Research, Gender dimensions of grave violations against children in armed conflictshed light on the importance of better understanding the different risks they face and how they can be mitigated.
“With this first study, we understand that mainstreaming a gender perspective in the implementation of Armed conflict and children The (CAAC) mission can contribute to a better understanding of the impact of unprecedented gender norms and biases when it comes to the protection of children.” speak United Nations Special Representative for Children in Conflict, Virginia Gamba.
Gender prism
The Gender size Study emphasizes the importance of understanding the interrelated nature of serious violations against children for prevention and a comprehensive, age- and gender-appropriate response.
Presented at a high-level event, the report also highlights the importance of supporting the UN and its partners by providing the appropriate resources and capacity to analyze serious violations. children through a gender lens.
“Research further shows that dedicating appropriate resources to gender analysis of serious violations… can help expose how gender is instrumental in different conflict contexts – and ensuring that we are better equipped to respond to and prevent serious breaches,” added Ms. Gamba.
Providing tangible evidence, it shows how children are affected differently by conflict based on their gender and other identity-based characteristics, including ethnicity, race, religion, status economic and sexual orientation.
“For example, the proportion of girls associated with armed groups tends to be greatly underestimated because girls are generally less present than boys and are often released informally, preventing interfere with their reintegration and ultimately affect the number of girls recruited and employed”. senior official explained.
Necessary supervision
In the last few years, significant progress has been made in compiling sex-disaggregated data for most of the countries on the CAAC agenda.
However, An in-depth gender analysis requires more than numbersThe United Nations Office said that data alone would not enhance understanding of the individual, group or environmental risk factors for children that lead to abuse in different ways. differently, or shed light on the perpetrator’s motives.
The article reveals that the greater the UN’s monitoring capacity in the field, the better the ability to analyze gender and mainstream gender perspectives in monitoring, reporting and responding to serious violations.
This analysis can also provide information on international policy, advocacy as well as accountability.
Call for support
Ms. Gamba called on the international community to continue to provide political and financial support to enhance expertise in child protection.
“Incorporating a broader gender perspective into the Children and Armed Conflict agenda, will allow responses to serious violations to be more context-specific and include diverse populations, which in turn will support and strengthen this organization’s mission and partnership,” she said.
© UNICEF / Kristina Pashkina
Two 14-year-old students play on a swing at their old school in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, after it was destroyed by shelling.
