NEWS
For the first time, Garissa women identified as key actors in peace-building and reducing insurgency
GARISSA—The role women can play in peace building and security has for long been deliberately ignored, but that is set to change thanks to a new survey.
According to a baseline survey conducted by the Garissa-based NGO Womankind Kenya (WOKIKE) revealed that having women at the centre of peace and security programs is a powerful tool to minimise instances of insurgency and pre-empt deadly attacks.
“One of the most outstanding value-addition (of the initiative) is the fact that it’s the first of its kind dedicated to preventing and countering violent extremism refugee camps and among the host communities,” noted Abdullahi Abdi, the Executive Director of WOKIKE
The survey “Strengthening the Capacity of Women’s Participation in Peace and Security Initiatives in Garissa” was conducted at Ifo, Dagahley and Hagadera Refugee Camps in Daadab sub-county, Garissa County.
Women following proceedings during a meeting at Daadab [WOKIKE]
The report, which was supported by the UN Women, will form part of the Garissa County Action Plan (GCAP), a five year scheme that’s aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism in the area which has seen a surge in terror activities since mid last year.
In late February, two police officers were killed and three others injured in a suspected Al-Shabab militant attack on a police vehicle near the Dadaab refugee camp after the vehicle they were traveling in came in contact with an improvised explosive device along Garissa-Dadaab Road.
Dadaab Parliament member Farah Maalim said in a telephone conversation the government needs to change its tactics.
“The way to deal with al-Shabab is not to use mechanized conventional military system, the way to deal with them is to have people tracking them and bringing them down one by one,” Maalim said.
Daadab leaders condemn today's suspected Al-Shabaab attack between Hagarbul and Saretho areas, call on the residents to be "proactive." pic.twitter.com/KTMQ5Xkt1N
— Kulan Post (@kulanpost) February 14, 2023
In line with the MPs observation, WOKIKE has conducted the survey in a bid to highlight, among others, the danger posed and the disconnect created when women are excluded from the peace-building processes as well as the prevention of violent extremism.
Several previously published studies have revealed that women play varied roles in the execution and recruitment of extremist albeit with little detection.
“Women act as spies, transportation of food, medical supplies and to some extent, recruit their spouses into violent extremism,” the report said in part.
It added that: “By deliberately including women in the peace-building activities, it is anticipated that the initiative will drive away Gender Based Violence (GBV) and create a space for them in the highly patriarchal sphere. It will also amplify the the impact of extremism on women and girls.”
GCAP established that three areas were required for immediate and urgent action for the situation in Garissa County to be normalized and terror cells starved of sites for further recruitment. The first action was rigorous information-sharing through the various media channels, including local tea joints and maskanis.
Such an approach, the report suggests, would counter the current state where propaganda from Violent Extremists seems to have reached a very high level of believability. The second immediate action was the restoration of trust between the law enforcement officers (including the armed forces) with the local community.
