Women facing war

To mark International Women's Day, 8 March 2006, the Human Rights Office and the Centre for International Humanitarian Law of the Red Cross are organising an exhibition on the theme of Women facing war, comprising a collection of photographs and testimonies of women who are affected by armed conflicts.

Thousands of women are affected by armed conflicts in multiple ways: they are widowed, displaced, arrested, separated from their families, become victims of violence, etc.

Women frequently show that they have the resources and the fortitude to deal with the loss and destruction that affect their lives. On many occasions, though, not only are they "victims" or "vulnerable" persons, but also they actually take part actively in war as combatants.

International humanitarian law provides a whole body of protection to women in war, whether they are civilians or captured combatants. If these norms were observed correctly, women would suffer much less in war.

To mark International Women's Day, 8 March, at 7 p.m. a round table will be held with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with other experts.