International Organization Search for Common Ground has equipped 15 women-led organizations on advocacy and ensuring peace and security in their respective societies.
A session took place in Yaounde on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, marking the close-out of the workshop. The project dubbed the Women’s Inclusion for New Security (SHE WINS), which has been on for about three years, will soon draw its curtains.
“Today we are celebrating the activities that Search for Common Ground has been carrying out on the field, and we are also talking about the perspectives” explained Country Representative for Search for Common Ground, Tatiana Lobe.
The close-out session in Yaounde was chaired by the Littoral Regional Delegate for the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF), Gisele Ekoh as she represented the MINPROFF boss.
The session aimed to evaluate the path covered in ensuring peace and security since the beginning of the project with a focus on the two restive Anglophone regions of the country (North West and South West) including other crisis-hit regions.
It was also an occasion to introduce women-led organizations to project evaluation, context analysis, and identification of priority areas for peacebuilding.
During the workshop, Gisele Ekoh thanked the organization Search for Common Ground for contributing to the larger objective of peace in Cameroon through the SHE WINS project that protects women's rights in conflict settings.
Women presenting feedback at close-out workshop
According to Ekoh “Women bring new perspectives and approaches that lead to peace in the society”.
The Chief of the Political and Economic Section at the US embassy, Christen Machack, also attended the close-out workshop, and according to her, the SHE WINS project was timely for the idea was to “grow and sustain leadership in women-led organisations" Worth noting, the US embassy has been supporting the initiative somce its inception.
The close out workshop featured a detailed presentation on the project activities and outcomes by the Project manager, Oben Emmanuel. His presentation revealed that the feedback from the different women's peace, and security initiatives were positive.
15 women-led organizations partnered with Search for Common Ground to design and implement peace initiatives all over the country, and the idea was to ensure women’s safety and participation in decision-making processes.
“We gave them capacity building skills in terms of trauma healing, tracing Gender Based Violence (GBV), and many others” highlighted Tatiana Lobe.
Oben Emmanuel pointed out that during the project, close to 6,000 beneficiaries mainly women were recorded.
“Most of the partner organizations received small grants to run their respective activities”, he said.
The feedback at the end of the project shows that women are not only included in peace initiatives but they are at the forefront. Many of them promised to get involved thanks to the knowledge and assistance received from Search for Common Ground.
While recommending that the project be extended with assistance from the US embassy in collaboration with other partners, Ekoh promised Government support in its next phase.
About SHE WINS
Tatiana Lobe speaking at the Yaounde event
The Women’s Inclusion for New Security project is funded by the US Department of State and implemented by the International non-governmental Organization "Search for Common Ground" in partnership with 15 women-led organizations in the Anglophone regions. The project was also supported by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family.
0 Comments