Girls formerly associated with fighting forces and their children: returned and neglected (2006).

This paper outlines the challenges to the successful community reintegration of girl mothers when they leave fighting forces particularly in southern and western Africa. The paper grew out of an invited meeting on girl mothers sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and held in Bellagio Italy (April 2005). Following country-specific analyses which were conducted in preparation for the workshop the authors present key issues discussed at Bellagio. Drawing upon these and other sources they analyze some of the dilemmas provoked by the complex cultural social and psychological situations of these young mothers and propose some approaches to working with them. Fuller details of the meeting and discussions amongst participants along with their outcomes can be found in the workshop report. (authors)