From September 8 to 10, 2025, women from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo came together in Nairobi for a regional workshop under the African Women Voices for Peace project. Organized by ActionAid Kenya and ActionAid Australia, the event convened frontline women leaders working in communities affected by conflict, displacement, and instability across the Great Lakes region of Africa.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of these women to respond to the complex challenges facing their communities, particularly in the areas of protection, peacebuilding, and advocacy. Over three days, participants engaged in intensive sessions focused on conflict analysis, risk mapping, resource identification, and the design of practical action plans to promote safety and resilience. Central to the workshop was a Training of Trainers (ToT) model, equipping each woman not only with knowledge and tools for immediate application but also with the ability to train others in her community.
Through collaborative learning, the participants explored how protection strategies could be more inclusive, especially for women and girls with disabilities and examined the need for greater accountability from governments, humanitarian organizations, and international bodies. They worked together to analyze structural violence and local vulnerabilities, ensuring their approaches were grounded in lived experience rather than theory.
The workshop also served as a powerful space for cross-border solidarity. Women from diverse cultural and regional contexts shared stories of conflict, survival, and resistance. These exchanges fostered trust and collective strength, laying the groundwork for a broader regional network of women peacebuilders.
By the end of the workshop, each participant had developed a localized protection action plan tailored to her community’s specific risks and needs. These plans underscored the importance of women-led, community-based responses and the critical need for women’s inclusion in both formal and informal peace processes.
Far from a one-off event, the Nairobi workshop marked the beginning of a longer journey. Each woman returned home not only with new skills and strategies but also with renewed confidence and determination. As they begin to train others, implement their plans, and advocate for justice, they are actively shaping the future of peacebuilding across the region.
Supported by the Judith Neilson Foundation and Australian Aid, the African Women Voices for Peace project continues to invest in women’s leadership in conflict-affected areas. By recognizing and strengthening the role of women in conflict transformation, the project reaffirms a fundamental truth: peace must be inclusive to be sustainable, and women’s leadership is not just beneficial, it is essential.
Author: Elena Milani, EU Solidarity Corps Volunteer – Rebuild Project/ActionAid Kenya