From combat to the kitchen : the reintegration of female soldiers in Mozambique

Abstract

The process of demobilisation, demilitarisation and reintegration is a critical component of post-war reconstruction, where soldiers create a new civilian life for themselves and re-establish roots within their community. Reintegration addresses the needs of individuals and facilitates social cohesion. In general, there has been little consideration given to military women and their dependants. Military women have experienced discrimination in regard to access to training, resources and assistance during reintegration. Mozambique suffered through almost three decades of conflict in a war for independence that was immediately followed by a civil war. Throughout both conflicts, from the 1970s through to the early 1990s, women were members of the military, either voluntarily, conscripted, or abducted and served in a number of roles, including frontline combatants, police officers, intelligence and nurses. This study briefly explores their military experiences, but concentrates on their experiences during demobilisation and their subsequent reintegration into civil society. Typically, military women have been excluded from or have not received adequate resources, as happened in Mozambique. Future peace support operations need to consider military women and better meet their needs and the needs of their dependants during the reintegration process.