ACCORD in partnership with the Foundation for Community Development (FDC), and the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD) are implementing a programme that seeks to strengthen the participation of women in peace and reconciliation processes for social cohesion in Mozambique. As part of the programme, the partners organised a consultative meeting in the central city of Beira, Mozambique from 05-06 June 2018. This forms part of a series of regional consultations that have taken place in the country. Other consultations undertaken thus far, include at Nampula, in the north and at Inhambane in the south of Mozambique.
As part of the programme’s inception, the partners conducted a baseline study which sought to capture the level and experiences of women’s participation in finding solutions to problems that occur at the community level. In addition, the study assessed the potential for women’s participation in building peace and national reconciliation in Mozambique. The regional consultation thus provides a platform for sharing and discussing the findings of the baseline study.
The central region consultations brought together women from the provinces of Sofala, Tete, Zambezia and Manica. The interactive two days consultation was a platform for the participants to engage and share their experiences on the conflict situations they encounter as well as the ways in which they can mitigate conflict drawing from the lessons shared at the consultation. Thus by means of group work, the participants firstly identified the key issues that divided them as well as united them as women. Participants thereafter identified the ways in which they can contribute to peace and reconciliation in their communities. An important objective of the consultations was to create an enabling space for unity amongst the women who attended the meeting and encourage them to mobilise their associations and networks to become ambassadors for peace within their communities.
The recommendations arising from this consultative meeting together with the other similar meetings will be a key element that will contribute to the national agenda and will be presented at the national consultation meeting scheduled for later in the year. The regional and national level consultations are expected to generate recommendations for stronger engagement of women in peace efforts across the Mozambique.
ACCORD will continue to work with stakeholders in Mozambique in strengthen local capacities, and especially for women to ensure that peace processes are inclusive and locally owned.
