Women’s Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa

Context

The Greater Horn of Africa–including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan and Uganda– is one of the hottest conflict zones in the world. Measured over time, the extent of violent conflict in the Horn of Africa is greater than in any other African region and has occurred at every level – within and between states, at the centre and in the periphery – with disproportionate effects on the lives of women.

Often as targets of extreme forms of violence, women in the Horn experience the full impact of violent conflict in the region as civilians and combatants, but are generally excluded from the decision-making processes that ignite wars and put an end to hostilities.

Priority is rarely given to developing women’s individual and collective capacity to address these conflicts and to build stable, peaceful, and democratic institutions in the Horn. Despite some recent successful efforts led by women for peace in the region, usually carried out with very limited resources, this work is seldom acknowledged and women generally remain absent from policy dialogue with government on critical issues for peace and security that have fundamental gender dimensions and implications for sustainable stability. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000 for the empowerment of women as peace builders in conflict and post conflict settings, yet most of its commitments have not been implemented.

Project Summary

Duration:

36 months

Objetives:

The overall objective: maximise the participation and contribution of women in national and regional peace and security decision-making and political dialogue in the Greater Horn of Africa.

Specific objectives:

(1) Learning security fluency: building women’s knowledge of and capacity to address peace and security issues, and;

(2) Securing a seat at the decision-making table: advancing women’s participation in and influence on security policy and practice.

Partners and Associates: The Isis Women´s International Cross-Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) and the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) and iKNOW Politics.

Target Groups:

Main target group comprises 40 national women’s civil society organisations (CSOs) under SIHA’s umbrella network in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda. The secondary target group includes top leadership at the country level, current Presidents and Prime Ministers and parliamentarians and national gender bureau and defence officials in the six countries.

Expected Results:

1) Strengthened relationships between the coalition of women leaders in the Horn and national government, IGAD, AU, EU and other diplomatic strategic partners;

2) Enabling environment: institutionalisation of policy changes ranging from legal reform protecting women's rights, gender spending to elements of security sector reform;

3) Increased knowledge/political skill of individuals/groups interacting internally/externally to effect change;

4) New faces and able voices for peace: national/sub-regional opportunities for women's participation at peace table;

5) Enhanced mediation support functions played by women;

6) Strengthened women’s networking/organisational capacity for impact on peace and security policy and practice.

Activities:

1) Establish base-line situation in target countries: roles/achievements of women in peace and security initiatives;

2) Multi-country thematic exchange visits;

3) Convene 2 regional conferences in Addis for women leaders and groups on mechanisms advancing/obstructing leadership roles of women in peace and security; and set up thematic working groups;

4) Under strategic counsel of CdM Members, conduct strategic policy development workshops Addis, Kampala, Djibouti, Nairobi and Khartoum for women leaders to shape politically feasible policy options;

5) Convene CoM Member-led high-level policy dialogue to Djibouti, Kampala, Khartoum, Addis and Nairobi to engage national government and regional decision-makers in dialogue with women leaders;

6) Special briefings during negotiations and international donor conferences (total three side meetings - one per year) engaging bilateral and multilateral stakeholders to inform/influence emerging peace agreements, agendas and resource allocations.