Addressing discrimination, inequality and human rights is a core challenge of the state-building and peace-building process. It is at the centre of the negotiation of state–society relations and is a process rife with contradictions and tensions. Donors thus have a responsibility to address discrimination within their support to peace-building and state-building.
The first section of this paper sets out what is understood by discrimination, drawing on human rights principles and DFID’s conceptualisation of social exclusion as systematic disadvantage which results from discrimination. The second section explores why discrimination matters in contexts of fragility, conflict and violence. The third section sets out how DFID and other donors can address discrimination as part of efforts to support peace-building and state-building.
Key Findings:
- The gender-specific impacts of conflict and fragility, particularly those experienced by women and girls, are often not recognised or addressed by mainstream responses to fragile situations.
- Addressing discrimination is critical from the outset: in taking decisions about prioritising and sequencing, it should not be assumed that responding to discrimination can be left ‘until later’.
- Interventions aimed at supporting peace-building and state-building will not effectively address discrimination and its impacts unless they are specifically designed to do so.
- Analysing and monitoring discrimination and human rights, and building local capacity to do so, is important for the purposes of anticipating where situations may deteriorate and of improving the design and targeting of interventions and monitoring of their impact.
- Inclusive political settlements are critical to reducing conflict and fragility. Formal and informal processes that underpin the political settlement should aim to be inclusive and representative (recognising that elite agreements may be necessary as a first step). The results from these processes should address the key causes of discrimination and be acceptable to both elites and the wider population.
- Programmes that aim to address causes of conflict, such as DDR and transitional justice, offer critical opportunities to address past discrimination and promote greater equality in the future.
- Support to both enhancing security and improving access to justice should address any discriminatory policies and practices (formal and informal) by security and justice institutions and actors.
- Building a peaceful state and society requires functions, particularly services, to be delivered in a way that is non-discriminatory, fair and responsive.
