sensitization initiatives for women which
empowers them in various ways e.g. training them on self-reliance; business
start ups skills; participation of women in alternative dispute resolution
mechanism will self empower them for self representation.
4. Encourage women to take up elective positions e.g. camp block leaders in
the camp set ups. This is a best practice that encourages refugee women to
become leaders in their communities; In the refugee community, a block
leader is usually highly regarded and in their parlance such a leader is
“equivalent to a Member of Parliament” Example of Dadaab refugee camps
where there is 50% representation of all leadership positions.
Key Barriers to women’s leadership and participation
1. Retrogressive/harmful cultural practices among some communities. For
example, most African societies have patriarchal cultures, women are not
allowed to speak in the presence of men; harmful cultural practices such as
early and
forced marriages; wife inheritance, female genital
mutilation(FGM) relegate women to child bearing responsibilities.
2. Stereotypes on gender roles – women are assigned child bearing
responsibilities and this hinders them from actively participating in
leadership roles; Women are not allowed to participate in decision making
forums e.g. alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as they are perceived
to belong to the kitchen, out there to fetch firewood, water etc.
3. Social economic realities (poverty) – Displacement situations entrench a
culture of impoverishment and forces displaced persons into a downward
trajectory of poverty and vulnerability. To this end, majority of the women
are forced into seeking negative survival coping strategies such as survival
sex/prostitution while in other instances this exposes the women to sexual
exploitation and abuse;
4. Illiteracy – In most protracted displacement situations, access to education is
a great challenge. This results to high illiteracy levels among the displaced
communities. There is low enrolment of girls in schools, this translates to
lack of empowerment and reduces their opportunity to take up leadership
roles.
5. Increased insecurity – A key feature in most displaced communities. Due to
the overcrowding nature of the camp settings, most women and girls are
exposed to various risks such as sexual assault and rape. Many reports have
noted that incidents of rape and sexual assault of women refugees happen
when the women go to fetch firewood, water or at night when they visit the
toilets. Such structural issues need to be addressed
Recommendations (UNHCR, NGOs, Donors, Private Sector)
1. Empowerment of women cannot happen in isolation! We need to involve
women in all levels of programming – designing, planning, implementation
and controlling. Women understand their problems/issues very well and they
also know what would work for them better. By involving them directly, we
will increase their participation and encourage them to take leadership in the
different levels of different interventions.
2. Humanitarian actors should enhance and continue to sensitize men and boys
on the importance of women empowerment. When men and women work
together, they learn from each and as such, they all become empowered. Men
should embrace modern practices and start looking at women as equal
partners. Programmes aimed at achieving such goals should be prioritized.
3. There is need for gender inclusivity in protection interventions by all actors.
For instance, increasing the number of female community based protection
workers and interpreters in programming.
4. UNHCR and NGOs should continue to support the refugee leadership and
ensure that there is a proportional representation of refugee women. This will
enable women to be listened to, to be heard, ensure that their opinions and
ideas are taken into in decision making processes.
5. Humanitarian organizations should build capacity of women on political
leadership and participation as well as facilitate them in taking up leadership
roles within the camp settings.
6. UNHCR, NGOs, private sector should enhance their interventions on self
reliance, economic empowerment and resilience for women of concern.
Women need to be well informed, economically empowered and to be
involved in decision making.
7. Donors should increase funding to continue to support humanitarian actors to
mainstream issues of gender in all the spheres of humanitarian action. In
particular, more funds should be channeled for vocational trainings to enhance
awareness in meaningful women’s leadership and participation.
8. Relevant actors should advocate for states to strictly enforce laws that prohibit
harmful cultural practices.
9. Humanitarian actors should prioritize programmes aimed at prevention and
response to SGBV.
10.Invest in education to address illiteracy. More support is also needed for girls
who complete secondary school education to enable attend institutions of
higher learning.
11.Invest in programmes that will guarantee security for women leaders and
those who fight against harmful cultural practices.
12.NGOs should continue to advocate for appropriate policies/legislation for
affirmative action that provides an enabling environment for women of
concern to be represented at national leadership spaces e.g. internally
displaced women should be adequately represented in their national assembly.
13.Information is power. When you educate a woman, you educate a nation.
There is need to improve access to information and modern technology for
women, including meaningful use of internet and social media – Face book,
tweeting… encourage women to be involved in research,. This will encourage
innovation and self employment.
14.Women who are already in leadership positions should become good role
models to younger women. This will enhance learning so that they learn from
those in leadership already etc.
15.We need to initiate systematic mentorship programmes for girls in schools so
that we mentor them on career choices. (And at this juncture, I will request my
daughter, Joan Kiama to stand up wherever she is seated and wave… Joan is a
first year law student at the University. I brought her along to learn, expose her
to such forums that dialogue on Women’s leadership issues as way of
mentoring her)
I can go on and on…
Closing Quote:
To all the women in these Consultations: No more excuses, No more excuses, let
us all recognize that we can make a difference wherever we are, in whichever
country we are in, Lets us support women to reach for the sky!
Thank you and God bless you all