On 2 June, Niger, together with the African Union and the European Union, will launch a new UN Group of Friends of the Sahel on the occasion of an Arria-Formula meeting of the Security Council.

Context

Women in the Sahel have a long history of contributing to peace building, conflict resolution, and development in their societies. Over time, they have shaped the social, political, and economic spaces in ways that induce positive change. Despite the important role that women in the Sahel play in peacebuilding and development, they are poorly represented in decision making and peace processes at the local, national, and regional levels. Moreover, women in the Sahel, particularly women leaders, peacebuilders and women human rights defenders, face increased threats to their security and human rights, including in the form of sexual and gender-based violence linked to conflict and violent extremism. It is therefore critical to strengthen safe spaces, strategies and protection systems that allow for a more effective participation of women from the Sahel in decision making that shape development and peacebuilding. This is all the more important since much of the narrative on the Sahel, and on Sahelian women and girls in particular, perpetuates stereotypes which contribute to stalling the ambitious goal of moving from precarity to widespread sustainable and sustained development and peace. 

Objective and scope

The goal of the Group of Friends of Women in the Sahel is to inform the discourse, policy, and practice on and in the Sahel by furthering the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in development and peace building.

This Group of Friends intends to:

• Provide a space for discussion to address/examine peace, security and development issues pertaining to the Sahel.
• Provide a space to critically address issues pertaining to the Sahel from the perspective of policymakers, civil society actors, scholars, and human rights defenders from the region, particularly women.
• Create an avenue to foster exchange between women of the Sahel and other regions on issues of development, peace and security.
• Ensure that women participate meaningfully, and a gender perspective is included in ongoing national, regional and international initiatives in and on the Sahel.
• Lead and support targeted advocacy on issues pertaining to the Sahel, including by facilitating exchange between women of the Sahel and other regions.
• Support and amplify the work of women from the Sahel in their efforts to build a better present and future for their communities.
• Support resources mobilization efforts for the implementation of national, reginal and international initiatives to accelerate gender equality and women and girls empowerment in the Sahel.
• Canvass for international support participation of Sahelian Women and girls in the context of SDGs implementation for the region.
• Advocate for regional and international strategies to cater for the special needs of women and girls as a critical actor in peace consolidation efforts in the region.

Membership and structure

Membership to the Group of Friends of Women in the Sahel is open to all UN Member States and Observers. The Group also welcomes relevant UN Agencies, regional entities, and other stakeholders of crucial interest including women’s organizations, particularly from the Sahel.

The Group of Friends is jointly chaired by a steering committee composed of the permanent representations of Niger, the African Union, and the European Union in partnership with G5 Sahel Member States and Sahel women’s groups.

To improve the synergy of actions between all actors, regular consultations with local focal points and experts of relevant Member States will inform the Group on its orientation.

Join the event on 2 June at 13:15 via the following link: UN Web TV