Negotiating Conflict and Natural Disasters: Gender Issues in Sri Lanka

1. Negotiating Conflict and Natural Disasters: Gender Issues in Sri Lanka • by • Nelun Gunasekera • Gender Specialist • ADB SLRM • October 2005 1

2. Definitions ‘Gender’ - Refers to both women and men Refers to those characteristics of women and men that are socially defined. - Gender identities and relations are context specific and can change over time. 2

3. I The Context • Conflict •  JVP Insurrection 1971 • The leftist Sinhala youth group, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) (Peoples’ Liberation Front) launched an insurrection against the Bandaranaike government in April 1971. • Emergency Rule was declared following the uprising and continued for six years. In the 1977 elections, the United National Party came into power with a majority in parliament. The proscription on the JVP was lifted and the JVP entered electoral politics. • In the anti-Tamil riots of 1983, the JVP was said to have a role in the violence and was once again proscribed. As a result, the group went underground.

4. Conflict contd. •  Southern Insurrection 1989- 90 • In 1987, a new group, linked to the JVP, the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya DJV) (Patriotic Liberation Organization), emerged and launched a campaignof political assassinations, e.g. against the President and Prime Minister, against members of Parliament [70 were killed between July – November] • The Southern Insurrection as it is called, was most intense between 1989 – 90 and large numbers of those considered to be against the agenda of the organization were assassinated. However, by 1990, the leadership of the group had been killed by the armed forces.

5. Conflict contd. •  Ethnic Conflict 1981 - 2005 • Since1983there has been a civil war, between the government and liberation groups in the north, who demanded a separate state in the northeast. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), emerged as the strongest group, by decimating other Tamil groups. The war has killed an estimated 60,000 people since 1983. • The CFA (Ceasefire Agreement of 2002 led to a cessation of hostilities, but assassinations continue. Despite many violations of the CFA, it still holds. However, the assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Foreign Minister by a sniper on August 15, 2005 has shaken the fragile ceasefire.

6. Natural Disasters • Sri Lanka is no stranger to natural disasters, as it is usual, in the monsoon seasons for flooding and earth-slips in the hill country to take place. At other times, certain parts of the country face drought. • However, in recent years, Sri Lanka has faced an intensification of such natural disasters such as the floods [2003] and drought [2 ] in the southern areas and, most recently, the tsunami of 26 December 2004, which affected two-thirds of the coastal region of the island.

7. II Gender - recognizing and responding to differences • Key Concept - ‘Gender’ • - refers to both women and men • - refers to the socially created attributes and roles of women and men • is determined by the social, cultural and economic contexts - Is not fixed and can change over time

8. Key Question - What has gender got to do with the conflict and the tsunami? • - Gender refers to both women and men • - It can relate to all aspects of life • - When a situation is analysed from a gender perspective – gender-based differences and the nature of gender relations in that context become apparent. • - In general, women are found to have less power, fewer resources, less access etc. than men

9. - In general, women are found to be marginalized and disempowered in various contexts • Therefore, they are affected differently and they respond differently to various situations, e.g. conflict, natural disasters, political participation, etc. - Women and men have different needs, vulnerabilities, capacities and skills • - The nature of gender-based differences and gender relations need to be recognized and brought into the analysis of and response to situations e.g. the conflict and the tsunami.

10. Gender Issues in the context of Conflict and Natural Disasters • 1. Societal attitudes: - Traditional norms and values exist together with new practices created by the conflict. • Patriarchal values still exist in society. 10

11. Gender Issues contd. • 2. The Family and the Household – new forms of the family and the household, changing social roles – female/male heads of households • 3. Security & privacy – in welfare centres, in transition housing, in permanent housing, during travel/mobility, for women and children

12. Gender Issues contd. 4. Shelter – temporary and permanent housing, house design and construction, relocation, water, sanitation, cultural/religious concerns, access to public amenities 5. Health – food and nutrition, reproductive and sexual health, mental health/trauma, water & sanitation 12

13. Gender Issues contd. • 6. Education – access to education, withdrawal from education, child employment • 7. Livelihood & Employment – restoring livelihood (formal & informal sectors), access to employment opportunities, resources, finances, skill training, equipment, space [home-based activities], mobility 13

14. Gender Issues contd. • 8. Compensation – financial, land, • housing, loss of official records, legal rights • Disability - assistive devices, • support services, disabled access • 10. Social Networks – Kinship networks, community networks, community-based organizations 14

15. Gender Issues contd. • 11. Social problems - domestic violence, substance abuse, child marriage, abductions • 12. Children, Youth, the Elderly. 15

16. Gender-sensitive responses 1. Gender-disaggregated data collection 2. Gender analysis – mapping gender relations, gender division of labour, access to and control over resources and benefits, identifying differences in capacities, skills, needs, vulnerabilities, coping mechanisms 3.. Gender-sensitive policies 16

17. Gender-sensitive responses contd. • 4. Payment of compensation/restoration of assets e.g. housing • 5. Labels and definitions e.g. ‘vulnerable groups’ • 6. Affirmation and use of capacities, skills and knowledge • 7. Identifying vulnerabilities and needs 17

18. Gender-sensitive responses contd. 8. Consultative, participatory and inclusive planning and decision-making for recovery and reconstruction 9. Subsidiarity - consultation at all levels in design, implementation and monitoring 10. Reconstruction (e.g. roads, public spaces [markets], hospitals, schools) – context-specific, gender-sensitive, conflict-sensitive. ****** 18