The Center for Security Studies and Development (CENSSAD) has conducted four capacity building workshops for local women in four counties across Liberia.
The workshops, conducted from 6-26 June 2024, are in line with the project tilted “Amplifying Local Women Voices: Understanding and Breaking Down the Barriers to Women Participation in the Liberian Reconciliation and Peace Building Process”.
They were held in Cestos City, Rivercess County, Greenville, Sinoe County, Zorzor, Lofa County and Seinje, Grand Cape Mount County Each workshop brought together 45 participants, selected from women groups, women networks and local women leaders., a CENSSAD press release says.
The many days of capacity building workshops were designed to empower women to serve as catalysts for their rights and to strengthen their participation in peace building and reconciliation processes and covered topics relating to skills in consensus-building, conflict resolution, gender, leadership, human rights, citizens’ participation, peace building, inclusive governance and non-adversarial advocacy.
The workshops were also intended to build the capacities of local women to serve as catalysts for peace building, security, women rights and reconciliation in the communities. It provided them with the tools necessary to engender peace, security and reconciliation at both local and national levels. Each workshop was facilitated by experienced facilitators selected from across each county as well as Montserrado county. The next workshops are expected to be held in Sanniquelle, NImba County and Zwerdu, Grand Gedeh in Nimba county in July this year
This project contributes to the establishment of an inclusive reconciliation process that aligns with both the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the 2017 Liberia Peacebuilding Plan (LPP). It is being implemented in communities in Rivercess, Lofa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Nimba and Sinoe Counties. It seeks to bring together local women and key stakeholders, including local authorities and traditional leaders.
According to CENSSAD, the first output hence relates to women being given the opportunity to express barriers to their participation in Liberia’s reconciliation process. The second output relates to capacity building training workshops to empower women to get involved in peace building and reconciliation processes.
The third output focuses on women and local stakeholders being supported to develop strategies through local town hall meetings to overcome the barriers. The fourth intervention encompasses Radio Round table programs to amplify the project.
The project is supported by the German Federal Office’s Funds through the Zivik Funding Programme by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). The Zivik Funding Programme supports civil society actors worldwide in preventing crises, transforming conflicts, and creating as well as stabilizing peaceful social and political systems.