October 1, 2026 (MOGADISHU, Somalia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through the Building Women’s Economic Resilience for Sustainable Peace (BWERSP) Project, has concluded a three-day capacity-building training for women leaders and peace committee members. The training aimed to strengthen their role in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and decision-making.
Opening the training, Mohamud Abdi Ahmed, IGAD Head of Mission to Somalia, emphasised the importance of women’s leadership in peacebuilding. “Empowering women is empowering the entire community,” he said. He underscored that women are critical agents of peace, resilience and development, and that investing in their leadership and participation contributes directly to more inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.
The training equipped participants with practical skills in conflict analysis, mediation, negotiation, dialogue facilitation, advocacy and gender-responsive peacebuilding. Participants also deepened their understanding of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and the role women play in promoting peace, social cohesion and community resilience.
Through interactive discussions, role plays and practical exercises, participants explored tools for conflict prevention, stakeholder engagement, early warning systems and inclusive peace processes. The sessions highlighted the need to ensure women’s meaningful participation in peace committees, governance structures and conflict-resolution mechanisms.
The training concluded with the development of community action plans. These plans aim to increase women’s leadership, strengthen women-led peace initiatives, enhance early warning and conflict prevention mechanisms, and promote collaboration among community stakeholders.
As participants return to their communities with new knowledge and practical skills, they have committed to championing women’s leadership and contributing to more inclusive and resilient peacebuilding processes across Somalia.
The BWERSP Project is financed by the African Development Bank through its Transition Support Facility and implemented by IGAD in Somalia and South Sudan. Through this training, IGAD reaffirms that empowering women as peacebuilders is essential to inclusive governance, social cohesion and sustainable peace.
