The Mano River Union Women’s Peace Network (MAPWOPNET)–Sierra Leone, in collaboration with UNWomen, Irish Aid and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, on Friday 5th April 2024, ended a day’s Training of Partners (TOP) on the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (WPS) Resolutions/WPS Agenda and the Sierra Leone National Action Plan (SiLNAP) and some related Global, Regional and National Laws/Plans.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council on 31st October 2000. It came into force and calls attention to and recognizes ‘the brunt’ that women bear. They were also developed for women, peace and security agendas. These resolutions are 1820 (2008) –Sexual Violence as a War Crime; 1888 (2009) –Conflict-Related Sexual Violence; 1889 (2009) –Women’s Participation in Peace Processes and 1960 (2010) –Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict among others.
Highlighting the objectives of the training, Mrs Rosaline MacCarthy enlightened that they are to deepen the understanding of participants of the tenants/principles of the UNSCR 1325 and SiLNAP and enhance the ability of partners to share information and knowledge of UNSCR 1325 and SiLNAP in their various institutions/organisations and communities.
She furthered that other objectives are to build the capacity of partners to lobby and advocate for the full implementation of 1325 and 1820 and SiLNAP, in addition to raising awareness about monitoring measures and how to use this knowledge to design their interventions/actions in accelerating the status of women and girls at all levels.
The event, which attracted 20 participants drawn from various sectors like the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Gender Unit, African Women Leader Sierra Leone, SOROPTIMIST, Association of People Living with Disability, Campaign for Good Governance, Women’s Forum, Office of National Security and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, was held at the Council of Churches Hall on King Harman Road in Freetown.
Presentations were made on the UNSCR 1325+WPS Agenda and SiLNAP, as well as linkages to some significant global, regional and national laws and other strategic plans, in addition to challenges and opportunities including SDGs 5 &16
The resource facilitators included Mrs. Rosaline Macarthy, Dr. Nana Pratt and Mrs. Mabel Kartusche.
Dr Nana Pratt observed that some of the participants do not know much about UN Resolution 1325, and encouraged them not to be ashamed to admit it, while those who know do not implement it, and at the same time, those who know are implementing some aspects of the Resolution without knowing that they are working on 1323, one of the reasons for the training.
Anita Momoh from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs revealed that the process commenced five years ago and that the training is to see what has been achieved and what can be improved on.
According to some of the participants interviewed, they would widely disseminate the knowledge gained in their communities to bring others on board, as well as lobby/advocate to policymakers to do more.
Among the recommendations, participants consented that the in-country monitoring and evaluating report by Global Network Women Peace Builders should be made available to CSOs working on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), that effective records management on WPS should be done by all partners and that MARWOPNET should collaborate with other CSOs working on WPS for effective lobbying, advocacy and monitoring.
They also recommended that MARWOPNET should strengthen its partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs for more effective promotion of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and the Sierra Leone National Action Plan (SiLNAP), lobby for effective and efficient decentralisation of MDAs, a mapping exercise of key thematic areas of the organisation, strengthen Local Councils for effective localisation and that MARWOPNET should establish contact with the Local Council Association of Sierra Leone (LOCAL).
Furthermore, participants recommended that MARWOPNET should establish a partnership with Women in the Security Sector SL and the Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL), that GNWP partners should meet and discuss how to incorporate key issues emanating from the training workshop on WPS organised by MARWOPNET into the 3RD Generation of SiLNAP.
Highlights of the interactive event included sharing on issues affecting the status of women and girls, the plenary presentation, group work, training of women survivors of Sexual and Gender Violence, treated cases reported and perpetrators prosecuted, MARWOPNET’s mission and vision and how its activities are gender-responsive, followed by a question and answer session.
