“…I found myself stranded in the bush in the middle of the night. That is when it occurred to me that this was not the overseas job i always craved for”.
Women’s role in violence prevention has gained a lot of significance in recent times. #The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2025 – “Invest in Women: Accelerate Action” is a testament calling for deliberate efforts towards the elevation of women in development circles and taking bold steps to achieve gender equality. The theme is also aligned with the demands of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2023: ending gender-based violence through adequate funding, making investment in violence prevention a priority. URI’s principle 8 which states that … “We practice equitable participation of women and men in all aspects of URI”, ensures the provision of safe spaces for all gender participation to better their lives as they coexist.
At just 25 years of age, Amanda (not real name) found herself involuntarily led to a rebel group in some place in some country X in Africa a journey which was destined to work abroad. A newly wed in a just a couple of days before the fateful day, Amanda’s husband told her to pack her bags and head for her long-awaited trip to work abroad. With all the excitement, she had no knowledge of any legal requirements to process one’s travel overseas, for she had nothing to her name-no passport and no visa! Her weird imagination had made her believe in a magical experience. After a night-long journey on the bus, they entered the jungle walking for miles and although she was tired, her spirits were lifted after seeing a small plane land in the jungle. She knew that this was her time to fly away for her job opportunity. She was though surprised to be instructed to go and unload guns and ferry them to the nearby shack. This then transformed excitement into fear and anxiety.
Later, she found herself at a trade-off point in a jungle where she along with a dozen others (mostly young women) had to change into military attire and given guns to brace themselves for the journey ahead. Her husband was not in sight anymore. His mission was done and had to return home to lookout for more recruits. Days later, she found herself in a training camp for a renowned rebel group in country X, having mostly young women, boys and children undergoing military training and others reciting some morale boosting songs.
Stories of this degree bring to light different complexities that befall women, robbing them of their rights and self-determination in choosing the right development paths for their lives. Most African cultures put women at the periphery in decision making whether at home or in public and mostly in faith groups. Like the case of Amanda, it wasn’t her choice to go to the bush, but rather her desire was to work overseas to uplift her status and have a stable future she so much desired.
Knowing the power women have in transforming society starting right from their own homes, URI-Great Lakes places a lot of emphasis on placing women at the forefront of violence prevention and other social vices. URI’s programs invest in allocating special budgets towards women, specifically in areas of economic empowerment, by mobilizing women in small groups at the grassroots and as individuals to start small enterprises or businesses to have a stable income. We also offer psychosocial support and reintegrate such cases back into the community working with a spectrum of key actors.
As mothers of the entire humanity, women the anchors of the family not necessarily the heads but anchors, play a vital role in household development and once they get destructed by violence of any kind, impacts them significantly. However, families can have a higher income base if women are stable and contributing to the family economic base. The current family progression requires an empowered woman and not that affected by the continuous violence related challenges (both psychological and physical), which may hamper progress. Those affected psychologically can’t support a healthy nurturing environment for the children as well which continues the cycle of no progression for generations.
This month of March is dedicated to celebrating women everywhere around the world. Follow us to know more about our social actions to elevate and invest in women! #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #InvestInWomen
This article is written by URI-Great Lakes Communications Team.
