EASSI MENTORS 9 YOUNG WOMEN THROUGH LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Once again at EASSI, we are smiling as we celebrate the successful completion of the 2011 young women’s leadership training that lasted for two months (June – July 2011). This year nine young women from 7 out of our 8 member countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Ethiopia were the beneficiaries of this year’s training.

The 2011 programme was facilitated by experts in various fields including gender and development, transformational leadership, feminism, communication, international human rights of women, to mention but a few. The training was intensive but also very rewarding as the young women indicated in one of the feedback sessions. In keeping with the tradition, the training ended on a high note with a colorful dissemination workshop during which the young women shared findings from their individual researches done after the training. Their guests were treated to presentations that touched on all the 12 critical areas of action of the Beijing Platform for Action. These included: Women and the Media, Violence against women; Women and Poverty; The girl child; Human Rights of Women; Women in Power and Decision Making; etc

This year, we also had the unique opportunity to have members of the EASSI Board of Directors with us during the dissemination workshop. They could not hide their joy during the presentations and in the end, they were mostly full of praises for the young women and did not hesitate to give them words of wisdom to take back with them to their countries.

To wind up the session on presentations, Dr. Akinyi-Nzioki, the outgoing Chair of the Board of Directors awarded the young women training certificates and urged them to ensure that they empower fellow young people during their planned replica trainings back home. She also invited them to take part in EASSI activities at country level because now they are part and parcel of EASSI.

On a lighter note,  the young women gave a token of appreciation to each staff member of EASSI . This, as they said, was in appreciation of the individual contributions that the staff made to their lives during the training but also because one good turn deserves another.

And once again, EASSI rose to the occasion and delivered on one of her promises to contribute to the sustenance of the women’s movement and especially now that this is the African Women’s Decade. The training is one of the initiatives under our Gender Equality and Women’s Rights programme and last year over 200 young people were trained by the beneficiaries of the 2010 training.

EASSI is most grateful to her focal point organisations that helped in sourcing for the young women for the training.

Congratulations to Marilyn, Lydia, Scovia, Judith, Annagrace, Olga, Selamawit, Farrah, Justine – the 9 young and empowered women leaders. EASSI is so proud of you.
 
Look out for our 2012 intake to be communicated soon.

OUR SECOND GENDER/SALW TRAINING BEGINS ON A HIGH NOTE

EASSI is currently conducting her second month-long training on the gender dimension of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) that targeted the countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Southern Sudan.

The training started on a high note with an opening ceremony at the National Focal Point on Small Arms in Uganda. At the opening, the participants met with Executive Committee of the NFP, officials from selected government institutions and the Uganda Prison Force as well as other security institutions. The opening ceremony was based on the fact that NFPs work civil society organizations and that also because EASSI is a member of the Uganda Action Network on Small Arms (UANSA). 

Six of the 8 beneficiaries of this year’s training  were drawn from the five EAC Focal Points on Small Arms which are government institutions mandated to implement programmes aimed at combating illicit proliferation of SALW. The participants were nominated by the respective NFP secretariats in consultation with the EAC office on Peace and Security. The other two participants from Ethiopia and Southern Sudan were recommended for the training on grounds that the two countries also have ongoing SALW issues.

Participants are expected use acquired knowledge to add a gender lens to their work on SALW work in their countries. The objectives of the training are to enable participants: appreciate the concept and scope of gender mainstreaming in SALW Programs; recognize that SALW interventions can be more effective if they integrate a gender perspective; develop strategies that ensure that integration of gender dimensions take place in their various levels of SALW interventions;  and develop action plans for the way forward in mainstreaming gender into SALW programs.

EASSI is closely following up on the impact of the training given that SALW issues affect women Africa-wide. This is one of her advocacy strategies against proliferation of arms in Eastern Africa.

EASSI as a lead organization in advocating gender dimensions of Small Arms also plans to evolve the training into an annual event to create strong foundations for future national campaign