December 03–04, 2025, (BISHOFTU, Ethiopia): IGAD has concluded a two-day Women, Peace and Security (WPS) brainstorming session. The meeting convened units and programme offices within the Peace and Security Division and the IGAD Gender Unit to enhance coordination and strengthen the integration of gender perspectives across IGAD’s peace and security interventions.
The session was organised to review the status of gender mainstreaming efforts, assess the application of WPS indicators previously identified by programme offices, and deepen understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) within the WPS framework. The meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on the findings of a questionnaire circulated earlier in the year to assess how WPS indicators were being used in programme reporting.
The opening session highlighted IGAD’s continued commitment to advancing gender-responsive peace and security programming.Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of the IGAD Peace and Security Division delivered opening remarks, and Mrs. Amina Farah, the Gender Unit Mananger gave welcoming remarks.
During the first day, participants received an overview of the objectives of the brainstorming session, followed by a refresher presentation on the IGAD Regional Action Plan (RAP) on Women, Peace and Security.The afternoon featured a session on the basics of M&E in the WPS context, underscoring the importance of improving documentation and strengthening data-driven reporting.
Day 2 centred on group discussions aimed at reviewing the RAP indicators, assessing reporting challenges, and identifying opportunities for improved collaboration with the IGAD Gender Unit. Programme teams worked jointly to propose practical recommendations for refining indicators, strengthening coordination, and enhancing alignment between programme interventions and IGAD’s WPS priorities.The group presentations highlighted key areas for follow-up, including clearer reporting pathways, strengthened internal communication, and improved integration of gender considerations into planning and implementation.
The outcomes and recommendations generated during the two-day session will inform ongoing efforts to improve reporting, coordination, and implementation of the WPS agenda within the Division.
