Women, Peace and Security Initiatives: East Africa - Horn

Feminist Leadership and Movement Building Advocacy Institute
September 22-26, 2008, Entebbe, Uganda
Application & Documentation Due July 28, 2008

The Feminist Leadership and Movement Building Advocacy Institute is a week-long workshop to strengthen feminist leadership, strategies and collective power of young African women for their voices and demands to be visible and impactful from the community to the highest levels of decision-making. The Institute will take place just after the African Feminist Forum. This process will mobilize pre-existing organizing resources of women and help young feminist leaders fulfill their potential in strengthening movements for social transformation led by young African women. The institute will also explore concrete strategies to strengthen links between movements to advance women's human rights more collectively.

For more information and for the application, please click here

12th Pre Summit Consultative Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming in the African Union
June 21-23 2008, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

This 12th Pre Summit was organised by the "Gender is My Agenda" network, composed of 40 members and coordinated by Femmes Africa Solidarite. The event was offically opened by the First Lady of Egypt, H.E. Mrs Suzanne Mubarak,who strongly advocated for the empowerment of women, respect for their freedom and dignity. In the outcome document of the meeting called Solemn Statement and Recommendations, the women also undertook to take measures to protect Zimbabwean women and girls affected and displaced by violence after the March 29 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The women in attendance agreed to send a Women Solidarity Mission to Zimbabwe to support women of that country after the Presidential Run-Off election scheduled for June 27, 2008.

To read the press release for the 12th Pre Summit meeting, please click here
To read the Solemn Statement and Recommendations, please click here

Sudanese Women's Statement on Darfur
Femmes Africa Solidarité and its partner World YWCA successfully organised a Panel and a series of high level meetings for 6 Sudanese women in Geneva, 12 March to 18 March, 2008. The women met with UN Delegates, foreign government ministers, ambassadors, NGO's, UN Agencies, the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rghts Situation in Sudan, Ms Sima Samar, and a broad spectrum of key contacts regarding Women in Darfur.

World YwCA Call for Action
January 2008
Elections in Kenya resulted in nearly 500 deaths and 250, 000 people are displaced in the search for safety. Amidst the violence women have been systematically raped and abused. Gang rape as a means of retaliation is on the increase and the Nairobi Women’s Hospital has recorded a two-fold increase in rape cases in recent days.

The Kenya government last year passed a progressive sexual offence law and it must be exercised at this time.

The World YWCA is calling on member associations, civil society, partners and donors to take the action to alleviate the suffering in Kenya by:

1. Donating and supporting ongoing efforts
2. Advocating for women’s inclusion in peace building
3. Saying ‘No’ to impunity for rape and abuse of women
4. Dedicating a prayer session to Kenya

For more information, please click HERE

Workshop on Women Conflict Resolution and HIV/AIDS
July 18, 2003
Women from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states (Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda) participated in a training workshop organized to help women on solving disputes and conflicts in the region. The content of the training comprised methods of conflict and dispute resolution, negotiation and mediation, gender and HIV/AIDS, and displacement. Particicpants propose to elaborate an IGAD policy on conflict resolution for all IGAD countries in these region and member states to support each other by exchanging experience and information was. For more information visit the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

Women Sow Seeds of Peace in the Horn of Africa
This campaign is supported by a network of organizations from the Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea that are working to promote women's roles in peace building, political participation, and human rights.