Masters student Presents a Paper at the 4th International Africa Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference

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Ms Joanita Rwebangira, a Masters student in International Relations at UKZN, presented her research paper “Advancing Women rights discourse in conflict regions: A case study of the Northern Uganda Crisis”, at the Fourth International Africa Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference.

Themed “Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Peace Studies in Africa: Lessons, Prospects and Challenges”, the Conference was hosted by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in partnership with the Centre for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) and was held in Sandton, Johannesburg. 

The Conference was attended by more than 60 delegates from countries around the world. Ms Rwebangira was the only delegate from UKZN. Speakers at the Conference included top researchers in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Peace Studies in Africa.

This international gathering addressed gaps in knowledge and research on various ADR mechanisms as well as peace and conflict resolution initiatives and their impact of reducing conflicts, increasing peace and development, and promoting social justice within the African context. The Conference also attempted to identify best practices, common challenges and prospects in addition to providing space for networking, self-assessment, reflection and innovation among practitioners, academics, policymakers, and donors who participated in the conference.

Ms Rwebangira, whose research centres on women’s rights, mostly focuses on human rights violation in conflict regions and justice for the victims of conflict in Northern Uganda, and on post conflict recovery. In her paper she exposed how the process of post conflict recovery is excluding women, thus their limited contribution and participation in peace building including as well as sustaining the peace. Rwebangira’s contributions were insightful and inspired much discussion among delegates.

She provides insight to the effects of conflict on the progress of women in post conflict recovery using Northern Uganda as a case study. Violence in Northern Uganda perpetrated by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has continued for over two decades. Women and children have thus remained the most vulnerable, subjected to human rights violations.

The intensity of women rights violation, and the mostly sexual violence and torture related offences, is a solemn hindrance to physical and psychological health of women. This demonstrates the urgent need to address these conflict related criminal offences against women’s rights in the region of Northern Uganda.

Addressing the violation of women’s human rights and interrogating the delayed efforts to respond to these concerns by government and international organisations, was the major concern in Rwebangira’s paper.

Funding for Rwebangira was made possible through the Student Co-curricular Fee which is administered by the Student Services Division.

-          UKZNdaba Online