From Humanitarian Assistance to Women's Protection: International Organizations’ Response to Conflict-Induced Displacement in Swat, Pakistan (2007–2009)

Abstract

The focus of this article is the human security of women displaced during Swat Conflict in Pakistan 2007-09 and humanitarian assistance, provided by international Organizations.  Displacement exposed women to multiple security threats and multiplied the vulnerabilities such as threats to physical security, disruption of health care and education, loss of livelihoods, psychosocial distress, and insecurity of housing. International organizations were responsive providing with emergency shelter, water and sanitation, food and nutrition, health, education, protection and psychosocial support. But humanitarian operations are not synonymous with lasting human security. The current study focuses on the role and the effectiveness of the international organizations in fulfilling the human security of women displaced from their homes.  The study used a qualitative exploratory research design, relying on oral history and semi-structured interviews with 100 conflict-affected women in Swat and neighboring conflict-affected areas.  Coupled with secondary data, an integrated Human Security – Feminist Institutional framework guides the analysis. The results suggest that humanitarian intervention played a key role in immediate security and service provision. However, significant gaps in protection and recovery existed. Though international organizations were comparatively better at meeting acute human crisis than in delivering long term protection, agency, and recovery in a gender responsive way.  Humanitarian effectiveness should therefore be evaluated on a continuum from assistance to protection, empowerment to sustainable human security.  The integrated theoretical framework adds to the understanding of the ways in which humanitarian outcomes are driven, both by material humanitarian interventions and by gendered social processes.