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The PanAfrican Center on Gender, Peace and Development of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FASPAC) welcomed its 30 students enrolled in the bilingual professional Masters Degree in Gender and Peacebuidling. The students come from Senegal and other African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo and Sudan.
The first module will be held from May 14, 2013 May 29, 2013 and will address the foundation of gender and peace studies, co-taught by one professor from UPEACE and another from UCAD.

This programme is unique considering its curriculum on gender and peacebuilding, the bilingual teaching methodology and the fact that it is co-organized, by a prominent women leading organization in Africa and two world-renowned academic institutions, namely the University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) of Dakar, Senegal, and the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. The professional oriented degree is part of the implementation of the new architecture of higher education at UCAD following the adoption of the Bachelor-Masters-Doctorate (LMD) system.
The partners supporting this initiative include the African Capacity Building Foundation, the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNESCO, Government of Norway and Government of Sweden.
The Masters Programme will develop a cadre of specialists working in the peace processes on the continent, who will be able to incorporate the gender perspective into peace building and contribute in decision-making into various organs at grassroots, local, regional and international level.

Source photo: World Economic Forum

The panel emphasized the importance of investing in people, highlighted as a key resource for Africa. Bineta Diop, Chair of the Executive Board, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Switzerland, said that investment in people is not just about investing in the youth, but also in women, who make up more than half of Africa’s population. Although 80% of Africa’s farmers are women, they still lack title to land in most of the continent, she said. “We need to put women as well as youth at the centre of transformation in Africa.”

High numbers of young people are a challenge for future policy-makers, but also a major opportunity as they provide innovation and creativity that can drive the creation of successful businesses across the continent. Read more >>

Ms Bineta Diop, Chair of the Executive Board and Hon. Elisabeth Rehn, Chair of the Advisory Board

As part of its Governance and Fundraising strategy, FAS has recently convened its third Partners Meeting in Geneva on 3 May 2013, at the margins of the FAS’ Advisory Board meeting held on the 2^nd of May 2013.
Nearly 30 representatives from government officials, intergovernmental organisations and the United Nations shared updates on FAS’ work and exchanged on FAS' action plan for the years to come. At this year's meeting, FAS initiated round table discussions on women, peace and security in the Great Lakes, in the Mano River and in the Sahel regions and within the African Union. The discussions identified opportunities and recommendations in order to enhance efforts to empower women’s leadership as a driving force of political stability, peace and recovery in Africa.
On the other hand, the Advisory Board gave concrete directions to enrich FAS’ action plan and the outcomes of the discussions were shared at the partners meeting the following day.

The round table discussion on the Mano River region

FAS' traditional partners reiterated their support and encouraged new organizations to engage with FAS. The support and recommendations from all participating partners were highly valuable and will guide FAS in the implementation of its recently adopted action plan aligned on its strategic framework 2013-2017.

A High-Level Conference on Women's Leadership in the Sahel Region was held today in Brussels. The event brought together 40 women, civil society leaders of several generations, peace and security experts, peace activists, government officials and gender equality advocates from the Sahel region.

Members of the European Parliament, African and European Ambassadors, senior officials from the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union and the United Nations participated in the event. They heard directly from the crisis-affected women from the Sahel region their views and recommendations on women's economic empowerment and political participation, and their role in peace and recovery.
Following the conference, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, said:
"All over the world where women prosper, societies prosper; where women suffer, so do the societies they live in. This is also true for the Sahel and this is why we met today to listen to women leaders from this region, where both African and international efforts are crucial to bring a solution to the crisis" .Read more >>

Read the french version: here >>

You will find pictures from the event on the following link: here >>

H.E Mary Robinson

Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) and the members of the Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) welcome the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s appointment of Mary Robinson as the new Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Her Excellency Mary Robinson is a longtime partner of FAS, and actively supports our initiatives. In March 2010, she co-chaired the High-Level Consultation of Civil Society Advisory Group on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 with Ms Bineta Diop, Founder and President of FAS.

She is also a member of the GIMAC network, which includes more than 50 civil society organizations. As the Current President of the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, which advocates for victims of climate change, Ms Robinson enabled GIMAC to incorporate the concepts of climate change and climate justice at the heart of its priorities.
Ms Robinson also supports the Initiative to Empower Women in Agriculture (EWA) which was initiated by GIMAC in 2012, convinced that "food and nutrition are at the heart of development".Read more >>

Read the french version: here >>

For the 22^nd session of the Human Rights Council, Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) invited on 11^th and 12^th March 2013 in Geneva Mrs Haidara, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Mali to take part in the advocacy for the participation of Malian women in the peace process.
Her presence reflects FAS’ objectives of promoting African women’s leadership and facilitating their participation in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peace-building on the African continent.

Mrs. Haidara with the Mali delegation

Mrs Haidara, MP of the Gao region in northern Mali, was able to meet with the Mali delegation and its Minister of Justice, the Ambassador of the International Organization of La Francophonie, the Ambassador of the European Union, the Deputy Permanent Representative of France, Human Rights advisers to the various diplomatic missions and several Human Rights defenders.
She particularly insisted that the draft resolution « Assistance to Mali in the area of Human Rights » initiated by the African Group explicitly mentions the participation of Malian women in the peace process.
In her address to the Human Rights Council, Mrs. Haidara condemned the severe acts of violence against civilians, especially women and children, and highlighted that the interethnic tensions in the Sahel region constituted a serious threat to the national, regional and international peace and security.

Discussing with Mr. Pellet, Deputy Permanent Representative of France

With Mrs Zappia, Ambassador of the European Union

The Member of Parliament deplored the fact that, since the beginning of the crisis, Malian women have been left out of the discussions for peace mediation and she called for the implementation of the United Nations Resolution 1325 in order for Malian women to be fully integrated in the inter-community dialogue to resolve the crisis and establish long lasting peace.

Press release in French, here >>
Oral statement on Mali in French, here >>
Draft_ resolution - Assistance to the Republic of Mali - French, here >>

Ms Marie Louise BARICAKO, Executive Director of Femmes Africa Solidarité

The International Women's Day celebrated on the 8th of March every year is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the achievements and look at the future with hope. . It is clear that the path to gender equity and equality is still long and full of obstacles of all sorts.
Life Giver, the woman occupies a prominent place in the family. She ensures basic education, regulates the family economy; and plays the role of stabilizing element in family and community relationships. In that same society which strives to relegate her to the background, she plays an indispensable role.

However, her social and political integration, so critical for the sustainable development of any nation, seems to be problematic at all levels. Social injustice against women and all its corollaries require special attention on this March 8th, 2013, to see to what extent the process of women emancipation in Africa has advanced since the beginning the 1970’s.Read more >>

Read the french version: here >>

Discussants at the FAS panel during CSW 2013

The 57^th Session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW 57) will be held in New York on 4-15 March 2013. The priority theme of CSW 57 is the “Elimination and Prevention of All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls.”

The Zero draft of this year’s agreed conclusions can be found: here >>

The schedule for parallel events can be found: here >>

Madame Diop received the Women of Distinction Award

We are pleased to inform you that FAS president, Madame Bineta Diop, will be receiving the Woman of Distinction Award during the CSW.

More information on the award can be found: here >>
Madame Diop's speech during Consultation Day: here >>
Bineta Diop CSW Interview : here >>

You are invited to the FAS panel discussion on 5 March 2013 at 10:30am-12:00pm on “Strengthening Preventive Actions to Curb Conflict-Related Violence against Women.”

Bineta Diop Interview on Culture : here >>

Bineta Diop Interview on Africa : here >>

Download the flyer: here >>

FAS report on CSW 2012 : here >>

Photographer:Eric Bridiers

On February 26, 2013, a group of powerful women from around the globe gathered in Geneva for a high-level panel during the 22nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council highlighting the impact women can make in society when they are able to fully exercise their rights.
This panel is the outcome of an initiative launched by the Group of Women Ambassadors to the United Nations in Geneva with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

FAS Founder and President took part in this high level panel together with other inspiring women leaders who shared their personal experiences, and highlighted the enabling factors that have allowed women to assume positions of leadership in the political, economic, social, and cultural areas and moved the national debate forward in their respective communities in terms of breaking down traditional negative gender stereotypes and promoting equality.
The event illustrated the many concrete ways in which women have become a critical driving force for positive change, and discuss the way forward to address persistent challenges to true equality.
In their opening remarks, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and the High Commissioner for Human Rights reaffirmed the commitment of the Unites Nations in advancing the cause of gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide.

Photographer:Eric Bridiers

Video of the panel, here >>
Pictures of the panel, here >>

On the initiative of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) and the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), a seminar on “Gender-Based Violence and Peace Mediation: Experiences, Challenges, and Lessons learned from West Africa” was held in Dakar, Senegal on 12 February, 2013. Several personalities attended this meeting, including Ms. Bineta Diop, Founder and President of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), and Ms Elisabeth Rehn, Finnish Minister of State and former Minister of Defense, and FAS Board Member. The convention was part of CMI’s and WANEP’s awareness campaign, highlighting the significance of women’s active participation in peace negotiation processes.

A african dress as welcome gift

"In Africa, just as anywhere else in the world, women continue to suffer considerably from violence whenever a conflict erupts," said the former Finnish Minister of Defense and current Minister of State. According to Ms. Rehn, studies conducted by CMI and WANEP in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia have shown that women suffered from serious attacks during the armed conflicts. "The female body became a battleground for warring parties who used rape as a means of conducting war," she stated. Ms. Bineta Diop, President of Femmes Africa Solidarité, also pointed out that "Injustice inflicted on our sisters in armed conflict situations is also due to the fact that women have never been taken into account in peace negotiations by mediators."

According to her, it is the absence of women in peace negotiations and the lack of expertise on gender-based violence in mediation which restrains women from being included in peace processes. In order to better assess and integrate women’s concerns in peace and negotiation processes, she encouraged African policy makers, and especially the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), to build on the recommendations of the conflict study from Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia.Read more
Please read the french version, here>>

The President of Femmes Africa Solidarité, Bineta Diop, participated in the recently concluded Club de Madrid 2012 Annual Conference held in Little Rock, Arkansas in the United States on 17-18 December.

The conference brought together more than 40 democratic Presidents and Prime Ministers, as well as leaders from civil society organizations and the private sector, to deliberate on the theme of the conference: Harnessing 21^st Century Solutions: A Focus on Women.
Ms. Diop was a speaker in the session, Bringing it All Together, where she drew on examples from FAS’s work in Africa on results-based implementation of Resolution 1325, to discuss the issue of sexual and gender-based violence during conflict and to highlight the critical role that women across the world play in conflict prevention and as economic and political agents of change.

Other well-known women leaders at the conference included Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large, Global Women’s Issues, U.S. State Department; Zainab Bangura, UNSRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict; Theo Sowa, Interim CEO, African Women’s Development Fund; and Ruth Ojiambo, Executive Director of Isis-WICCE.

The founder of “Femmes Africa Solidarité”, Bineta Diop, was presented with the “Swiss Award in Society 2012” during a live TV gala in Zurich on 12th January.
Swiss Awards is the most important national award in Switzerland given every year to outstanding personalities who excelled in courage, innovation, creativity or originality.
The nominated in 5 categories are chosen by a jury consisted of hundred politicians, scientists and economists.
Prize winners in category "politics" included Jakob Kellenberger, recently retired President of the ICRC and in "culture" the worldwide famous opera singer Cecilia Bartoli.
For many TV viewers the most touching part of the Gala Show was Ms. Diop's speech as she was thanking Switzerland for "adopting" her and giving her the basis for her female rights activist work.
Jakob Kellenberger and Ms. Diop praised each other's engagement in front of the cameras and of almost one million viewers.
The Swiss Award show is the largest show on Swiss Television and broadcasted throughout the country in three languages.

View the video of the award ceremony: here >>

It's a country the size of all of western Europe, with enormous mineral riches that enable the artifacts of modern life, from mobile phones and tablets to circuit boards and solar panels. It is also, by many accounts, the worst place to be a woman.
Last month Bineta Diop - named by Time magazine as one of the world's most influential women - responded to appeals from local women and visited the conflict-ravaged eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She almost didn't make it out.

While she was in the town of Goma with an eight-person delegation, it was captured by the rebel group M23 - the most recent of a string of militias and armies that have fractured the society and economy of the area for more than a decade. Five million people have died, with millions more displaced. All sides in the on-going conflict have used sexual violence as a weapon.
"DRC is called the capital of rape," Diop says. "We went in solidarity for our sisters to say, 'You are not alone'. And we went to understand how they see the issues and what we can do to help."

The concept of solidarity missions is one that Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), the organization Diop founded, has pursued for many years. It is part of a strategy to implement the principles of United Nations Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000. The office of the UN Special Advisor on Gender says: "The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security ." The current peace talks on eastern Congo in the Ugandan capital Kampala seem, to many, a mockery of those ideals. Read the full Interview >>

FAS Founder and President, Bineta Diop, addressed the United Nations Security Council on 30 November 2012 during the Open Debate of the Security Council to commemorate the 12^th anniversary of resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Ms. Diop spoke on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.

In her statement, Ms. Diop discussed the contribution of women’s organizations to international peace and security; the importance of conflict prevention; and the security threats women and women’s human rights defenders face in conflict settings.
Ms Diop also spoke about the recent FAS Solidarity Mission to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and echoed Congolese women’s urgent demands for an end to the conflict, protection and humanitarian assistance. She also highlighted the critical need for Malian women to be included in formal and informal peace initiatives in Mali in keeping with resolution 1325.
Statement by Bineta Diop, here >>
Video of the Open Debate, here >>
2012 Report of the UN Secretary-General on Women and Peace and Security, here >>

In order to meet the demands of the Congolese women movements mobilized in July 2012 during the 20th "Gender is My Agenda" (GIMAC) Meeting, Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) just completed a solidarity mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). FAS has worked to implement the United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 for several years in the country in order to include women in the peace process and ensure that their security and human rights are protected.

Entrance to the Kanyarucinya Camp

Visit to the camp

In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, successive conflicts in particularly North Kivu have created a deep crisis which has lasted for nearly 30 years.
Today, the population of the three provinces (North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri) are victims of serious human rights violations and war crimes, including civilian killings, kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, looting, rape and forced recruitment of child soldiers.

A displaced family                                                                        

Ms DIOP receiving a distinction from PANZI hospital for her support to the victims of sexual violence

With the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a seven-member delegation led by Ms Bineta Diop, FAS Executive Chair of the Board, visited Kinshasa, Goma and Bukavu on 12 to 18 November 2012. read more >>
For the french version, Click here.

Group picture of the of trainers and participants to the ToT on Gender and SSR, 16-18 October 2012, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

FAS and DCAF organized a three-day Gender and Security Sector Reform Training of Trainers (ToT) on 16-18 October in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The ToT aimed at strengthening participants’ capacity in delivering training on gender and security issues. The workshop was organised for 11 representatives of partner civil society organization namely the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) and the Mano River Women's Peace Network (MARWOPNET). The participants came from the four Mano River Union member states - Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone.
This activity was a follow-up to an introductory two-day ToT that was held by FAS and DCAF in December 2011 in Monrovia, Liberia.
For more information on the ToT, please find here the programme, English / French

The award was presented by his Excellency Mister Nicolas Niemtchinow, the French Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva. The ceremony was attended by many prominent faces, among which where FAS’s faithful partners and eminent human rights activists.

In order to underline the prestigious work that has been achieved by Ms Bineta Diop, The French Ambassador praised the tremendous work FAS has done to defend women’s rights, and marked FAS’s participation in the peace process as contributing greatly to African democracy and stability. He outlined that “France will pay important value to the kind of struggles that are fought by remarkable women such as Ms Diop”.
On this occasion, Ms Diop participated earlier in the day to a Swiss radio programme called "Lunch with WRS" on World Radio Switzerland

le discours de Mme Diop, ici >>
Le discours de l'ambassadeur de France, ici >>
Le communiqué de presse, Anglais>> / Français>>
l'émission de radio, ici >>

Du 1^er au 05 octobre 2012, s'est tenu à Mbodiène, l'atelier d'harmonisation des enseignements du Master Bilingue Genre et Consolidation de la Paix réunissant les Professeurs de UPEACE, de l'UCAD ainsi que les experts du PAC.

Pour plus d'informations, cliquer ici:

Human Rights Council Archive Photo

The UN Human Rights Council closed its 21st session on September 28 in Geneva after 3 weeks of work. It held debates on several country situations, notably in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Eritrea and Syria.
Femmes Africa Solidarité, alerted the Council of Human Rights in March 2012 on the situation of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today we remain very concerned about the impact and the harmful consequences of this conflict which affects primarily Congolese women.
In a written statement, FAS highlighted the increasingly deteriorating situation of human rights in DRC especially in the east.

Full statement in French here >>
Summary of the statement in English here >>

In the context of the 20th Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming, held on the margins of the 19th African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the GIMAC, coordinated by Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), launched the Initiative to Empower Women in Agriculture (EWA) in partnership with the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).

H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Blaise Compaoré President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, at the high-level breakfast launch, 15 July 2012, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Initiative was officially launched under the high patronage of H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, on Sunday 15 July 2012, at a high level breakfast meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and representatives of the African women’s movement representing the GIMAC were joined at this event by many distinguished guests who accepted to support the initiative, such as H.E. Blaise Compaoré, President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, Mr Alioune Badara Cissé, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal and Mr Mohamed Ahmed Awaleh, Minister of Agriculture of Djibouti, Mr Georges Guibert of the OCP Group, and representatives of continental and international institutions, such as Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, Mr Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Ms Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Letty Chiwara, UN Women’s Director for Africa, Mr Colin Bruce, Director for strategy and operations of the World Bank, and Mr Mohamed Beavogui, Senior Advisor to the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).Read more >>