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Militarization and Women's Health

(Statement presented during the CSW Meeting)

Recommendation: A full and active commitment on the part of member states to the reduction and ultimate elimination of dependence on arms and the military for "security" and to the pursuit of nonviolent conflict resolution and defense is an essential condition of the achievement of women's health and the well-being of society. Actions taken in the name of "national security" and "vital national interests" such as forward basing of troops, invasions to control segments of populations, border watch, enforcement of authoritarian governments, imposition and privileging of dominant religious beliefs cause excessive and avoidable harm to the physical and psychological security of women.

The Problems of Women's Health Caused By Militarism

The well-documented physical and psychological harm of sexual abuse ans exploitation that is integral to armed conflict also extends to post conflict situations. Both are uncontrolled environments that increase women's vulnerability to communicable and sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS which spreads rapidly and exponentially, affecting especially refugee and displaced women. To prevent continued and increasing deaths among women from the secondary effects of warfare special emergency and humanitarian services need to provide primary health care supplies, including reproductive health care supplies, other essential medications and psychlogical and social services. Paramount among the health care needs of women in conflict and post conflict situations is some assurance that the cycle of military violence will not continue to destroy and disrupt human life and well being.

Remedial attention must also be given to the health effects of long term military presence and temporary or "visiting" forces on women in areas of peace time stationing or forces on alert. Such effects include the physical and psychological trauma of rape ans other forms of sexual abuse, exploitation in "entertainment", including prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases and the mental stress caused by constant military drills and activities in their communities.

Women's reproductive health is seriously damaged by weapons testing and other pollutants introduced into their environments through military activity, often causing cancers in women and severe birth defects in infants born in such areas. Other assaults on women's reproductive health result from the forced pregnancies and abortions imposed by military forces of for military purposes.

Essential health care and the meeting of other basic needs fundamental to survival and well-being are constantly delayed and systematically denied by the priority given to military over social spending. Such denials of basic and reproductive health care also result from the limitation of access and restrictions on mobility imposed in cases of forceful occupation and armed conflict.

The ever present threats posed by militarization cause serious damage to women's mental health, such as overall stress, phobia, and the emotional distresses resulting from sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, deformed babies, rape, sexual harassment ans exploitation.

Militarized security erodes the environment, prevents the meeting of basic needs, violates human rights, and puts women in constant physical danger in "peace" as well as war. The full range of women's health and well being is undermined by militarism. Peace is a fundamental precondition of women's health, and the state of women's health and well being is a primary indicator of human security.

Drafted on behalf of:


 
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