Through MWAP, IRI and five local partners are working to strengthen civic advocacy targeting Muslim women and their communities in Liberia. MWAP is also being implemented in three other African countries.

The countries include Sudan, Nigeria and Somaliland with the aim of bringing together champions of advocacy to share lessons learned and experiences.

An IRI release said Dr. Nemata Eshun-Baiden, Chief Executive of NaMaYa and Training Consultancy of Sierra Leone, and Founder of the 50/50 Group in Sierra Leone will provide the keynote address and serve as lead training facilitator.

Dr. Eshun-Baiden is an educator, trainer and activist, specializing in the empowerment of civil society organizations in Sierra Leone. Officials from the government, UNMIL Gender Unit, Women NGOs, US Embassy and the Inter Religious Council of Liberia are also invited to grace this event.

MWAP aims to increase women's participation in the decision-making process through advocacy by enhancing the capacities of five local implementing partners who working with Muslim women from rural and disadvantaged communities, the release quoted IRI officials as saying.

The five local, implementing partners working with IRI under the pilot project are Liberia Islamic Union for Reconstruction and Development (LIURD), Human Development Foundation (HDP), Concerned Muslims for National Development (CMND), United Muslim Women Organization of Liberia (UNWOL) and Women Aid Incorporated (WAI).

The project's initial efforts have been focused on reaching out to both men and women to generate public awareness on issues affecting Muslim women and their communities. IRI and MWAP's local implementing partners are conducting this conference with the aim of tackling some of the challenges that hinder the participation of Muslim women.

The national conference according to IRI will provide an opportunity for implementing partners and stakeholders to acquire critical advocacy skills through series of presentations, group exercises and plenary discussion. Implementing partners will also present their findings from the advocacy needs assessment conducted in the target communities and conduct a peer review of their advocacy action plans, a release concluded.

Source: All Africa