CRD Supports to Women on Building their Capacities and Establishing Collaborative Linkages at District and Regional Levels

Somali women after experiencing war difficulties in 17 years became mature in peace building activities. As impact of the Somali crises women shouldered dual responsibility her traditional role and the family economic responsibility of the father as men mostly became jobless, spend most of their time and money in politics, war and clan affairs. Because of war suffering, women encountered life obscurity. As impact of conflicts women have lost the lives of many of their beloved persons such, sons, fathers, brothers as well as other relatives in the conflicts, in addition to other violence such as looting. Killing, and raping. IT happens many times that women meet to see dead bodies of their husbands & brothers from the two confronting sides and due to the ongoing wars, they can't get way to take or bury these dead bodies leaving long lasting depressions. Women to ease the weight of these problems have become aware and are now eagerly prepared to be leaders of peace builders.

Recognizing the need to support to overcome the shades and badly impacts of the Somali crises on vulnerable groups and the need to raise women's awareness and to realize increased engagement of women in peace building the Center reached women in various regions such as Bay & Bakool, Hiiraan, Galgadud & South Mudug regions. CRD team working in women in peace building collaboration with the staff of CRD of Satellite offices in Badoa and Hiran have conducted several workshops to ensure women's engagement in peace building and their strengthened roles during May to November this year. The latest workshop was held in Baidoa on 6 th to 8 th November this year was follow-up to earlier May workshop in Baidoa for same group from Bay & Bakool. The participants of the workshop were about 50 women who came from National reconciliation Committee (NRC), regional and district administrations, active local NGOs, Networks, organized women groups based, business groups, and prominent individuals.

The major purpose of CRD workshops was generally to create awareness and build the capacities and involvement in peace building, reconciliation and conflict resolution and to enhance women's roles and involvement in and encourage them to initiate activities specifically. Participants widely explained war effects & concerns and succeeded in taking common views to fully participate to peace building and influencing community to become engaged in peace to save life and prosperity to future generation.

The participants of all CRD workshops showed mutual commitment to stand up for grass peace building initiatives at district and regional levels in collaboration with other women, as well as other community actors including their male counterparts. They also all showed the same ambition towards peace promotion in collaboration with their respective communities.

The participants were very much impressed by the follow up workshop which they have seen very important in sustaining and realizing improved role of women in peace-building, and the cohesion among Bay and Bakool women Organizations/groups. Also they said “ We have never seen such kind of follow-up workshop and we are well appreciated, as far it would insist the sustainability of our peace building activity in connection of collaborative unification among us from district to regional level.” They added, “This shows how far CRD is committed to support women's efforts through sustainability of peace building.”

During workshops women shared experiences and discussed issues of concerns related on how could women's roles could be strengthen their role in peace building, networking, good leadership, and how Somali women particularly establish effective linkages encompassing the whole active women organizations, CBOs, networks and structured women groups. After very heated discussions, the participants agreed t o establish effective linkage collaboration among them; starting from district to regional level. Women agreed several common activities in which they have seen as their priorities which is easy for them to collaborate at local level.

The latest follow-up workshop in Baidoa, women participants repeatedly said, “A s women, we are often part of the problem, because we always come together in workshops discuss and leave without commitment; let us take different approach this time and become committed to convey the experiences and skills we have gained from this workshop through having collaborative linkages in dialogue for peace activities with other related duties”. women agreed to work on as they return to their localities include promoting community peace by raising community awareness programs, mobilizing community, searching supports from their male counter parts, advocating women's right and family care as their major assignments . Ms. Ilamo Mohamed Yusuf from Bakol/Elbarde, added, “If we are committed, we could start from our homes by influencing our husbands & sons to change their intensions & feelings to being peace builders instead of warring and this could change the general vision of men, if such opportunity undergoes from family to family. Women have seen these will solve their first priority concern which is insecurity. They have felt the need for their effective collaboration and communication and that sake the participants have elected a Core Group consisting of six members three from each of Bay and Bakool to ensure and coordinate through meetings the commonly agreed frame work activity.

This workshop was different from earlier workshops since a Core Group was established to monitoring the improvement of agreed activities which will ensure better collaborations and strength linkages among women organizations. The role of CRD was to facilitate and up grade women's capacity in accordance of follow-up activity.