Through collaborations with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), ACCORD conducted a Capacity Building Workshop on Strengthening the Capacities of Women in Elective Mandates and Peaceful Management of Electioneering Processes from 24 – 27 October 2023, in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The training was held in the context of the upcoming elections scheduled to take place in December 2023 to promote the role of women in electoral processes as well as strengthen their capacities for conflict mitigation and prevention efforts during the electoral cycle.
The four-day workshop convened thirty participants from various regions of the country. It enabled them to reflect on the political, social and economic context of the DRC and the way in which these factors will influence the election process in the country. The convening enabled the participants to share the approaches they undertook as part of their election campaigns, and the challenges they had to overcome. This sharing of information was beneficial as it encouraged and motivated those campaigning at various levels.
In addition to the experience sharing, the training sessions further emphasised aspects on gender and elections, the political representation of women, equality in electoral processes and equality within Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs). The training focused on knowledge sharing, a gendered approach during electoral cycles; as well as conflict definitions and electoral conflict prevention, including negotiation and mediation.
A recommendation from the participants was a request to continue its support with capacity-building interventions during the post-election period and before the beginning of the new electoral cycle. ACCORD will remain engaged with ECCAS and the DRC Women to identify and support further efforts in capacity building during election cycles for the prevention and mitigation of conflict.
