Strengthening women's citizenship in the context of state-building
Hotel Vincci (Prado,18) Madrid, Spain 11/11/2008
Description
There is currently great interest within the international development community in how best to support state-building processes that result in the development of states that are accountable and responsive to their populations. Yet within this debate there have been limited attempts to disaggregate these ‘populations’ and ask how state-building processes impact women and men in different ways, or to explore how such processes can be opportunities to strengthen the state’s accountability and responsiveness to women.
P.Ugarte/AFP/Getty Image
In many fragile state contexts women’s relationship to the state is fundamentally different to that of men. While in such contexts the majority of the population has a weak relationship with the state, for women this relationship is often even more limited, exists only at local level, or is mediated through family or community institutions. This means that women face specific barriers in claiming their rights, participating in governance and holding the state to account – all core elements of citizenship.
The intensive state-building processes that often follow conflict can fundamentally transform political relationships and state structures and institutions, and therefore have the potential to profoundly alter the nature of women’s citizenship. However, harnessing this potential requires an understanding of women’s experience of citizenship in different fragile state contexts; of the impact of state-building processes on women and how these can be used to strengthen women’s rights, participation in governance, and ability to hold the state to account; and of how the international development community can promote women’s citizenship within its support for state-building.
This seminar will address these questions, bringing together existing debates on state-building and on women’s citizenship, and exploring policy responses and research priorities, with the goal of generating further research and action on these issues.
More information:
Clare Castillejo
ccastillejo@fride.org
+34 91 244 47 66
Program
Download this event's program, available in:
Strengthening women citizenship in the context of state-building program
English (126 kB)
