Documenting Experiences of Women in Situations of Armed Conflict in Uganda

This initiative drew on information and communication technologies (ICTs) as part of an effort to explore and highlight women's experiences in situations of armed conflict: the roles they play, the effects of violence, and how they are coping in post-conflict situations. Participatory strategies were central in this awareness-raising and advocacy initiative, and technology was the key vehicle for bringing women's voices to the fore. That is, the documentation was accomplished with the full participation of women from the affected communities, including women combatants, affected women, and veterans.

Although women's involvement was at the core of the process, other stakeholders were brought in as well. In addition to consulting with researchers, health professionals, and the media, Isis-WICCE held consultative meetings with local leaders and members of Parliament. The script was then shared and discussed with project partners Heinrich Boll Foundation and United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). This consultation was designed to ensure that the instruments used in the documentation brought out pertinent gender-related issues and included disaggregated data. As part of this process, a few men were included as a control group.

The documentation itself was carried out using different ICTs - as well as face-to-face interaction. Organisers used tape recorders, video recording equipment, and photography. They also engaged in meetings, focus group discussions (FGDs), and validation workshops. Isis-WICCE contends that the use of these varied tools and types of exchanges contributed to the production of a variety of materials, in different formats, which illuminate the experiences of women in situations of armed conflict. These materials included research reports and video documentaries, which were pre-tested at the district level in workshops that included women survivors, local leaders from the affected communities, medical professionals, human rights activists, women rights activists, communication specialists, and the media. This process raised a number of issues that were further incorporated into the final research reports and video.

Drawing on this participatory process, the results of the documentation process were used for advocacy purposes. Programme staff were featured on a number of radio and television talk shows, where they debated issues highlighted in the findings. This process was designed to stimulate debate among key stakeholders and the general public on the need to resolve conflicts amicably and to promote peacebuilding. As part of this effort to make visible the different violations inflicted upon women in situations of armed conflict, workshops were held to disseminate the findings. The goal was to spur policymakers to address the situation.

Conflict, Women, Gender.

Isis-WICCE is a global action-oriented women’s resource centre that was established in Geneva, Switzerland in 1974 with the objective of strengthening women’s communicative mechanisms. In 1993, Isis-WICCE relocated to Africa from Geneva with the objective of tapping African women’s voices by documenting their realities and making them part of the global knowledge base.