In the Name of Homour: Mukhtar Mai. June 2008 Book Review

July 25, 2008 at 1:53 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Title of book: In the Name of Honour (A Memoir)

Author: Mukhtar Mai

Publisher: Virago Press, 2007

Reviewer: Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

Mukhtar Mai has the fortitude of a lioness. This memoir is a struggle of a real woman with real problems that came to the surface after the worst humiliation any woman from her clan in Pakistan could receive. Instead of giving up in a suicidal act, she rose up from the ruins. Mukhtar is a Pakistani woman from a lower caste in Southern Punjabi called Gujar. Her brother, Shakur, is wrongfully accused of rape of one girl belonging to a richer caste, Mastoi. In form of justice, as is usually done, the Mastoi rape a woman, usually a sister to the accused in order to clear his name. The unfortunate woman chosen is Mukhtar Mai, sister to the accused. Her punishment: Brutal rape by 4 members of the mastoid clan in front of the community. Most women after this ordeal, commit suicide, because the shame is too much to bear. For Mukhtar, it was different. In her search for justice, her biggest handicap is her illiteracy because girls and women are not permitted to formal education. However, her resilience and steed work in her favour. As a result, Mukhtar has become the voice of the voiceless in Pakistan and the region beyond. Through the quest for justice, she has gained international support and has managed to establish a small school in Southern Punjab for young girls.

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In the Name of Honour (A Memoir): JUNE 2008 BOOK REVIEW

July 25, 2008 at 1:46 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Title of book: In the Name of Honour (A Memoir)

Author: Mukhtar Mai

Publisher: Virago Press, 2007

Reviewer: Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

Mukhtar Mai has the fortitude of a lioness. This memoir is a struggle of a real woman with real problems that came to the surface after the worst humiliation any woman from her clan in Pakistan could receive. Instead of giving up in a suicidal act, she rose up from the ruins. Mukhtar is a Pakistani woman from a lower caste in Southern Punjabi called Gujar. Her brother, Shakur, is wrongfully accused of rape of one girl belonging to a richer caste, Mastoi. In form of justice, as is usually done, the Mastoi rape a woman, usually a sister to the accused in order to clear his name. The unfortunate woman chosen is Mukhtar Mai, sister to the accused. Her punishment: Brutal rape by 4 members of the mastoid clan in front of the community. Most women after this ordeal, commit suicide, because the shame is too much to bear. For Mukhtar, it was different. In her search for justice, her biggest handicap is her illiteracy because girls and women are not permitted to formal education. However, her resilience and steed work in her favour. As a result, Mukhtar has become the voice of the voiceless in Pakistan and the region beyond. Through the quest for justice, she has gained international support and has managed to establish a small school in Southern Punjab for young girls.

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JOIN EASSI’S WOMEN’S DAY SMS CAMPAIGN

February 8, 2008 at 7:30 am · Filed under EASSI'S WOMEN'S DAY CAMPAIGN

Join our womens’ Day SMS Campaign.
This year we reflect on the girl child in Kenya and the region that has suffered unbearable atrocities as a result of the post-election violence. We stand together with her and others and offer our support to Kenya and the region for peace and political progress. If you are interested, you will receive an sms everyday from 25th February 2008 to 14th March 2008 on your mobile phone.
Submit your numbers to this address beginning with the country code eg. 256 782 285163
Warm Regards,

Beverley Nambozo Senguiyunva

Programme Officer-Communications and Networking

The East African  Sub-regional Support Initiative for The Advancement of Women (EASSI) 

Plot 87 Bukoto-Ntinda Road P. O. BOX 24965, Kampala Uganda

Tel: 256-41-285163, 285194

Fax: 256-41-285306

E-mail: nambozo@eassi.org

 eassi@eassi.org

Website: http//www.eassi.org

Blog: www.eassi.wordpress.com

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST

http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/eassi-list

IN MORAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT OF EVERY WOMAN AND GIRL IN KENYA

 

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DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR INTERN APPLICATION

February 1, 2008 at 6:09 am · Filed under women leadership and training programs

Due to the ongoing instability in Kenya, the deadline for accepting applications for the internship program has been extended to 7th February 2008 midday GMT.

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT FOR  2008 YOUNG WOMEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

 

Do you want to experience a nine-month –long internship programme at EASSI?

 

EASSI is an eleven year old sub-regional support initiative for women that boasts of having a hand in the implementation of Government commitments to women and girls’ advancement. This program targets women from the ages of 18 to 35 from any of the eight countries of the sub-region, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Every year we target four women. In 2008, we specifically seek women from Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

 

EASSI works on policy advocacy on governments to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. Through its work it aims to narrow the gap between policy rhetoric and policy implementation. Placing the advancement of women at the centre of all of its efforts, EASSI focuses its activities on four strategic areas: (1) Monitoring the Beijing Platforms for Action as a key focal area, (2) reducing feminized poverty, (3) increasing the role of women in peace building and conflict resolution, (4) achieving gender equality in democratic governance by increasing the numbers of women in power and decision-making, and recognizing that HIV/AIDS cuts across all areas and working with partners to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls. To pursue these goals, EASSI works with like minded partners to advocate and lobby for laws and policies to eliminate gender discrimination and promote gender equality in all areas. It works to strengthen the capacity and voice of women’s rights advocates. Its programme strategies are through, Research and documentation, Advocacy, Networking, information sharing, and Capacity Building

 

The young women’s internship programme provides opportunities for learning, interacting and traveling. Its objective is to develop and enhance young women’s skills in leadership, lobbying and advocacy, programme management, report writing and analysis, research and documentation, information management, developing resourceful data bases, website maintenance and resource centre management.

 

The programme also provides opportunity to the interns to gain hands on experiences in working within a women’s organisation.  They have the chance to bring their own perspectives into the work of EASSI and to shape the internship programme. The programme will also shape their approach to feminism and issues at regional and global level that impact on women.

 

At the end of the internship programme, each intern is expected to produce a research report on an area of their choice but related to the work that EASSI does, based on their experience at EASSI.

 

 

Criteria for Selection

  • Female between the age of  18 to 35
  • Citizen and resident of Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia or Tanzania
  • Must have at least a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences, Law, Development Studies, Mass Communication, Education, Information Technology, Gender and Women Studies, Economics and other related Arts and Science subjects.
  • Must be able to communicate fluently in spoken and written English. French and Kiswahiili are an added advantage
  • Must have practical interest in the advancement of women empowerment in the region
  • Must ably demonstrate how they will apply their skills to the advancement of women concerns within their own countries
  • Must have some workable knowledge of IT
  • Be able to work under pressure
  • Be able work as a team
  • Must be willing to be away from home country for nine months from April 1 to December 15  2008
  • Must possess a valid passport for at least a year

 

 

Expectations of the interns

The success of the program will be measured by:-

1. An analytical qualitative and quantitative research from each intern on any of the four program areas:-

  • Monitoring Commitments to the Platform for Action
  • Women’s Poverty, Food Insecurity and Lack of Economic Empowerment
  • Governance Leadership and Decision making
  • Peace and Conflict Resolution

 

2.                  Ability to demonstrate skills in each strategic area of EASSI

·        Research and Documentation

·        Advocacy

·        Networking and Information Sharing

·        Capacity Building

 

 

Requirements for the Application Process

 

1.                  Letter of recommendation by a credible women’s organization and endorsed by EASSI’s Focal Point in member country. Please find the focal point contacts below.

2.                  Curriculum vitae-not more than 3 A4 pages, including three referees, one academic, one personal and one from a women’s organisation

3.                  One recent colour passport photo-(either scan one or send by post)

4.                  Evidence of commitment to the women’s movement in the region

5.                  Copy of passport

6.                  Copy of academic certificates

7.                  One A4 page of written work in a field of women’s concerns

 

EASSI will provide suitable accommodation and a monthly stipend for each intern. They will also be entitled to two weeks leave.

 

The deadline for submission is 8th February 2008 at 1200pm GMT.

 

You can submit by email to Marren Akatsa-Bukachi at  eassi@eassi.org or post to

 

Marren Akatsa-Bukachi

Executive Director-EASSI

P O Box 24965

Kampala, Uganda

East Africa

 

 

 

FOCAL POINT MEMBERS ARE BELOW.

 

  1. Dr. Akinyi Nzioki

(Chairperson)

Individual Member

Kenya

Info@clearwomen.org

254-20-445061
  1. Tsegga Gaim

National Union of Eritrean Women

(NUEW)

Eritrea

tgaim@nuew.org

 

291-1-119304

 
  1. Deborah Okumu/
  2. Joy Masheti

 

 

 

 

 

 

Centre for Women in Leadership

CWL

 

 

 

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

info@kwpcaucus.org

 

254-273 7663

 

 

 
  1. Ayan Mohamed

IIDA

Somalia

iida@globalsom.com, ayanm7@yahoo.com
  1. Usu Mallya/Anna Mushi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanzania Gender Networking Program

(TGNP)

 

 

 

 

Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P O Box 8921 Dar es Salaam

info@tgnp.org

255- 22-2443450

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EASSI APPEALS FOR ASSISTANCE FOR KENYAN REFUGEES

January 14, 2008 at 7:27 am · Filed under Kenya elections

Dear All,

 

I hope you are well. I wish you a very happy new year. For many Kenyans and others in the region, the year has begun disastrously. That is why we need your help. Together with Uganda Red Cross, The Eastern African Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), which is an organisation that monitors Government commitments made to women in Eastern Africa, requests you to assist with items which will be delivered to the Kenyan refugees that are in Uganda. The collecting centre will be at EASSI offices located on Bukoto-Ntinda Road, Plot 87. Feel free to call or email us using the contacts below if you would like us to pick the items from your offices. The most urgent items which were identified for the refugees were:-

1.     Baby Milk

2.     Dry Food

3.     Clothes

4.     Sanitary Towels

5.     Underclothes

We do thank you for your support. Please feel free to ask any further questions.

 

Warm Regards,

 

 

 Marren Akatsa-Bukachi

Executive Director-EASSI

The East African  Sub-regional Support Initiative for The Advancement of Women (EASSI) 

Plot 87 Bukoto-Ntinda Road P. O. BOX 24965, Kampala Uganda

Tel: 256-41-285163, 285194

Fax: 256-41-285306

 eassi@eassi.org

Website: http//www.eassi.org

Blog: www.eassi.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

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2008-FIREWORKS TO CELEBRATE AND FIREWORKS AFTER ELECTION FLAWS

January 8, 2008 at 12:43 pm · Filed under Kenya elections

While the rest of the world waited with abated breath for the ushering in 2008, Kenya experienced a plummeting humanitarian situation after rigged Presedential elections. We sat by our televisions and phones to hear the latest. It got worse. And after that, got even more worse. We could only think. Another genocide in East Africa? Kenya’s post election violence rocked not only her neighbouring countries but the rest of the world. For a country with relatively growing and stable economy, highly rated tourism especially places like Lamu.

So many people have suffered violently and many have lost lives. There are uncountable women an children as well who are undergoing rape in the worst form. Below is an appeal for help by our friends from Urgent Action Fund in Nairobi.

CALL FOR HELP IN SETTING UP RAPE CRISIS CENTRES

Urgent Action Fund-Africa has supported The Nairobi Women’s Hospital
to set up 4 crisis response centres (Women’s Gender Recovery Unit s)
in Mathare, Huruma, Jamhuri Park and Kibera to provide , shelter,
security, and more importantly medical and psychological care to rape
victims who are unable to access the services because the informal
settlements have been sealed off by security personnel and violent
protestors. The hospital is now FULL , it has dealt with 19 cases in
the last 24 hours. There are 75,000 displaced people in Jamhuri park
alone, majority of whom are women and children. Total numbers of
displaced Kenyans has topped 300,000 and growing daily.

Other contributors to this initiative include St Johns Ambulance and
Red Cross who have provided an ambulance and tents respectively. The
Red Cross is also providing food to the IDP’s . We are appealing for
more funds. We need Kenya Shillings 5.8 million (USD 90,000). UAF-
Africa is contributing $10,000.  We see the action as contributing to
protecting the lives of the most marginalized in our communities;
women and girls living in informal settlements. Those who are most
vulnerable and subject to gender based sexual violence in this
situation of crisis.

If you want to assist, kindly contact

Vicky Karimi or Betty Murungi at
Urgent Action Fund-Africa
Life Ministry Centre
Jabavu Road, Kilimani
PO BOX 53841-00200
Nairobi Kenya
Tel +254 20 2731095
Fax +254 20 2731094
info@urgentactionfund-africa.or.ke or vicky@urgentactionfund- africa.or.ke

or
Lucy Kiamaa at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital
Gender Violence Recovery Centre
Nairobi Women’s Hospital
Argwings Kodhek Road , Hurlingham
P.O. Box 10552 – 00100
Tel: +254 20 2726821/4/6/7, +254 20 2736845
Fax: +254 20 2716651
Email: gvrc@nwch.co.ke or lkiama@nwch.co.ke
Nairobi, Kenya

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SOMALIA-SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR

November 29, 2007 at 5:59 am · Filed under SOMALIA WOMEN

   
Somalia is one of our member countries at EASSI and during our peace campaigns we have tried endlessly to combine efforts with others to contribute to the peace process. It has not been easy. Currently, we are shooting a documentary on the peace process and women’s involvement. We interviewed a few Somali women and their stories are horrendous. I understand that Somalia was grateful for being invited for CHOGM and discuss pertinent issues. However, there is so much at stake. Below is an excerpt I got from IRIN NEWS.

26 November 2007 (IRIN) – Halimo Omar, 40, fled fighting in Mogadishu, and is now living in a cramped, makeshift camp for the displaced near the town of Afgoye, 30km south of the capital. Her family first sought refuge in Jowhar, in the Middle Shabelle region, in the south, and later moved to Arabiska in Afgoye, where she lives with her blind husband and four children in a hut made of twigs, torn plastic and old clothes.

“It [the hut] gives us shade from the sun but when it rains it cannot help us. We arrived here [at the IDP camp] 11 days ago [15 November] when Hawlwadaag became a battleground.” (Omar had been living with her family in Hawlwadaag district, south Mogadishu, near Bakara market, considered to be one of the most dangerous areas in the capital, with frequent clashes between insurgents and government troops.)

“Every day and night there was fighting going on. It seemed that every house was hit. We finally decided to leave. There were dead bodies all over the place. Sometimes you had to step over dead people to get away.

“My husband requires constant attention because of his blindness. It was hard taking care of four children and a blind man when things were good; it is even harder now, especially when one has to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

“My 18-year-old son used to help take care of the family. We used to both find work at Bakara market, but now even that is closed. We have been through a lot but this is the worst it has been in the past 17 years.

“Previously, there was a limit to the suffering because everybody was not affected so you got some help. Now there is no limit, everybody is in the same situation, so you cannot expect or hope for help from anyone. Now at the camp, I go into the bush every morning to collect firewood and later try to sell it at the roadside to add to what I get during the distributions [of relief food].

“But thank God we are at least alive. Many of our neighbours did not make it. I would like to go back but I don’t see how, with the situation the way it is. I am losing hope of ever going back to Mogadishu.”

SOURCE: IRIN NEWS

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2008 YOUNG WOMEN’S YOUNG LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

November 28, 2007 at 6:37 am · Filed under women leadership and training programs

ADVERTISEMENT FOR 2008 YOUNG WOMEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

Do you want to experience a nine-month –long internship programme at EASSI?

EASSI is an eleven year old sub-regional support initiative for women that boasts of having a hand in the implementation of Government commitments to women and girls’ advancement. This program targets women from the ages of 18 to 35 from any of the eight countries of the sub-region, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Every year we target four women. In 2008, we specifically seek women from Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

EASSI works on policy advocacy on governments to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. Through its work it aims to narrow the gap between policy rhetoric and policy implementation. Placing the advancement of women at the centre of all of its efforts, EASSI focuses its activities on four strategic areas: (1) Monitoring the Beijing Platforms for Action as a key focal area, (2) reducing feminized poverty, (3) increasing the role of women in peace building and conflict resolution, (4) achieving gender equality in democratic governance by increasing the numbers of women in power and decision-making, and recognizing that HIV/AIDS cuts across all areas and working with partners to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls. To pursue these goals, EASSI works with like minded partners to advocate and lobby for laws and policies to eliminate gender discrimination and promote gender equality in all areas. It works to strengthen the capacity and voice of women’s rights advocates. Its programme strategies are through, Research and documentation, Advocacy, Networking, information sharing, and Capacity Building

The young women’s internship programme provides opportunities for learning, interacting and traveling. Its objective is to develop and enhance young women’s skills in leadership, lobbying and advocacy, programme management, report writing and analysis, research and documentation, information management, developing resourceful data bases, website maintenance and resource centre management.

The programme also provides opportunity to the interns to gain hands on experiences in working within a women’s organisation. They have the chance to bring their own perspectives into the work of EASSI and to shape the internship programme. The programme will also shape their approach to feminism and issues at regional and global level that impact on women.

At the end of the internship programme, each intern is expected to produce a research report on an area of their choice but related to the work that EASSI does, based on their experience at EASSI.

.

Criteria for Selection

  • Female between the age of 18 to 35
  • Citizen and resident of Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia or Tanzania
  • Must have at least a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences, Law, Development Studies, Mass Communication, Education, Information Technology, Gender and Women Studies, Economics and other related Arts and Science subjects.
  • Must be able to communicate fluently in spoken and written English. French and Kiswahiili are an added advantage
  • Must have practical interest in the advancement of women empowerment in the region
  • Must ably demonstrate how they will apply their skills to the advancement of women concerns within their own countries
  • Must have some workable knowledge of IT
  • Be able to work under pressure
  • Be able work as a team
  • Must be willing to be away from home country for nine months from April 1 to December 15 2008
  • Must possess a valid passport for at least a year

Expectations of the interns

The success of the program will be measured by:-

1. An analytical qualitative and quantitative research from each intern on any of the four program areas:-

  • Monitoring Commitments to the Platform for Action
  • Women’s Poverty, Food Insecurity and Lack of Economic Empowerment
  • Governance Leadership and Decision making
  • Peace and Conflict Resolution

2. Ability to demonstrate skills in each strategic area of EASSI

· Research and Documentation

· Advocacy

· Networking and Information Sharing

· Capacity Building

Requirements for the Application Process

1. Letter of recommendation by a credible women’s organization and endorsed by EASSI’s Focal Point in member country

2. Curriculum vitae-not more than 3 A4 pages, including three referees, one academic, one personal and one from a women’s organisation

3. One recent colour passport photo-(either scan one or send by post)

4. Evidence of commitment to the women’s movement in the region

5. Copy of passport

6. Copy of academic certificates

7. One A4 page of written work in a field of women’s concerns

EASSI will provide suitable accommodation and a monthly stipend for each intern. They will also be entitled to two weeks leave.

The deadline for submission is Monday January 14 January 2008 at 1200pm GMT.

You can submit by email to Marren Akatsa-Bukachi at eassi@eassi.org or post to

Marren Akatsa-Bukachi

Executive Director-EASSI

P O Box 24965

Kampala, Uganda

East Africa

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WOMEN AND PEACE-BY NIVATITI NANDUJJA

November 28, 2007 at 6:17 am · Filed under Women and the peace process

Nivatiti is one of our interns for this year 2007. She comes from Uganda and has a degree on Law from Makerere University, Kampala.  Her major interst has been wome’s role in the peace process of Uganda. I decided to include one of her articles here to give you a feel of what she means.

 

WOMEN’S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN PEACE BUIDING.

 

Women must take the leadership role in conflict resolution and peacemaking, not only to protect themselves and their children from immediate war dangers and its effects of internal and external displacement and insecurity, but because they are the ones, individually and collectively, who have the potential to save future generations. It is the duty and obligation of all humanity to enable them to do so.

 

Zerfinesh Ketsella Bendow, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF Eastern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) Nairobi 1994.

 

Women represent an untapped resource in peace building. Stereotypical images of women as passive victims of war overshadow their agency and contributions to peace building, and belie the complex reality of women’s experiences in conflict situations. In 2000, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the essential role that women play in peace-building in its historic Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Defining women by their biological roles is problematic and gives rise to gender inequality and the oppression of women in society. In today’s conflicts, more than 70 % of the casualties are civilians, most of them women and children. Women face specific and devastating forms of violence related to gender, including rape as a weapon of war and sexual slavery, practices that in turn greatly increase their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

 

Women as care givers and peace makers they are the first to be affected by infrastructure breakdown like in Somalia, and may be forced to adopt survival strategies that involve their exploitation. In the Eastern Africa Sub region, women have recognised that peace and security issues have become inextricably and intertwined for development. Women too the front lines urging for the end to conflicts through peace talks, signing peace accords, peace campaigns and providing support that allows their families and communities to survive, however they have remained in the periphery of formal peace and reconstruction processes. It has been recognised that for a sustainable peace to be successful, women must take up an equal role in shaping decisions in their country. Women’s’ perspectives and experiences are critical to stability and development for inclusive governance. Recovery, disarmament and rehabilitation provide a chance to strengthen gender justice through the formulation of laws, judicial systems and political processes that uphold women’s equality for instance in the Gacaca courts in Rwanda.

 

Women activists in Rwanda have strongly lobbied to produce Constitutional guarantees for women’s participation in peace-building. After the Kigali Declaration, women ex-combatants have been demobilized through forming “Ndabanga Association”, an association of women ex-combatants to develop new ties with the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission for systematically reintegration processes.

 

Due to genocide and massacres that destroyed the Rwanda social bond, women groups from all ethnicities, refugees and returnees came together to reflect on the way forward to create a favourable environment for a fair society where lasting peace reigns, recognition and respect of human rights for national building. Rwandanese women have developed strong networks among which is Profemme Twesehamwe a network of 48 Organisations which advocates for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The Association of Genocide Widows (AVEGA) empowers widows to deal with their past experiences and to rebuild their shattered lives. They have been engaged in small income generating activities like making “peace baskets” for sale to generate income for their families.

 

 In the absence of formal peace processes, women’s groups have embarked on individual diplomacy by reaching out to each other across the lines of conflict and ethnicity to enable peaceful co-existence. They have built mutual trust and found unity in working together on women’s human rights issues, and have supported each other in fostering peace within their communities.

In light of this, women have resorted to making significant contributions towards the culture of peace. They are largely known to be responsible for nurturing positive cultural practices and they offer non-violence skills in conflict situation. Although women are less visible than men, they should be involved in seeking solutions to issues that are intrinsic to peace building, sustainable economic and political development for national building.

 


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SALW VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN NAIROBI

November 19, 2007 at 3:44 pm · Filed under Gender and violence

EASSI finally held her small arms and light weapons validation workshop in Nairobi. What’s that? well, a small arm is basically a gun that is used for personal use. That is a putting it very plainly. There are hundreds of types of small arms. Some people want to argue that machetes are also small arms and light weapons-maybe? given their role in genocides. Well, this workshop was facilitated by EASSI. EASSI has, over the past months, been reading up on the national action plans (naps) on small arms and light weapons (salw) of uganda, kenya and tanzania and interviewing a few key person(s). EASSI discovered that the NAPS lacked a bit of gender responsiveness and so came up with an evaluation report. At this workshop, experts from the five east african countries looked at the report and critiqued it to make it thorough. There were also sessions on defining SALW. Another key aspect was to identify gender mainstreaming guidelines for the process.
Over 30 participants attended the workshop even after late invitations went out. That shows that the workshop was truly meant to be. The training was at SOS Training centre in Karen which, is almost one thousand light years away from Nairobi but looks rally neat. Apart from the double rooms that look like dormitories , the place is neat, serene and breathtaking and the kitchen staff and managers treat their customers very well. If they stopped making so much tree tomato juice, everything would be excellent.

The report , which was drafted by Marren Akatsa-Bukachi, the lead consultant and Jessica Nkuuhe,  staff- Joyce Tamale and Jane Ocaya-Irama, was given a thorough critique from the participants as they divided into country groups. (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania) Members from EAC, Rwanda and Burundi divided themselves amongst these groups.

From the beginning, it was evident that all participants wanted the recommendations to be implemented from the workshop and to serve the purpose of the people so that it does not serve as a workshop for workshop’s sake. In all honesty, all of us had attended so many workshops each that we were suffering from workshop syndrome. As I mentioned before, the participants came from  rich backgrounds of expertise and each added value to the process. Inteerstingly, while NAPS shold be public property, nobody at the workshop had ever got a hold of the Tanzania NAP on SALW apart from a summary.

Mary Makoffu, who represented the EAC made mention of the fact that such important information should be disseminated at the level fo EAC and she made commitment to ensuring it were so.

Other participants needed clarity on gender issues and were wary of some of the gender terms that were rather too curt and biased like gender blindness and gender ignorance and advised on one common term that served the same purpose eg. gender sensitivity.

After Jessica Nkuuhe guided us through the gender mainstreaming process , she carefuly told us that while it is important to engender the NAPS, sometimes women too are used as perpetratrs in conflict situations and used to acarry arms. This and other discussions made the workshop a success.

The next time we will meet with a revised report and NAPS from Rwanda and Burundi.

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