Health

Women, War, Peace and Health

Feature: UNFPA Web Film on War and Women's Health in SIX Languages!

Introduction

Armed conflicts have been major causes of disease, suffering and death for much of human history. The fatalities, injuries and disabilities suffered on the battlefield are obviously direct effects of conflict. more...  But there are also health consequences from the breakdown of services and from population movements. The diverting of human and financial resources away from public health and other social goods contributes to the spread of disease. more...  These indirect consequences of war may remain for many years after a conflict ends. Both the experience of conflict itself and the impact of conflict on access to health care determine the physical health and the psychological well-being of women and girls in very particular ways. Women are not only victims of the general violence and lack of health care - they also face issues specific to their biology and to their social status. To add to the complexity of the picture, women also carry the burden of caring for others, including those who are sick, injured, elderly or traumatized. This in itself is stressful and often contributes to illness. more... Many of the countries experiencing conflict are countries in which a high percentage of the general population uses traditional medicine as a means of primary care. In a region that has been decimated and stripped of its resources the lack of availability of plant, animal and mineral based medicines will have a dramatic effect on the health of women. Traditional practitioners may be killed, extinguishing them as a knowledge source, or in regions where ethnic violence is prevalent they may not wish to practice for fear of being culturally identifiable. The WHO reports that in Africa up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine as primary care. more...

Key Terms

Violence against Women: The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW) defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." more...

Reproductive Health: Within the framework of WHO's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life. Reproductive health, therefore, implies that people are able to have a responsible, satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this are the right of men and women to be informed of and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of fertility regulation of their choice, and the right of access to appropriate health care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant. more...

Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting (FGM/C): FGM/C, often referred to as 'female circumcision', comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons. more...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing a very traumatic or life-threatening event. Feeling physically threatened or witnessing violence, even if you were not physically injured, can lead to PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be terrifying and even disabling for some people. It can cause flashbacks, sleep problems and nightmares, feelings of isolation, guilt, paranoia, and sometimes panic attacks. Examples of traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include: war combat, terrorist attack, violent crimes, such as a rape, domestic abuse, or physical assault, a serious accident or injury, a natural disaster, such as a fire, tornado, flood, or earthquake, ongoing physical or sexual abuse. more...

International Organizations  & Instruments

  • The Center for Disease Controls Health Information Systems: more...

  • The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War (1949) outlines provisions related to the protection of civilians' health and health services during war and under foreign occupation. more...

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has a department devoted to gender and health also has a special role as an advocate for women's health: more...

  • The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Emergencies: more...

  • The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): more...

Tools & Checklists

  • Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace Toolkit: Chapter on Health

  • International Planned Parenthood Foundation's Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations. more...

  • The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium: more...

  • The WHO's fact sheet on Women and Mental Health: more...

  • The WHO's policy guidelines for nurses and midwives on the prevention and management of complications arising from FGC: more...

  • The WHO'S situation reports for countries in conflict: more...

  • The Women's Commission on Refugee Women and Children have outlined a Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP), the provision of which meets the basic reproductive needs of displaced women. more...

  • UNFPA paper on fistula in Sub-Saharan Africa. more...

  • UNFPA publication "The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls": more...

  • UNFPA Report “Enlisting the Armed Forces to Promote Reproductive Health and Rights: Lessons-Learned from Nine Countries.” August 2003 more...

  • UNICEF: more...

  • United Nations Population Information Network: more...

  • WHO site on Gender and Health more...

UN Documents

  • 27 June 2005 (A/60/90—E/2005/80): Assistance to the Palestinian people. Report of the Secretary-General. According to this report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly, UNFPA assisted women of reproductive age from geographically isolated areas who were at risk of increased maternal mortality and morbidity, through 313 trained women volunteers in 105 community support teams.

Independent Experts' Assessment on Women War, Peace and Health more...

The Independent Experts' Assessment on Women, War, Peace and Health and the accompanying recommendations can be accessed in this archive: Health Archive (pdf)