Accra Ghana: Beneficiaries of a five-day training on monitoring and reporting on the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in Africa using the Continental Results Framework (CRF) say they have been empowered to better report on the progress of the Agenda in their respective organizations.
The training, which was held in Niamey, Niger, from October 3 to 9, 2022, exposed regional actors to the CRF, its significance to the WPS Agenda, and how they could utilise the Framework for reporting.
Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in Addis Ababa, the training was convened by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in partnership with Niger’s Ministry for the Promotion of Women and Protection of Children.
More than 30 local actors, comprising 21 Females and 14 Males selected from over 20 organisations and 7 regions in Niger benefitted from the training.
Adopted by the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in 2018, the CRF aims at enhancing regular and systematic monitoring and reporting of the WPS agenda in Africa and contribute to closing the gap between WPS policy commitment and implementation in Africa.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 was adopted in 2000 as a tool for advancing the WPS Agenda.
Sharing her views after the training, Mrs. Ario Sani Kadidjatou, Police Inspector in charge of the Protection of Minors and Women within the National Police, said: “I have gained a lot of knowledge from this training, which will enable me to improve my work, especially in the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.”
Another beneficiary, Mr. Benjamin Sosthene, who is at the Permanent Secretariat for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda of Niger, said: “The training has enabled us to understand the CRF Framework, its indicators and how to set up a good Monitoring and Evaluation system.”
Air Commodore George Arko-Dadzie, Deputy Commandant, KAIPTC, who opened the training on Tuesday, 4th October, said the exercise will reinforce the requirements of the UNSCR 1325 and ensure a comprehensive reporting on the WPS Agenda on the continent.
He said the KAIPTC had developed the training package to equip National Actors to effectively use the prescribed CRF tool.
“We are running this programme with the support of the Swedish donors and we are very happy that we were received well by the Ministry of Women and Child Protection in Niger to make this training successful,” he said.
Madame Allahoury Aminata Zourkaleini, Niger’s Minister for the Promotion of Women and Protection of Children, urged the participants to follow the modules of the CRF to aid the effective implementation of their daily activities. She said the CRF would ensure the systematic and regular reporting of the WPS Agenda and facilitate the implementation of policies for Women, Peace, and Security on the continent.
Gender equality and improved human security are central goals in Swedish Development Cooperation and clearly reflected in SIDA’s result strategies. Since 2009, the Swedish Government also has been implementing a National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325. SIDA supports the WPS agenda, given its broad mandate to contribute to poverty reduction in fragile states as well as its strong focus on gender equality and human security.
The CRF recognizes that while several commitments towards the WPS Agenda have been adopted at the continental, regional and national levels in Africa, the continent has not established measures to ensure effective assessment of, and reporting on, the delivery of those commitments. Thus, the Swedish Government and KAIPTC are collaborating to contribute to the effective implementation of the CRF by strengthening the capacities of AU Member States to advance WPS issues on the continent.
The KAIPTC with funding support from the Swedish Government is advancing the WPS Agenda in Africa as part of its strategic objective. Thus, the Centre through its Women Peace and Security Institute (WPSI) in partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy (OSE) on WPS developed a training manual with a simplified template to support Member States on utilizing the CRF in reporting on the WPS agenda as a response to the request made by member states.