The particular needs and issues of female veterans are often left out of demobilization programmes and packages. Moreover, the implications of demobilization for the family are seldom considered. For girl children, the exigencies of hostilities such as additional constraints on household budgets and increased demands on their time due to changes in the household structure can exacerbate already unequal access to education. At the same time, it may also present new opportunities. Refugee women and girls may also be provided with education they may not normally have had access to.
Women are likely to suffer disproportionately from such measures as adjustment policies.
In Cambodia and Mozambique, for example, commercialization and privatization of agricultural land robbed some women of their livelihoods. Taking the above and other gender concerns into account in the peculiar post-conflict context is a challenging task and yet critical for social justice, equity, sustainable development and peace. A few suggestions are proposed here. The planning process is central to ensuring that the gender implications of conflict are fully considered and reflected in programming. Often the urgency of the situation is used as an excuse for neglecting gender considerations.