From 04 -30 March 2024, ACCORD and the Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC) jointly celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) by launching a social media campaign called, ‘She is Peace, Invest in Her’.
The campaign was created under the theme of IWD, “Invest in Women – Accelerate Progress”, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of investing in grassroots women as catalysts for peacebuilding and social progress. The campaign aimed to highlight the indispensable contributions of African grassroots women to peace efforts and advocate for greater investment in their empowerment.
The campaign targeted a wide array of stakeholders, including advocates for gender equality, grassroots activists, policymakers, faith-based women leaders and leveraged platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The campaign used engaging visuals, videos, expert insights, and interactive content to effectively convey its key messages. Throughout the #SheisPeace campaign, numerous highlights emerged, displaying the impactful efforts and resonating messages that captured the essence of women’s empowerment and peacebuilding.
During the campaign, women shared inspiring stories of grassroots women making a positive impact in their communities. Through video profiles and user-generated content, the campaign shed light on the remarkable achievements and resilience of women who have overcome challenges to drive change at the local level. These stories served as powerful reminders of the transformative potential of investing in women’s empowerment.
The campaign has generated discussions on social media, with users applauding the initiative. A LinkedIn user reposted the video with a comment, “This is Africa moving forward… This is a more inclusive mindset taking over 😉” in response to the spotlight on Hannah Lorna Bona Nimaya, a determined lawmaker from Western Equatoria, South Sudan. She advocates for grassroots leadership training, gender-responsive peacebuilding, and improved healthcare access.
A video featuring Pastor Rabeca Tomas, showcasing her work in the community towards promoting peace, received positive comments from Facebook and Instagram users. One Facebook user commented that women can transform and empower others, encouraging Pastor Tomas to continue her good work. In the same post, an Instagram user noted that religion has historically been used to perpetuate gender-based violence and control women but commended Pastor Tomas for advocating social and gender justice. The user concluded with the campaign hashtags “#SheisPeace #InvestinHer”.
While this designated month serves as a reminder of the strides made in gender equality, ACCORD concluded the International Month by emphasising that its dedication, along with WIPC, to uplifting women and advancing their inclusion in peace processes extends far beyond the conclusion of International Women’s Month.
You can still contribute to the campaign by using the social media toolkit found here.
