Ensuring the Participation of Women in State Building: A Two-Tiered Approach

Since 2006, The Institute for Inclusive Security has supported the creation and then the growth of the Coalition of Women Leaders in Sudan. Women leaders from the North and South have come together across ethnic, religious, regional, and political divides to advocate for women’s inclusion in peace and security processes, such as the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement established in 2005.

The Coalition has grown over the last five years to include more than 150 women leaders. In that time, the group has increased its regional diversity and fostered critical relationships between women in government and civil society. The Coalition counts state and national ministers, legislators, chairs and members of several commissions, as well as leading civil society activists, among its core members. Despite enormous challenges, including the separation of Sudan into two nations this year, the Coalition has continued to work across divisions.  The Coalition, supported and facilitated by the Institute, now finds itself uniquely poised to influence change in a time of great transition.

With generous support from the government of Norway, Inclusive Security now has a plan to continue working in both Sudan and South Sudan over the next year to support women leaders in navigating this changing landscape. The goal of this program is to strengthen the Coalition’s capacity to effectively shape, lead, and contribute to peace and security processes in the transition phase following official separation of South Sudan from Sudan, Africa’s once largest nation.

More specifically, Inclusive Security will support the Coalition to:

• Advance women’s participation and inclusion in peace and security processes.
  Coalition members repeatedly state that the most significant value the Institute provides is the ability to link women leaders in conflict-affected areas with policy shapers globally. With Inclusive Security’s facilitation, Coalition members will map peace and security processes and identify entry points for women’s participation. From this, Coalition members will develop a strategic advocacy plan for the coming year for direct engagement with and advocacy to policy shapers in Sudan and South Sudan, and with regional, bilateral, and multilateral communities. Activities will include meetings and policy fora with policy shapers, delegations of women leaders from both countries to Washington DC, policy analysis and writing recommendations on specific processes.

 

• Expand the knowledge, skills, networks, and confidence of women leaders to effectively participate in peace and security processes.
  The Institute will continue to create the space and provide unique opportunities for members to broaden and sharpen their advocacy skills and create access to decision making arenas. Activities will include training and capacity-building workshops, information sessions with technical experts, educational opportunities at institutions for higher learning, and exchanges with experts from other countries to discuss lessons learned about ensuring women’s participation in constitutional review processes.

 

• Build trust and bridge gaps amongst and between women.
  Coalition members stress the need to strengthen their relationships with one another and function as a conduit between women from various regions, sectors, and backgrounds. This especially includes the need for linkages between women at the grassroots level, in civil society, and in decision-making positions. Inclusive Security will support the Coalition in building these bridges. Activities will include outreach and consultations by the Coalition with various women’s stakeholder groups,  opportunities to advance Coalition members’ skills in dialogue, effective communication, conflict analysis, reconciliation, and trust building; and efforts to engage key women leaders in decision making positions in government and the parliaments.

 

• Raise visibility of the women’s efforts, past and present, to advance women’s inclusion.
  Coalition members often cite the need to document their experiences not only to prevent losing the record of their work and the gains made but also to effectively influence decision makers by raising the visibility of the issue of inclusion. In the coming year, the Coalition will focus on research and documentation, a key pillar of the Institute’s work around the world. Activities will include the documentation of women’s stories about their struggle for inclusion in print, audio, and video formats , producing analysis and reports on women’s participation in peace and security processes in Sudan and South Sudan, and ensuring Coalition members seize opportunities to present their stories and priorities at key conferences and events on the domestic, regional, and global scale.

For more information on Inclusive Security’s work in Sudan, please contact Farah Council.