Conference to Focus on the Health of Women and Children in War

April 1, 2005 -- As First Lady Laura Bush shines a light on the plight of Afghan women this week, The Rockefeller Foundation and a University of Wyoming researcher prepare for the 2005 conference on war-affected "girl mothers" and their children, April 12-18 in Bellagio, Italy.

Susan McKay, a UW women's studies, international studies and adjunct nursing professor, has studied women in war for almost 20 years. Her background in maternal and child health led her to focus on the vulnerable population of girl mothers, females associated with a fighting force who are under 18 years of age when their child is conceived -- often from forced sex.

"Policymakers and program developers need to be aware of girl mothers in war-stricken countries," says McKay, conference co-director. "This is a critical issue of gender discrimination and sexism. Girl mothers of armed conflict need to be a priority topic because they and their children comprise a country's future generations. How are these girls and children going to survive and thrive when a major first obstacle they face is access to safe health care?"

The program, "Girl Mothers in Fighting Forces and their Post-War Reintegration in Southern and Western Africa," brings together researchers, non-governmental field practitioners who work directly with girl mothers, and members of organizations such as the United Nations Children's Fund and the U.S. Agency for International Development. They will identify strategies for policies and program development, and provide recommendations to key people working in war-torn countries.

"In Africa, these girls usually become pregnant as a result of abduction into a fighting force followed by repeated sexual assault," explains McKay. "When they return home with babies, it compromises their physical and emotional health, as well as future economic prospects. The girls are ostracized by their communities and have few or no resources to support their children."

The maternal mortality rate in war-torn developing countries and the death of children both before one year of age and under five years is "astronomical," according to McKay. She attributes the problem to lack of access to health care and girl mothers' lack of money to pay for medical care when it is available.

Malia Robinson of Lincoln, Neb., a psycho-social adviser for a USAID-funded consortium project in Uganda, co-directs the conference with McKay. Maria Gonsalves of New York City, a UW alumna who advocates for global application of music therapy and has researched with McKay in Sierra Leone, is assisting the event organizers.

The Rockefeller Foundation is the conference sponsor, providing room and board at its Bellagio Study and Conference Center, along with transportation for participants traveling from developing countries in Africa. Other contributors include UW's International Studies Program; Women's Studies Program; and the offices of International Programs and Services, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

McKay's education and practice as a nurse and psychologist led her to focus on the plight of girls at war. She is co-author of "Where Are the Girls?," a 2004 book published by Rights and Democracy, the publications division of the International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development in Montreal; and author of "The Courage Our Stories Tell: The Daily Lives and Maternal Child Health Care of Japanese American Women at Heart Mountain."

McKay received the 2000 UW Presidential Award for excellence in research and is recognized as a leader in peace psychology. She has studied in numerous countries, including 15 trips to Africa.
The Rockefeller Foundation is "a U.S.-based global philanthropy committed to enriching and sustaining the lives and livelihoods of poor and excluded people throughout the world."

Posted on Friday, April 01, 2005