Pourquoi la célébration de l’IWD le 8 mars est importante pour la paix et la stabilité, au Sahel comme ailleurs

The theme for this year’s 8 March is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the change on response to climate change, including adaptation and mitigation, to build a more sustainable future for all.

Gender equality is not a slogan at the RACC. It is what the Regional Advisory and Coordination Cell for the Sahel subscribes to in each of its activities with its partners of the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger), that have set up a joint army and police force (the Force Conjointe/Joint Force), to combat terrorism in the border areas.

A gender perspective is included in all the RACC’s activities aiming at ultimately enhancing the capabilities of the G5 Sahel in terms of internal security and defence.
For example, the RACC Gender Adviser works closely with the Gender Expert of the G5S Secretariat. One of the priorities of this cooperation is the promotion of women meaningful participation into the joint army and police forces for which an Action Plan was defined.

Just to provide an outlook of the situation in the area where the RACC’s experts operate and to give a simple example of why gender inclusion and ultimately gender equality are key, the G5-Sahel soldiers have reported about not being able to carry out their operations successfully when working in all-men teams. They say that every time they visit a village, somehow the villagers would know in advance that the soldiers are coming. All the men would leave the village before the battalion’s arrival and the soldiers would only find women, children, and elderly. Male outsiders however, and especially soldiers, cannot approach women due to cultural settings. It is quite clear why having female soldiers on the ground would make a huge difference, as they would be able to gain full access to community, for instance speaking with the women, gather crucial information for the purpose of anti-terrorism operation, and reassure rural community with their presence in terms of inclusion. The presence of women in the security forces, in the Sahel, as elsewhere, plays a part in female figure as role models.

The inclusion of women into the G5 Sahel joint force, as well as in the national forces, is also a priority for the EU Missions and Operations deployed in the area, namely EUTM Mali and EUCAP missions in Mali and Niger. The RACC contributes to the effectiveness of their action organising regular online coordination meetings between the G5S and the EU Missions. Some of these meetings also include UN organizations working on the same issue, for instance UN Women.

Gender issues are also integrated in all the regional trainings that the RACC organises for the G5 Sahel Joint Force. It is often during these trainings that the military staff talk about the importance to have women in their team. Gender Based Violence is a very important topic in the Sahel, consequently, is crucial in trainings provided to Sahelian counterparts. In this context, the RACC’s Gender Adviser’s role involves advocating for the important role women play in peace making. This ensures that women are not only seen as victims, but also as partners of the army and the police. This is one of the aspects of the RACC’s implementation of the EU policy commitment on gender equality in the Sahel.

"Women in the Sahel play a specific role in peace making, and as mediators. Women bring "soft skills" to the negotiation table. The ability to see the whole picture but at the same time to identify and give attention to details are crucial to the peace process." Explains RACC’s Gender and Human Rights Advisor Marianne Flach, from The Netherlands.
Committing to peace has never been as urgent today, in the Sahel, like in Europe and worldwide. Women and girl’s empowerment and inclusion play an essential role. This is why this 8 March, despite dire circumstances concerning us all, it is important to mark IWD.