USIP, through its Grant Program and other units, has a long history of working on the ground to build the capacity of women to address conflicts in their communities. These activities are consistent with the Institute's goal of building the capacity of local peacemakers worldwide, as part of its broader mission to help prevent violent conflict and promote peacebuilding.
 

The goal of building the capacity of local peacemakers is of particular importance in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, where local conflict can rapidly escalate to violence. In the past, this violence has caused significant damage to the oil installations which supply roughly ten percent of US oil imports.

After decades of conflict, a recent amnesty program offered to militants in the region by the Nigerian government is credited with reducing violence and attacks on oil infrastructure. The root causes of the violence, however, remain unaddressed, and many fear that militant groups will return to violence if more far-reaching change is not achieved.

In the Delta, women are well-placed to act as agents of change and lead efforts to restore peace and security. In most cases, however, women lack the skills and the confidence to play such a role. With USIP support, the IANSA Women’s Network-Nigeria, is working to change this.

IANSA’s initiative is innovative in its sustained and integrated capacity building. The project combined training with an immersion and mentoring program in which rural women come to live with women in the cities and are mentored by them in social change. It then held advocacy visits and community forums with key policymakers in order to provide opportunities for the woman to practice and build confidence in their ability to successfully engage with policymakers. In each of the three states the project was implemented, Delta, Edo, and Rivers, the participants have formed the “Mothers for Peace” network to allow continued collective action.

Based on the survey work done by IANSA, key achievements of the project include increased confidence in initiating and sustaining peacemaking processes, demystifying the process of paying advocacy visits to policymakers, and increasing the support of men in the communities for women playing a role in peacemaking processes.

Experience in Nigeria, in Africa, and throughout the world has shown that if provided the right opportunities, women are exceedingly effective peacemakers. In the Niger Delta, the holistic model developed by IANSA has prepared women to be more effective peacemakers, and as importantly, has prepared the women’s communities to accept this role.

Related Publications

The Latest: Three Things to Know About the U.S.-Africa Security Partnership

The Latest: Three Things to Know About the U.S.-Africa Security Partnership

Thursday, June 22, 2023

By: Oluwafemi Gbadebo;  Stanley Makgohlo

USIP’s African Diplomat Seminar offers newly arrived diplomats a chance to connect with the U.S. policymakers, agencies and departments working on advancing U.S.-Africa policy. Stanley Makgohlo, political counselor at the South African Embassy, and Oluwafemi Gbadebo, minister in the Nigerian Embassy, discuss how the seminar has helped their work at the nexus of peace and development and how the growing U.S.-Africa partnership can help address the challenges facing their country.

Type: Blog

Global Policy

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

By: Andrew Glazzard

Dealing with people who leave violent extremist groups has become one of the most pressing security issues of our time. Drawing on new primary research conducted by the author in Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria, and existing research on disengagement and reintegration, this report underscores the challenges of administering rehabilitation programs in conditions of chronic insecurity—and of doing so at a scale sufficient to make a difference to hundreds or even thousands of people in short order.

Type: Peaceworks

Violent Extremism

After Nigeria’s Elections: Nurturing the Seeds of Better Democracy

After Nigeria’s Elections: Nurturing the Seeds of Better Democracy

Thursday, April 13, 2023

By: Chris Kwaja

Nigeria’s latest elections heighten the country’s need for a reset of its democracy. Nigeria’s two dominant parties abandoned an informal pact that has rotated power between north and south, papering over the deeper, wider problem of ensuring real political inclusion among Nigeria’s disparate regions and communities. The recent national and state-level votes failed to deliver anguished Nigerians the promise of wider voter participation and transparent election results. Still, the campaigns and voting contained seeds for critical change that now must be cultivated by Nigeria’s newly elected government; its courageous, pro-democracy civil society; its vast, energized youth population; and its partners.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

Nigeria’s Vote Signals Risks: How Its Partners Can Support Democracy

Nigeria’s Vote Signals Risks: How Its Partners Can Support Democracy

Thursday, March 9, 2023

By: James Rupert

Nigeria’s disputed election 12 days ago is raising protest at home and concern abroad over its implications for the strength of democracy in that country and across Africa. Yesterday’s new wrinkle was the postponement of this week’s planned election for Nigerian state governors. Nigeria’s electoral commission is working to fix problems in a vote management system that failed to transparently process and report a result on February 25. An erosion of democracy’s credibility in Africa’s most populous nation would be catastrophic.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Elections & Conflict

View All Publications