Gender and peacebuilding workshop opens in Accra

A workshop aimed at ensuring that more women were meaningfully involved in peace processes, conflict resolution and peacebuilding activities across Africa has opened in Accra.

The three-day workshop aims at fostering understanding on issues of gender, especially the effects of deeply-rooted patriarchy and gender socialisation on men and women and how to address these matters in general and in institutions.

The workshop, which is being facilitated by two gender experts in the country, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin and Mr Adolf Awuku Bekoe, is being organised by the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), an expert organisation on women, peace and security.

The ‘Gender and peacebuilding workshop’ is the first in a series of three activities that would be undertaken in Africa and forms part of a larger programme by the CCR aimed at strengthening the capacity of institutions and organisations responsible for peacebuilding, security and gender equality in East, Southern, West and North Africa.

The second and third workshops will be organised in Nairobi and Liberia respectively.

The workshops are in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 of 2000 on women, peace and security.

The long-term objective of the CCR’s project is to ensure that more women were meaningfully involved in peace processes, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding activities across Africa.

In all, 20 participants including male and female decision-makers within key institutions responsible for peace building and security such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ministry of Defence, the media, the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) the United Nations (UN), women groups and non-governmental organisations, among others, are attending the workshop.

A representative from the CCR, Ms Zanele Khumalo, said the workshop which formed part of a three-year project was expected to help the participants have a better understanding of patriarchy, gender socialisation and their effects on men and women and how they could be addressed in general and in institutions.

The workshop, she said, was also, among other things, to help participants to develop a sense of empathy for each gender.