2008

December 16th – 21st 2008

Strategic Planning Meeting 2008

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights had its Strategic Planning Meeting tagged “Understanding BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights - A Key to Self –Examination” for its Strategic Planning Meeting at the Hotel Adlejo, Cotonou, Republic of Benin between December 16th – 21st 2008. All staff members and the Outreach Coordinators of Lagos State and Osun States were at the meeting

Some of the specific objectives of the meeting include the following:

The meeting helped to strengthen the capacity of staff members to carry out BAOBAB’s projects in line with the vision of the organization. It also provided a platform for building the capacity of staff members on auditing, and this led to the production of an advanced capacity building curriculum for members of staff and outreach members.

November 26th 2008

LAUNCHING OF THE NETWORK OF JOURNALISTS AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (JAVAW)

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights in collaborations with Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) organized the launching of the network of Journalists against Violence against Women (JAVAW) in November 26th 2008 at the Musa Yar ardua Centre, Abuja. Media Practitioners, Embassies and High Commissions, Development Partners, Academia, Government Officiers, Legislators, Women Human Rights Activists, Human Rights Organisations and the Nigerian Police Force and several others were in attendance.

Some of the objectives of the launching included bringing together like minded journalists in the struggle to end violence against women; promote gender balance reporting of cases of violence against women; and employ different tactics to ensure the elimination of violence against women.

As part of the major highlights, the representative of the Senate pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to work together with BAOBAB for women’s human rights in ensuring that bills bordering on policies and legislations on women’s human rights policies and legislations are passed.

Against the backdrop of the rising scourge of violence against women, the participant present commended the initiative and the commitment of the organization to follow-up the establishment of JAVAW.

November 19th -22nd, 2008

National Francophone Learning Institute for Women’s Leadership and Training of Trainers at the Hotel Memorial, Lomé, Togo

BAOBAB Women’s Human Rights in collaboration with Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace organized the National Francophone Learning Institute for Women’s Leadership and Training of Trainers at the Hotel Memorial, Lomé, Togo on November 19th -22nd, 2008. Participants were drawn from different non governmental organizations in Togo and Lomé regions who are leaders and senior level personnel in their organizations.

The objectives of the Learning Institute included the development and enhancement of the leadership potentials of women in order for them to aspire to and occupy leadership and decision-making positions; training women’s rights activists in Togo to become better trainers and advocates for women’s equal participation in civil society with special focus on facilitation skills training, including comprehensive training in facilitation techniques; and communication and advocacy training which includes creating media campaigns, and learning to communicate effectively to influence decision-makers and mobilise the public.

The Learning Institute was very beneficial to BAOBAB as enhanced the deconstruction of patriarchal ideology of leadership, as well as served as avenue for sharing of acceptable principles of transformative and horizontal leadership in contrast to the patriarchal ideology of leadership that participants initially believed to be based on culture. The women leaders and trainers in Lomé, were also able to make a personal vision statements as well as a shared vision statement. They also gained knowledge on of horizontal, consensus-building and democratic leadership as opposed to the strong male-dominant vertical leadership system that formed their previous leadership orientation.

Generally, more women leaders enlightened about Women’s Human Rights and the need to stand for these rights irrespective of all odds and the importance of networking as women regardless of cultural background and beliefs.

The participants expressed their concerns and appreciated the knowledge they have acquired to cause a change. One of the participants mentioned that she has never been so enlightened as such and that the institute have caused her to think likewise pushing her to act. Another participant enjoined women to come together and revive the falling glory of Togolese women.

The institute was initially based on the following premises:

As a result of the meeting, however, the Institute proposed to add the following premises:

The only challenge was the little distortion in language translation.

November 15,2008

Evaluation meeting of the Training of Trainers (TOT) Institute, Liberia

BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights in collaboration with NARDA and NAWOCOL Liberia organized a meeting of the Training of Trainers (TOT) Institute in Monrovia, Liberia on November 15, 2008. Participants were drawn from various NGOs and CBOs in Liberia.

The meeting had the following objectives:

Participants remarked that in the process of sharing experiences on what each of them had achieved or how they had changed after the workshop was enlightening because they were able to learn and pick new ideas from the experiences shared by their listeners. Participants also gained knowledge on how to creatively mange available resources in stepping down trainings. They found the information given on how to include parts of the leadership training in their existing programmes very informative.

November 12th – 16th, 2008

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized a Leadership Training from a Gender Perspective for Police and Judicial Personnel in Chelsea Hotel, Abuja on November 12 th – 16 th, 2008. Participants were drawn from Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Maiduguri, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kebbi

BAOBAB found the training very successful as participants all promised to sensitize people especially the women in their constituencies all that they learnt about leadership. *Participants’ came up with the vision statement for Friends of Women Access to Justice (FOWAJ)

The training was very interactive because all participants were able to share their experiences on how they have exhibited leadership qualities. Each participant came up with personal vision statement as well as plan of action to its realization.

September 22nd-27th2008

Young Women Leadership Institute Program, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Twenty three young feminists from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria participated in the Young Women’s Leadership Institute whose goal is to develop and enhance the leadership potentials of young women in order for them to aspire and occupy leadership and decision making positions in Nigeria.

The training had the following objectives:

July 21st-22nd 2008

The 5th NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGION

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights as part of her intervention efforts convened her 5 th Annual National Discussion on women’s human rights and religion with the theme “CEDAW: A Tool for a Balanced Society: Debunking the Myths and Misconceptions of the Convention” . The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979. The United Nations General Assembly set forth the scope and definitions which constitute gender discrimination and identifies the commitment of states to end discrimination on the basis of sex. The 2-day National Discussion was held at Crest Hotel, Jos,Plateau State,Nigeria between 21 st and 22 nd of July 2008.

The discussion featured over 50 participants drawn from different backgrounds such as religious and traditional institutions, the media, government agencies, academia, human rights organisations, e.t.c. Resources persons from within and outside the country presented papers at the National Discussion.

Objectives of the National Discussion are:

Observations

Major observations at the discussion are that:

Arising from the above observations, the following recommendations are made, That:

Leadership training workshop for Women in the Academia

BAOBAB in collaboration with the University of Jos organized a leadership training for Women in the Academia.The three day training was held in the University of Jos,Plateau from the 9th to the 11th of June 2008.Participants of the workshop were female Academics of the University of Jos.

The aim of the workshop was to;

Some of the benefits as shared by participants after the workshop include;

The workshop gave BAOBAB the opportunity of sensitizing women in academics which from past research had been a group that usually resist change and do not accept or hide their problems or issues due to perceived pressures to live up to their academic status.

The workshop also provided BAOBAB the opportunity to expand her network and contacts.

The objectives of the workshop were met. At the beginning of the workshop, quite a number of participants felt they already knew the issues that would be discussed and were not very keen while some others were very withdrawn and did not want to speak or contribute to discussions.

May 28,2008

BAOBAB/WLP Evaluation Training

In May 2007, BAOBAB-WLP training of Trainers was conducted for diverse women from across Nigeria, using the English edition of WLP’s manual Leading to Choices: A Leadership Training Handbook for Women and the Multimedia curriculum, Leading to Choices: A Multimedia Curriculum for Leadership Learning. The training, which was held in Akure, Ondo State of Nigeria, had exposed the participants to learning leadership strategies that would further empower them as leaders able to demonstrate inclusive, participatory and gender sensitive leadership in their constituencies.

In further commitment to WLP’s theory of change and transformative leadership, these past beneficiaries of BAOBAB/WLP National training of trainers (TOT) leadership institute were re-convened for an evaluation of the change process and experiences that must have taken place in their personal lives as leaders, as well as in their leadership role within their families, immediate communities and the larger society. The 12 leaders that reconvened for the evaluation came from diverse sectors of the society –including community based leaders, politicians, women’s human rights activists, policy makers etc. The evaluation meeting took place at Excellence Hotel Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on May 28, 2008. The beneficiaries were very excited to see one another again and were eager to learn about what each of them had been up to since the training. It was a very participatory meeting and beneficiaries openly shared their achievements, challenges and future plans. They all looked forward to learning new ideas and strategies in carrying out their work, and also surmounting obstacles that they encounter as leaders.....More

April 7– 13, 2008

Meeting on Women’s Human Rights and Religion: Bridge Building (BB 18)

Every year BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights holds Bridge – Building meetings. These meetings bring together people from diverse belief systems to interact, examine the contents of their belief systems vis – a- vis women’s human rights and come to a common understanding of these rights, as well as customary laws and practices. This is an ongoing program aimed at preventing conflict between these groups and ensuring peaceful co-existence. This year the 17 th and 18 th edition of Bridge – Building Meeting took place in Kano on April 7 th – 13 th, 2008.

The Objectives of the meeting were to open up discussions on the rights of women and religion, develop, protect and promote the rights of women in religion, document and develop a resource document, mobilize local efforts for the protection of women’s human’s rights, bridge the gaps of understanding on women’s human rights across religious back groundsandstrategise on interventions in individual case of violation of women’s human rights under religious laws

The Muslim Group

The meeting provided an opportunity for better understanding of the rights accorded to women by Islam as well as the differences between Islamic laws and Muslim laws. The denial/violation of women’s rights is not a religious injunction but culture and tradition being camouflaged as religion. It was established that the causes of misinterpretations of religious texts are many, some of which are: translations, social circumstances, the human factor, distortions along the path of transmission, rigidity of ideas and beliefs, monopoly or hoarding of knowledge by a particular group, differences in understanding and reasoning

BAOBAB was able to create awareness and educate people on women’s human rights. The participants being representatives of different groups will pass the knowledge acquired to their colleagues in addition to applying them as individuals. The participatory nature of the meeting ensured that participants gained a lot form each other’s experiences and that BAOBAB got more inputs to update its resource document on Women’s Rights in Muslim Laws.

The Christian Group

The workshop had as outcome the production of a written and signed communiqué by the Christian groups. In addition, BAOBAB recorded a remarkable group dynamics as the participants explained that they were hardly aware of these facts on women’s human rights concerns and how the misinterpretation of religious texts is contributing to the discrimination of women. Participants expressed the enthusiasm to carry forward the sensitization on women’s human rights to their various churches. The workshop positively affected the lives of the participants and has become a medium for social change in the society disposition towards women among participants

The workshop was an eye opener which gives room for conceptualizing various ways women human rights organizations can engage the church without necessarily being confrontational. The participants were open minded and agreed that this was a learning process. The characteristics of religious fundamentalists/ extremists, and conservatives were identified during the exchange of ideas among participants. It was agreed that being innovative with existing ideas may produce better result and create a better impact for the BAOBAB.

The workshop communiqué was written and signed by participants.

March 8,2008

International Women’s day

Every year March 8th is set aside to honour women’s struggles and achievements globally. It is a day popularly known as the International Women’s Day (IWD) In the past years, women all over the world have drawn attention to areas of critical concern to women’s lives in particular and the society in general. This day has been recognized since 1908 to highlight women’s equality worldwide and it marks a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women.

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB) since inception has organized series of activities every March 8th to highlight various issues affecting women the world over. BAOBAB in collaboration with Badagry Local Government Area in Lagos State organized a sensitization workshop for women in Badagry Local Government Area to commemorate the International Women’s day of 2008.

The aim and objectives of the workshop were to;

At first, most of the participants did not understand the issue of economic empowerment as well as see the importance for the education of the girl child. This is because the women were of the opinion that the empowerment of women meant trying to compete with men, and they preferred to engage their daughters in trading which they felt was more lucrative than letting them go to school. After the workshop however, they were ready to be a part of that change by either talking to people in their communities or start this change in their personal lives.

This gathering gave BAOBAB the opportunity to address some misconceptions on issues of women’s human rights. An example of this is the issue of women trying to equate themselves with men or be above men. BAOBAB stated that it is interested in equal opportunities for both men and women and the two should learn to work together, not one dominating the other. Also, the issue of women’s human rights had nothing to do with one sex equating them self above the other but rather promote respect for each other.

Another misconception was the belief by some participants that economic empowerment was the ability for them to make their husbands’ hand over his salary to them.

It was explained that being economically empowered was the ability for them to be in charge of their own funds with a source or means of income.

BAOBAB was also able to make contacts within the local government for future networking and partnership. The workshop not only marked the International Women’s day but also gave BAOBAB the opportunity to sensitize and build the capacity of the women.

After the workshop a number of participants saw the need to be educationally and economically empowered especially for those with political aspirations. They asked if BAOBAB could organize adult education training workshops for them and some were even willing to go back to school to further their education.

The participants’ views on issues of gender relations and women’s human rights have changed. From their responses after the paper presentations, they kept stressing the importance and the right of the girl child to education, an opportunity many of them did not have. They said girls should be encouraged to go to school instead of being engaged in fishing or mat making which is the predominate occupation in the area. The participants have also seen the need for their economic empowerment to improve as well as self enhancement....View Pictures

February 4,2008

African Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights Day

In commemoration of the African Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights Day celebrated all over Africa, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized a workshop at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja on the 4 th of February 2008.

The objective of the workshop were to

Participants learnt that whether they speak on issues of sexuality or not, children will get to hear of it from outside and the information they get from outside might be the wrong one which could make them do things that will cause them permanent damage. They also learnt that it is the interpretation that religious leaders give to religious texts that worshippers, either at the mosque or in the church hold on to. They were enjoined not to interpret the texts to suit their personal views as some people see them (religious leaders) as next to God.

The meeting was a fruitful one as the turn out of participants mainly religious leader was very impressive. BAOBAB was able to utilize the opportunity of their presence at the workshop to do a gender-sensitization training for the participants as the first paper presented highlighted the need to recognize and respect women in all spheres of life.

The objectives of the workshop were realized in that participants were really open and made their views known. At the end of the workshop, most of them agreed that issues of gender discrimination and sexuality should form part of the programmes in the various places of worship.

A number of the participants, after the paper presentations realized that they have not been playing their roles well both as parents and as religious leaders, this they also admitted and promised to change for the better in line with what they learnt at the meeting.