Women's right to food in situations of armed conflict : a case study of Bobi internally displaced persons camp in Gulu District

Abstract

The principle objective of this paper is to explore conditions of Women's Right to Food in situation of Armed Conflict with a view of exposing the level of Protection of these Rights among Women in Bobi IDP Camp Gulu District. While refugees are accorded international protection worldwide and the instrument governing them is well laid in the Policy and Legal instruments, there is no single agency in the UN System mandated to protect and care for the Internally Displaced in general and women in particular. The study used qualitative methods to collect data about women's right to food which is more descriptive than numerical. Quantitative method was also used in the analysis of data collected. Bobi IDP Camp was used as a case study for the purpose of intensive that is hoped to produce results to be generalized to other camps. The study revealed that although the entire communities suffer the consequences of armed conflict, women are particularly affected because of their status in society and their sex. Results also revealed that though armed conflict is by no means negative and it impacts on women, it can also be a time of empowerment as they take over roles traditionally performed by men. This allows women the opportunity to develop new skills because they assume the roles of ensuring family livelihood in the midst of chaos and destruction. The study also found that in spite of repeated policy commitments on the implementation of the right of food and other social, economic and cultural rights as highlighted in various policy statements on food security, it is apparent that the current neo-liberal economic frame work being is incapable of creating the conditions necessary to promote the attainment of the right of food in Uganda in Uganda and the on the rights to food are fragmented and are not sufficiently coordinated. In conclusion, the paper examined the legal and institutional frameworks on the right to food that obtains in Uganda as well as both legal and extra legal issues that abstract its rapid and full realization. The paper also made several observations on the right to food in Uganda generally which also has an impact to the protection of women's food in Bobi IDP Camp and made several recommendations with a strong emphasis on engaging women in the designing and distribution of humanitarian assistance as an effective strategy for targeting relief and other programmes since they know best the needs of their families.