KENYA: Women Peacemakers in Country

Thirty-five women, including some involved in the Kenya post-election crisis peace process in 2008, will meet next week to draw lessons from their experience and to suggest ways in which the role of women in peace processes can be encouraged.

Members of the mediation teams, political actors and senior advisers, as well as civil society representatives who played an active role in the process will participate in a roundtable organised by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), the independent mediation organisation, on 22 and 23 March 2010 at its Africa office in Nairobi.

Participants will discuss links between women active at a senior political level in mediation and those at the civil society level; how senior female mediators represent women's issues at the negotiating table; and ways to ensure improved representation of women in peace processes.

“The involvement of women is critical to the sustainability of any peace process.” said Martin Griffiths, Director of the HD Centre.

“Research has shown that peace processes in which women are involved are more sustainable and legitimate.” he added.

Meredith Preston McGhie, Senior Programme Manager at the HD Centre said: “The Kenya peace process had a 25% representation of women in the negotiating teams, and has been cited as an example of good participation by women in a process."

“This assumption needs to be carefully reviewed. We need to look at how all women – political, civil society etc, made their voices heard during the mediation.” she said.

“Kenyan women played a critical role in shaping Agenda item 4, which calls for reforms to address the root causes of the violence. We hope these women, with first-hand experience of conflict and peacemaking, will be able to draw on lessons that can inform practitioners, emphasise the importance of their contributions and suggest ways of including women more effectively in peace negotiations.” she added.

Participants will include Ms. Graca Machel, Member of the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities; Hon. Sally Kosgey, ODM member of Parliament and Minister for Science and Technology; Commissioner Kaari B. Murungi, Vice Chairperson of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission; and Catherine Mumma, ODM member and Commissioner of the Kriegler Commission.
This roundtable follows on a first meeting held in November 2009 which brought together 30 among the most senior level women active in peace processes from across Africa. Discussions focused on how to substantively improve the participation and contribution of women to peace processes on the continent.

Both events are part of the HD Centre's ‘Women at the Table' project, funded by the Open Society Institute. The project seeks to bring together high-level female mediators, negotiators and advisers in both Africa and Asia to identify and employ strategies for improving women's participation in peace processes.