Given the outcomes of the FemWise-Africa Secretariat’s regional consultations, the COVID-19 pandemic and as part of the broader continental Silencing the Guns Initiative, ACCORD in collaboration with the Peace and Security Department (PSD) of the African Union Commission (AUC) and Sida hosted the 2020 FemWise-Africa Capacity Building Initiative.
The blended virtual training program was held from October 2020 to November 2020. Over the eight weeks, the initiative offered 13 capacity building sessions to meet the identified needs of FemWise-Africa’s members as well as the needs of those belonging to other conflict prevention and mediation networks, while fostering the relationships and collaboration between the various networks.
Focused on building the capacities of women at the Track III level, the training sessions provided introductory peacebuilding training and skills assessment while also offering the opportunity to bring together various personalities from the Track I level during the knowledge sharing sessions. During these sessions, participants had the opportunity to hear and learn from eminent persons in the peace and security field.
The Initiative sought to take a praxis approach by linking theory to practice as the knowledge-sharing sessions were developed to build on the lessons learned during the more theoretical peacebuilding courses. By grounding the 13 sessions in African experiences and feminist critique, the initiative ultimately demonstrated how women networks can be strengthened through learning and knowledge-sharing encounters.
