Photographer, Tiffaney Bishop, investigates the way women view and experience war and peace in the 21st Century. Working with past and current photographic images, Tiffaney creates digital montages that consider women’s lived realities1 and opinions about war and peace, in an attempt to raise awareness for issues surrounding women, children,
peace and security.
Her work references women, many of whom are mothers, and their experiences of war, presenting images of women and children from different generations, different war zones and like herself, even those outside the war zone.
Tiffaney’s lived reality is that she is distanced geographically from war, but not psychologically. Globalisation, and specifically global communication, has meant that our concept of space and time, and our role as witness, has impacted the way we experience the world.2 Whilst her experience is not as direct as some, it is frightening nonetheless. As a mother in the 21st century she worries about the surge of aggression and indiscriminate killing of civilian people.
“Women and children are disproportionately targeted in contemporary armed conflicts and constitute the majority of all victims. Women and children also constitute the majority of the world’s refugees and internallydisplaced people.” 3
Incorporated within this work is the consideration for the absence of women in relation to peacekeeping and conflict resolution processes4, and the limited opportunities women have to participate in these processes.Tiffaney has been particularly inspired by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which was passed unanimously on 31 October 2000. “Security Council Resolution 1325 is the first resolution ever passed by the United Nations that specifically addresses the impact of war on women and children, and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainablepeace”.5
Tiffaney, like so many women and women’s organisations around the world, believes that the traditional human rights framework tends to exclude the experiences of women, as does the international community.
“1325 highlights the human rights abuses of women and children during wartime but also aims to address this gender imbalance when it comes to conflict resolution, peacekeeping and security, and calls for a new gender perspective. It acknowledges women as powerful actors in the process of peace and security”.6
Kofi Anan, former UN Secretary General, believes “Empowering women is not a goal in itself. It is a condition for building better lives for everyone on the planet ….. gender equality and human rights for all are essential to advancing development, peace and security.” He goes on to say that “we are still so far from turning this understanding into universal practice. Women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making positions in almost all countries.”
Women’s contribution to a culture of peace is recognised officially at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 arguing that “ Women bring to the cause of peace among people and nations distinctive experiences, competence, and perspectives. Women's role in giving and sustaining life has provided them with skills and insights essential to peaceful human relations and social development. Women subscribe less readily than men to the myth of the efficacy of violence, and they can bring a new breadth, quality and balance of vision to a joint effort of moving from a culture of war towards a culture of peace.”
The United Nations along with Member States, Non Government Organisations, civil society organisations, activists, government officials and diplomats around the world are working on the implementation of this landmark Security Council Resolution. However, seven years on women and children are still not adequately protected or provided for during times of conflict. Similarly, women are not adequately represented in peace keeping, peace building and post reconstruction processes. All those working with Resolution 1325 continue to stress the urgency of full, rapid and effective implementation.
Tiffaney hopes that her work contributes to the attention this issue demands and the growing desire to transform this short-sighted human rights and political framework.
