Strengthening Women-Mediated Peace Processes in Tillaberi Region

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Niamey of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to increase women’s participation as mediators in community peace processes in Tillaberi Region.  Please follow all instructions below. Priority Region: Tillaberi Region Program Description and Objectives: In January 2023, community leaders in northern Tillaberi Region’s Bani Bangou Department signed a landmark peace agreement between the Fulani and Zarma ethnic groups. The peace agreement ended three years of cyclical intercommunal massacres exacerbated by the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara (IS-GS)’s vicious attacks and recruitment schemes in these localities. Six months later, Tuareg and Fulani leaders in neighboring Ouallam Department signed their own community peace accord to end similar intercommunal violence strategically spurred by IS-GS. Neither Bani Bangou nor Ouallam Department has experienced cyclical intercommunal massacres since the accords’ signature. The National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) has continued sponsoring the mediation of additional peace agreements in localities across northern Tillaberi Region since the coup d’etat in July 2023, targeting areas like Gourol Commune that have been devastated by intercommunal massacres, IS-GS warfare, and mass population displacement. Nigerien women did not serve as mediators in the negotiation of the Tillaberi Region peace accords. Instead, the men mediators held focus group discussions with women community members to incorporate their perspectives into their conflict analysis prior to the start of negotiations. This reflects a common trend in Nigerien peacebuilding and mediation: men lead and facilitate peace processes, involving women as passive informants and participants in the peace accord ceremonies. Peacebuilding interventions have had a transformative impact on the ability of women leaders in Tillaberi Region to mediate disputes and promote peace in their communities. Yet older men continue to dominate the mediation of community peace processes, ultimately leaving local patriarchal power structures untouched. Prospective projects should respond to the following goal: Women leaders will increase their participation in northern Tillaberi Region peace processes as mediators and institutionalize their leadership in partnership with national and local authorities by 2026. Prospective projects should reflect a strong strategic vision with clearly defined procedures for overcoming gender inclusion barriers in northern Tillaberi peace processes.  Prospective projects should build on previous women peacebuilding interventions in northern Tillaberi and work with local women leaders who have been already trained on mediation skills and conflict resolution. Applicants are strongly encouraged against holding new trainings for local women leaders and are instead advised to work with local women leaders who have previously received mediation training. Applicants are advised to focus on strategic activities that advance women’s integration into local peace process mediation. Possible project activities include: - Rapid gender inclusion assessment of northern Tillaberi Region peace processes - Gender inclusion strategy development for northern Tillaberi Region peace processes - Advocacy meetings to implement a peace process gender inclusion strategy - Gender-inclusive peace monitoring - Public gender inclusion sensitization activities Close collaboration with Nigerien authorities like the Ministry of Interior’s Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP) as well as other partners implementing peace process support activities in northern Tillaberi Region is essential for successful project implementation. The successful applicant will demonstrate a successful track record of gender inclusion in local peacebuilding and will have collaborated previously with national or local Nigerien authorities. Applicants should budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group that will ensure coordination with Nigerien authorities and other women, peace, and security implementing partners. Participants and Audiences: The successful applicant will work with women leaders in northern Tillaberi Region who have been trained by previous peacebuilding and gender inclusion programs to co-design and implement gender inclusion activities. The successful applicant will build on pre-existing relationships with local and national Nigerien authorities, community leaders, and women’s leaders in northern Tillaberi Region to manage a broad coalition of partners critical to successful gender inclusion.