In times of financial constraint it is the strategic needs that could suffer from underfunding, and be susceptible to sudden withdrawal of support. Great strides have been made in the past in introducing projects that promote the strategic needs of refugee women such as encouraging girls education, education and skills training of refugee women, rights awareness training, advocacy against female genital mutilation and early marriage, entrepreneurial skills development, income-generation activities etc. These activities, however, have tended to suffer in recent times because of the financial crisis facing the Office. It is important that these activities continue to have donor support. Improving opportunities for women is critical for successful voluntary repatriation and reintegration of refugee women.
Refugee women form the central force to re-establishing the returnee community.
Refugee children and men rely on the refugee women for return to normal life within their own community. Support for the strategic needs of refugee women reinforces their capacity for successful reintegration upon return. Gender issues will be integrated into the country programming process and programme delivery. The training is provided through POP workshops and through the integration of POP concepts in other protection and programme management training activities. The strategy for 1998 continues the institutionalization process through an intensive case study writing workshop for senior staff on issues of current concern for refugee women.