The role of South Sudanese refugee and Ugandan women in peace and conflict transformation, Uganda

Abstract

This study was guided by two research questions: (1) what explains the current participation or lack thereof of refugee and host community women in conflict transformation and peacebuilding in their communities? and (2) how can women and men be empowered to work together and what are the opportunities and limitations to their participation? The study adopted a mixed methodology approach. An exploratory and constructivism worldview orientation was employed to facilitate participation and understanding the meanings narrated by participants. Data pertaining to the study were collected from respondents comprising refugee and host community women and men through observations, individual interviews, focus group discussions, semi-structured questionnaires, and document analyses. The study revealed that women of Bidibidi refugee settlement played a major role in conflict prevention/transformation and peacebuilding through information sharing, motherhood and childcare, intermarriages between communities, social support psycho-social and spiritual healing to resolve and transform violent conflict. The study identified several findings: that the inclusion of men into women programs is beneficial as it facilitates relationship-building for sustainable peace; the positive impact of women participation in conflict transformation. The study further revealed that peacebuilding was being undermined by multiple factors including: a lack of resources for women including access to education, gender-insensitive infrastructure in the settlements, a lack of knowledge and skills, cultural barriers that restrict women’s participation in public lives, a general lack of focus on peacebuilding and conflict transformation, and an inadequate level of education/training for women. The study concluded that achievements by women in conflict transformation and peacebuilding at grassroots level received little to no attention as they continue to be side-lined by all actors including the humanitarian actors in peace processes in the settlement. The study therefore makes a deliberate call to stakeholders, especially the Government of Uganda and humanitarian actors, to utilise the untapped expertise of women and address these challenges for sustainable peace in the settlement and the country at large. Being a pioneer study in a refugee settlement in Uganda, further studies will need to be carried out to identify appropriate strategies through which these challenges can be addressed in order to achieve meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and conflict transformation.