[women-rights] Women displaced by war deserve special attention

***Learn more about International Women's Day, 8 March 2007:  
http://www.hrea.org/feature-events/iwd.php


ICRC Press Release
7-03-2007

Geneva (ICRC) -- "I had to run away from my village because armed men were
making us cook, wash and do everything for them," says Elena, a Colombian
who now lives in Bogotá. "If we didn't do what they said, they
threatened to take our children away from us. Some day I'd like to go back
to my own home in my village and live there with my children."

All over the world, the threat of attacks and harassment, the risk of
being caught up in violent confrontations and the loss of vital facilities
and services drive millions of civilians from their homes in areas
convulsed by armed conflicts. Displacement has a deep and lasting impact
-- physical, psychological, social and economic -- on the lives of those
forced to flee.

Women are often obliged to abandon their home environment. They may have
to take on unfamiliar roles --such as becoming the family's main
breadwinner -- often without the support of their next of kin and their
communities, from whom they have frequently become separated in their
flight. Faced with such tough challenges, countless women display great
strength and resourcefulness in ensuring their own survival and that of
their families. Still, the burden of having to seek refuge in a strange
and hostile place takes a heavy toll on these women, their children and
other family members in their care. In addition to the struggle for
survival, these women often face increased risks to their safety and their
health. They are also more exposed to the threat of sexual violence and
other forms of aggression.

The goal of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is to make
it possible for people to stay safely in their homes despite ongoing armed
conflict and other violent situations. If people are forced to flee to
another part of their country, the ICRC and its partners in the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement provide aid and strive
to ensure their protection. Where desired and whenever circumstances
permit, these organizations enable them to return safely to their homes.

Particular attention is being paid to the needs of displaced women and the
ICRC and its partners do their utmost to help them to cope.

"On International Women's Day this year we pay tribute to the many women
forced to abandon their familiar environment", said Florence Tercier, who
head's the ICRC's programme to help women in war. "They deserve special
attention and support from the ICRC, other aid organizations and their
governments."