Stemming Violence against Women, Conflicts, Vulnerability to Diseases and Linkages to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Treatment -- CONCEPTUAL ENQUIRY AND ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS

      

       Gender and the politics of rights in modern society challenge the masculine structures of the state, market and civil society; it challenges men in modern society to recognise the existence of the patriarchal order and of the manifold ways in which they both dominate women's lives. Indeed there is progress in stemming VAW and conflicts and women’s empowerment but states need promote women's participation in policy formulation and encourage the implementation of CEDAW, Dakar and Beijing Platform for action and recently Solemn AU Declaration on Gender and Development in Africa through various bodies and institutions to ensure food security, environmental protection, end of armed conflict in the region and develop of infrastructure and to promote trade and development of vibrant economy in the region. On the other hand, AIDS is now deadlier than war itself.  In fact, the epidemic has become a full-blown development crisis. Because of the insidious ways it destabilises already fragile and complex geopolitical systems, AIDS has become a key issue for human security in SSA. If current trends are maintained, 70% of people currently HIV-positive in sub-Saharan Africa will die of AIDS in the next 10 years.

   Recommendations zero on implementing the IGAD Gender Policy, broadening partnership, enhance learning and knowledge management, develop national policy and legal frameworks, develop Gender Focused Alternative Conflict Management: Leadership training and mentoring/apprenticeship - leadership gives agency for women, enhance movement for social progress or emancipation and mainstream governance, HIV/AIDS, rights women’s political empowerment initiatives, rights based sustainable livelihoods for women synergised to implement CEDAW. On women: peace, security and public policy; it is recommended to build substantive capacities for political culture development civic education, policy and programme co-ordination; institutional co-ordination; and human capacity development aimed at strengthening the civic engagement which will be linked with human rights groups and official democratic institutions; gender, women’s human security and implementation of UN SCR No. 1325; women entrepreneurship: development of gender responsive budget systems and engendering new aid modalities. The prospects for good governance will ultimately depend on the configuration of political institutions in state and civil society. The key question is therefore whether the endowment of political institutions is conducive to conflict management.

See paper here