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Annual Report 2001

Program Report:
Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) - Thelma Ekiyor, Coordinator

Women in Peacebuilding Program examines avenues through which West Africa women can play more functional roles in peacebuilding. The program seeks to outline the roles of women at different stages of conflicts. Core objective of this program is to enable women to transform the negative image of ‘helpless victimhood’ that is often ascribed to them in violent conflict situations to a positive and more assertive image of stakeholders and active participants in the pursuit for justpeace in their communities.

Objectives
· Raise, through sustained training and mentoring, a pool of women with competency in training, research, negotia tion, mediation and other third party intervention processes
· Enable women to identify and promote their vision and values for peacebuilding
· Establish a coordinated framework for women in peacebuilding in West Africa
· Produce resource materials that are sensitive to the peacebuilding needs of women in West Africa

Highlights of Activities
· With support from the Catholic Relief Services-West Africa Regional Office (CRS-WARO) this project brought together a cross-section of women who are already actively involved in processes of peacebuilding in West Africa to strategize ways by which young West African women (20-40 years old) can professionalize themselves in the area of peacebuilding; thereby becoming visible and respectable actors in intervention processes in West Africa.

The meeting brought together fourteen female practitioners from 7 countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Kenya). The meeting generated a shared vision and values women peacebuilding practitioners have brought to the field; renewed commitment to develop a critical mass of women trainers and interveners in West Africa; identified challenges that hinder women’s involvement in peacebuilding activities; reviewed the draft women-sensitive training manual; and designed strategies to setup a Women in Peacebuilding Network.The women expressed disappointment over the gross marginalization of women in peacebuilding and conflict intervention processes in West Africa. They elaborated that where peacebuilding organisations employed women, in most cases, they occupy “token” positions and are not involved in any decision making process. As a result, initiatives emanating from most peacebuilding organizations do not consider the peculiar needs of women.

· It was revealed at the consultation that there are competent women in West Africa who could become a pool of resource to this project and other peacebuilding initiatives. Some of these women have worked in conflict situations over extended periods. The women unanimously agreed that they need to standup and begin addressing their own needs before forging cooperation with their male counterparts. Women in West Africa need enough time alone to lament over the disgrace they have suffered in ongoing wars and political upheaval in the subcontinent.

· The most useful session during this consultation was the time allotted to story-telling and lamenting. At this “shedding the weight” session (as it was called), women discussed very personal issues they face in their lives with fellow sisters. The sessions enabled the women to see that they were not the only ones facing such issues. It was reassuring for them to know that women all over the sub region had similar problems and were working through them.

· Women at the meeting expressed interests in pursuing diverse roles in peacebuilding. Some women have already expressed interests in pursuing academic careers in peacebuilding, focussing on the role of women in peace initiatives.

· The women provided a lot of input into the development of the Women Sensitive Peacebuilding training manual designed by the coordinator of this project.

· The meeting achieved the initial set of objectives for this program. It provided a firm foundation on which the program could build a more functional network of women peacebuilders in West Africa. It pulled on the strong minds of women who are ready to act with the proper guidance. Some women at the meeting took the initiative of compiling material and conducting research, which could assist the program. This signifies ownership of the program from this early stage. It is constructive that the meeting highlighted those factors, which will be potential threats and hindrances and as a result prepared the women for the challenges ahead.

· The vision of this program is hopeful and some would say ambitious but there was a consensus among the women at the consultation, that women need to stop complaining and start acting. If other women who subsequently join the project share the same values and determination shared by all the women at this meeting, the vision would be realized.

· Although the Women in Peacebuilding Program has a five-year strategic time frame, each subsequent year will begin with a special consultation where previous activities will be reviewed, lessons learned documented, and follow-on activities designed.

· In the coming year training and mentoring will be the primary focus. In January the draft women-sensitive training manual will be complete; the first training using the manual will be in February; country group of women in peacebuilding will be formed beginning April and a major course on women will be launched at the West Africa Peacebuilding Institute scheduled for September 2002. A Journal to be dubbed, Her Story will also be launched in 2002. The journal will promote women efforts and document their experiences in the field. Our target will be twenty women selected from countries in West Africa.

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