Diversity, Gender and Discrimination in Spaces: Exploring New Spaces for Women in Transitional Justice in Eritrea and Zimbabwe

On the 10th of July, the proceedings of the Symposium “Diversity, Gender and Discrimination in the Spaces” were published by the International Research Centre for Intercultural Studies (C.I.R.S.I). Prof Mirjam van Reisen and Dr Daniel R Mekonnen’s paper entitled “Exploring New Spaces for Women in Transitional Justice in Eritrea and Zimbabwe” was successfully received and selected for publication during the Symposium.

Eritrea and Zimbabwe are African countries which suffer from perilous cycles of violence. Albeit with a varying degree of severity, the two countries have seen egregious violations of international law, including the perpetration of core international crimes such as gender-based violations (i.e. rape, sexual assault). As a result, girls and women constitute one of the major groups of victims of human rights violations in these countries. Taking Zimbabwe and Eritrea as forthcoming African models of transitional justice, this paper explores the need to advance a gender-sensitive approach in the transitional justice agendas of these two countries. The discussion in this regard is based on national, regional and international commitments with regard to the promotion of women’s rights, such as UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820, which call for the meaningful involvement of women in all such processes.

Click here to download the e-book containing the Proceedings of the Symposium "Diversity, Gender and Discrimination in the Spaces" (Exploring New Spaces for Women in Transitional Justice in Eritrea and Zimbabwe: p218-p233)

Van Reisen and Mekonnen's paper has been selected for publication in the paper version of the international quarterly journal Temperanter which will be available by the end of the month.