The office of the African Union Envoy on Women Peace and Security is convening the 4th High Level African Forum on Women, Peace, and Security in Addis Ababa on 13-14 December 2023. The 2-day forum will bring together African women peacebuilders, leaders, and national&regional focal points on Women, Peace, and Security, to advocate for a significant transformation in the current strategies and efforts employed to promote women’s involvement and leadership in Africa, as well as co-create new approaches for advancing women’s inclusion and participation in peace processes.

Despite the progress made in implementing several African Union frameworks on inclusion of women in leadership positions in all sectors of life such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) which provides a legal framework for ensuring civil and political, economic, social, and cultural as well as environmental rights for all African women, and the 2018-2028 African Union Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, which supports the work of the Agenda as well as gender mainstreaming within the Union, as well as the UN Security Council resolution 1325, which highlights the importance of women’s participation in promoting peace and security, there are still significant gaps between the resolution’s goals and the current reality. Women continue to be underrepresented in peace negotiations, peacekeeping, and mediation efforts.

Women’s movements and peace builders continue to relentlessly advocate for their rightful and important role in peace processes, while actively engaging in various grassroots peacebuilding initiatives. This demonstrates their resolute resolve to overcome the numerous obstacles posed by patriarchal norms, the ascent of authoritarian regimes, the neglect of agreed-upon inclusion principles, the difficulties brought about by COVID-19 and climate change, the emergence of conflicts, and the increasing occurrence of unconstitutional changes in African governments, among numerous other challenges.

The upcoming High level African Forum on Women, peace and Security under the theme of “enhancing women’s participation and leadership in peace and security processes in Africa,” aims to delve into various approaches for promoting women’s involvement and engagement in peace processes. Additionally, it will put forth suggestions for gender quotas to strengthen gender equality and women’s active participation in peace negotiations and foster stronger connections and knowledge sharing among regional women peace and security forums.

The Outcome will cover the various pathways and strategies that the African Union, the Peace, and Security Council (PSC), and AU Member States can adopt and execute to intensify their resolve in effectively implementing and advancing the WPS Agenda in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).