Protection of women victims should receive priority

Protection of women victims should receive priority

Two-thirds of the total fatalities in the tsunami disaster in
Aceh were women and children as they were the ones left at home
along the affected coastline. They were helpless when the giant
waves ripped through the town. The executive director of the
United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem), Noleen Hayzer
talked to The Jakarta Post's Sari P. Setiogi on her concern for
the women victims.

Question: What is Unifem's concern with regards the women
victims in the tsunami disaster?

Answer: We are saddened by what happened here. However, we
believe that women are the hub of the relief and reconstruction
process. Two-thirds of the total people killed in the disaster in
Aceh were women. They are renowned for their central role in
society. Women there play multiple roles: heading households,
sustaining subsistence economies, raising children and caring for
the sick.

What can be suggested by Unifem regarding that?

First, the women need protection and security to protect them
from multiple trauma. We received reports saying that there are
some women in Sri Lanka and Aceh as well who have been molested
and sexually harassed.

From the report that you have, how many of the women victims
in Aceh have been sexually harassed?

I'm afraid we do not have the actual figure, but from the
information coming in it was the volunteers, activists who came
there to help. So I think it's extremely important to provide
protection for the women volunteers, as well as to the community,
so they are not being exposed to the second wave of danger or
trauma.

Does this prevention effort include distribution of
contraceptives to women?

We will concentrate on providing training and resource
materials for the relief and reconstruction workers in existing
UN guidelines related to protect women and girls from violence
and other human rights abuses.

Do you think it will be feasible, considering that we are
facing an emergency situation?

Well, it is very important to change the mindset of most
workers and the military that they are now in an emergency
situation and they are doing humanitarian work.

Are there any other suggestion that you can give?

The livelihoods of the women are important as well. The
tsunami disaster had not only destroyed the infrastructure and
the economy, but also the human spirit. Building the spirit of
the victims should be done side by side with the rebuilding of
infrastructure.

We should make sure that the women are engaged as part of the
solution and not victimize them even more. Their leadership is
important.

Unifem need to make a rapid mapping of women's networks in the
affected communities. They might need community support to take
care of their children, for example.

Revitalization of the family is the most important thing for
the rebuilding of the affected areas, I would say. Therefore, we
should invest in women.