On Monday, February 26, 2024, the University of Philippines' Centre for Integrative and Development Studies organized a public forum entitled "Bangsamoro Normalization and Women’s Voices". This forum examined the normalization process, outlined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with a focus on women's role in the ongoing transition.
Senior Researcher and leader of the DISARM research project, Júlia Palik presented her research on the Impact of Decommissioning on the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB), the female-only military unit of the MILF.
Julia’s presentation focused on how war-time gendered labor practices have transformed in the ongoing war-to-peace transition in the Bangsamoro. Drawing from interviews with key stakeholders involved in the Normalization process, ex-combatants, and various primary and secondary sources, the study contributes a fresh perspective to the discourse on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, shedding light on the often-overlooked experiences of female units within armed groups.
The key takeaway of Julia's research was that female combatants' were engaged in a comprehensive set of gendered labor practices during the conflict which remained largely hidden from external stakeholders. Yet the BIWAB utilized these practices to transform itself from a military to a civilian organization.
Read more about the event here.
