Aid in Action

Promoting Peace Through African Female Leadership

 | Tuesday, September 15, 2009

In order for more African women to take on leadership roles in the Horn of Africa, they must address the challenges that impede them from speaking out on issues affecting them.  This was the underlying theme driving a recent five day Women in Peace Leadership training held in Kampala, Uganda and supported by USAID/EA’s Regional Conflict Management and Governance Office. The training brought together 27 women from different professions, regions, and ages from Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan to examine how women can mobilize to promote peaceful leadership and change.      

The goals of the workshop were: a) To prepare a critical mass of women to assume peace leadership roles in the Eastern/ Horn of Africa Region; b) To enhance women’s capacity to contribute strategically to existing peace initiatives in the region; and c) To develop a regional network of female leaders. 

Participants expressed a desire to:

• Open communication channels and establish networks;
•  Learn about approaches for securing peace;
•  Define a woman’s role in peace building and how women can support one another in this role;
•  Examine emerging cases of conflict; and
•  Develop action plans to support peace initiatives and processes.

The training also allocated time for meetings with three Uganda-based women’s organizations: the Center for Conflict Resolution Uganda, Akina Mama Wa Afrika (Kiswahili for Solidarity Among African Women) and the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association. 

The workshop was supported by USAID’s PEACE II initiative with partners Pact Inc. and the Coalition for Peace in Africa. The August meeting included material from the first of three modules that will be presented over the next 12 months in three different countries. Participants are completing action plans in preparation for the next training.