UNITED NATIONS, New York - Underlining the crucial role women can play in rebuilding their war-torn communities, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organized a five-day workshop to help women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world to deal with conflict or post-conflict situations.

The workshop, held in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 18-22 November, was designed to help NGOs address problems they face being at the forefront of conflicts in their countries. It trained participants in management and organizational skills, and provided useful knowledge about conflict resolution, project development and monitoring, budgeting and administration of programmes, and fundraising, including drafting donor proposals. Participants also benefited from sharing ideas and personal experiences that they could apply in their respective countries.

"The special challenges for women's groups have been highlighted in a recent United Nations report on the impact of armed conflict on women," said Pamela Delargy, Chief of UNFPA's Humanitarian Response Unit. "Women have systematically been neglected and excluded from all stages of the humanitarian response, in peace negotiations and during disarmament, demobilization and reconstruction phases of conflict and post-conflict situations."

Among the issues discussed by the workshop was the prevalence of domestic violence in post-conflict societies, which is usually alarmingly high but is rarely a topic of concern in countries focused on reconstruction. "During conflict, women shoulder more of the families' responsibilities, while at the same time receiving the brunt of harm and abuse," said Sahir Abdul-Hadi, Gender Adviser at UNFPA and organizer of the Bratislava training.

UNFPA is committed to ensuring that women and girls voices be heard, especially in crisis situations. This commitment was underlined during a conference it organized last year on "The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls," which recommended that the participation of civil society, particularly women's NGOs, in war-torn countries is essential to restoring their communities. Last week's workshop was a follow up to that conference

NGO representatives from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Timor-Leste, Lebanon, Liberia, Pakistan, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sierra Leone and Tajikistan attended the workshop, which was facilitated by the Greece-based Mediterranean Women's Studies Centre.

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UNFPA is the world's largest multilateral source of population assistance. Since it became operational in 1969, it has provided close to $6 billion to developing countries to meet reproductive health needs and support sustainable development issues. The Fund helps ensure that women displaced by natural disasters or armed conflicts have life-saving services such as assisted delivery, and prenatal and post-partum care; and it works to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection, sexual exploitation and violence.

Contact Information:

Omar Gharzeddine
Tel.: +1 (212) 297-5028
Email: gharzeddine@unfpa.org