Apologies for the lack of posts on the blog of late — I’ve been busy working on something inspiring!
At the Margins of Security Sector Reform: Gender and Informal Justice
Last week, the results of six months of research and organizational effort took centre stage and performed beautifully! At a policy roundtable on issues “At the Margins of Security Sector Reform: Gender and Informal Justice” (co-hosted by NSI and CIGI), Research partners Victoria and Caroline presented the preliminary results of our research project to a group of policymakers, academics and civil society representatives in Ottawa. Representatives from local universities as well as the Canadian development agency, foreign ministry, justice ministry, interior ministry and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police engaged with our colleagues on questions around the challenges donors face in meeting the language requirements of police trainees, differences in levels of corruption between male and female police officers and the links between DDR and police reform.
Technical aspects of research aside, we were also treated to a conversation
Participants listen attentively to presentations from African partners' presentations via videoconference.
with two female police officers, Jartu from Liberia and Martha from Southern Sudan. From them, we learned of their motivations for joining the police – employment in Jartu’s case, to reduce crime in Martha’s – and how their families reacted to their career choices. In a demonstration of the power of women even in challenging situations, Martha’s comment about how she told her future husband that she wasn’t going to be dominated by a man brought a smile to everyone’s face! Martha and Jartu answered questions from the audience on morality laws in Sudan, recruitment of women into policing and how community members respond to policewomen on patrol.
Participants learned about new work that the Geneva Centre for Democratic
DCAF's Kristin Valasek answers questions while I listen intently and moderate the debate.
Control of Armed Forces and the Centre for International Governance Innovation are leading on surveying how ECOWAS countries have integrated a gender perspective into their main security institutions and the interface between SSR and “informal” justice systems, respectively. DCAF’s preliminary results reminded us that while many countries’ policies and practices are largely gender-blind, some countries could serve as role models even for developed countries on issues such as break time for nursing mothers. The CIGI-led panel on “informal” justice systems led to lively debate around entry points to working with “informal” structures and reconciling (or not) international human rights principles with the need to contribute to improving the lives of people living in conflict-affected contexts.
Missed the event? Not to worry! Victoria and Caroline’s presentations are available on our website and a short video of presentation highlights will be posted in the coming weeks. For those of you eager to sink your teeth into something more substantial, our research reports are currently being finalized and we plan to have a small book ready for distribution late this year or early in 2011.
Watch this space!
Tags: dialogue, gender and SSR, good work, LNP, photos, policing, policy roundtable, SSPS, The Project
