The initiative was a result of the “Deepening Women Empowerment through Networking for Peace and Social Cohesion” project implemented by the Community Development Alliance (CDA).

The network comprised over 100 women from communities within all eleven municipalities and districts across the region irrespective of one’s cultural, religious, or tribal affiliation.

Speaking at the launch in Wa, Mr Salifu Issifu Kanton, the Executive Director of the CDA, noted that the critical role women played in promoting peaceful coexistence, and social cohesion could not be overemphasised.

The USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Littorals Regional Initiative (LRI) provided funding for a six-month pilot project in February 2022 implemented by the CDA to train and mentor 120 women leaders in the Sissala East, Wa Municipality, and Nandom Municipalities and the Lambussie district on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and social cohesion.

It was, however, upscaled in October 2022 to cover all eleven districts and municipalities in the region following the success of the pilot project.

Mr Kanton said the project had helped to increase social cohesion among community members and divergent tribes and cultures including the Birifoh, Fulbe, Sissali, Dagare, and Wali tribes among others saying, “Hitherto the segregation (between the Fulbe tribe and the other tribes) was very wide.”

“Women are at the back playing significant roles that are helping all of us. No matter our challenges, no matter our poverty level, no matter our underdevelopment, one thing we all must work to achieve is peace and security,” he added.

“You don’t need to show bravado, you need to be observant, vigilant, and alert about strange things and changes within your localities,” Mr Kanton said.

Madam Margaret A. Kyiu, Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Research Officer for the LRI programme, explained that the USAID LRI programme was launched in 2021 to build the capacity of local partners and develop community resilience mechanisms and capacities against violent extremist organisations in the Littorals regions of West Africa.

“In the Upper West Region, the LRI’s work has resulted in Assemblies realizing the socio-economic contributions of the Fulbe and women in the development of their districts,” Madam Kyiu explained.

The launch, which was on the theme: “Building Sustainable Peace and Security Together; the Role of Women,” brought together about 150 women across the region.

In a speech read on his behalf, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister commended the CDA and development partners for their efforts in training women in the region on peacebuilding.

Some of the beneficiaries recounted the impact of the training on their lives and said through the training they were able to contribute significantly to resolving conflicts in their families and communities.