Over 20 women, from the five counties of Torit, Magwi, Ikotos, Kapoeta South, and Kapoeta East, concluded training in transformational leadership in the Eastern Equatoria State capital, Torit, last Friday.
The two-day training, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), aimed to impart skills in transformational leadership, conflict management, peacebuilding, advocacy, and agenda setting.
Speaking during the conclusion of the training, Hellen Langolio, the chairlady of the Kapoeta South County Women’s Association, said she gained valuable knowledge which she will transfer to other women.
“I am very happy with this training; I got enough knowledge on how I can handle people and be strong,” she said. “I will go train other women and extend them all the knowledge I have gotten here.”
For her part, Magret Ladu, the UNDP representative, called for collaborative efforts to address conflicts among communities and assured the women leaders that similar training sessions would be offered in the future, with an extended duration.
“We have taken notes of the issues of the conflicts, so together with you and the government, we will find ways to address some of these issues because we are all aware that conflict is part of our lives,” she stated. “However, it is also our role to find solutions to these conflicts.”
Meanwhile, Idwa Dominica, the Director General in the State Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, described the training as an important opportunity to advocate for increased participation of women in peace and security initiatives.
“I am looking at this as an opportunity for fighting for the participation of women in peace and security. When we are peaceful, we shall get the chance to participate in many things. We have four pillars of women in peace and security, one of them is participation in the community,” she said. “However, people did not recognize your work. Women participate a lot in peacebuilding, but people do not realise it and think peace agreements of Naivasa, Khartoum, and in Ethiopia are the ones recognized, not knowing that the one in the community is the beginning of addressing conflict from the grassroots.”
“You women are the heroes; you are the ones participating a lot, but people do not recognise your participation,” Idwa added.