From DEBRA@oln.comlink.apc.orgWed Sep 6 16:03:54 1995 Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 14:35:00 +0100 From: Debra Guzman Reply to: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org To: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org Subject: CODEHUCA: Declaracion de Paz [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] ## author : codehuca@nicarao.apc.org ## date : 04.09.95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS JOINS WOMEN OF THE WORLD IN DECLARING "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF WAR" IN THE SEARCH FOR PEACE AND GENDER JUSTICE People of Central America and in particular women from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have experienced the effects of war for decades. This tragedy continues today not only in Guatemala where the war has not ended, but for the thousands of women who are refugees, internally displaced, or migrating for political and/or economic reasons. Currently, "out of ten million women below the poverty level in Central America, two million are refugees or displaced. These women are subjected to specific forms of violence and abuse including: sexual violence from official authorities; social violence; domestic violence; denial of identity through restriction of official documents for themselves and their children; irregular, discriminatory and aggressive mistreatment in recipient countries; lack of legal protection; lack of access to services; exploitation and violation of labor rights; and violation of cultural identity in the case of indigenous women" (FOREFEM declaration). (). It is a secret to no one, and our historic memory demonstrates that war as a means of conflict resolution stems from a partriarchical conception of power. We also shall remember that women have not invented the ways and means of torture such as those used during the middle ages. However, women have been victimized by these devices just because of their gender. Amnesty International in referring to this issue, asserted that "these secular justice devices of the Catholic Inquisition were designed by men, but especially to target women's bodies". This situation continues in the present though the existence of similar forms of torture and inhumane and degrading treatment of women. In many states which are considered civilized, rape and other forms of degradation continue to be used against women as a means of social control. Reportedly, women have been treated as property and traded as spoils of war. At the same time, violence against women by individual members of society and States is systematically silenced or deemed irrelevant. However, the violence persists and to silence it does not belie its pervasiveness. In El Salvador for example, "security forces used many forms of torture. Rape and forced strippings were two out of five methods applied exclusively to women". () Rape does not occur only in times of armed conflict, it occurs everywhere. And its occurence is an expression of the patriachal culture in which rape constitute not only an instrument of social control, but an aggravated form of violence. It is hidden by tolerance and impunity, which further damages the lives of survi- vors. In Costa Rica for example, a country praised for its democratic tradition, "physical sexual and psychological violence occurs in 46% of households, affecting women, boys and girls. 76% of these acts of violence are committed by the husband or partner".() CODEHUCA contends that as long as sexual violence against women continues to be considered an individual issue and not an issue of social responsibility, and as long as the political and social implications of these crimes continue to be tolerated, rape will continue. Offenders will continue to act with impunity and the toll on victims will increase. The forms may change, but the results are the same: Women are prevented from living in peace. Therefore, as long as women continue to suffer violence, it will be premature to speak of peace in Central America and the world. Peace is a form of life and a way of living with others in which resorting to violence should not be tolerated. IN ACCORDANCE, CODEHUCA DEMANDS: 1. That the United Nations and its Member States recognize the definition of rape as torture. Defining it as a crime against humanity in the International Law of Human Rights. 2. That these definitions be applicable in situations of inter- national or internal armed conflict or in non-armed conflict situations. 3. That the Member States of the international community incor- porate in their national legislation specific and adequate legal measures to effectively prevent violence of all forms against women. That all forms of discrimination and violence against women in be sanctioned and erradicated in accordance with the instruments of International Human Rights Law. 4. That the International Tribunal on Crimes of War in the Former Yugoslavia, condemns the rapes committed against women in that country during the war; determine legal and civil responsibilities of states involved in that conflict: either in the omission or comission of these crimes; and establish compensation mechanisms for the survivors and their families. 5. Finally, that the Central American States, International Cooperation Agencies, and NGO's establish specific policies and programs with a gender perspective in order to attend to the needs of refugee, displaced, and migrant women in the region. Not only in situations of war, but also in times of social, cultural and economic strain. San Jose, Costa Rica September 3, 1995