Leymah Gbowee and the Women's Legal Centre recieve the 2009 Gruber Women's Rights Prize
Oct 29, 2009
Leymah Gbowee is receiving the 2009 Women's Right Prize at St. Thomas Virgin Islands on October 30th.
The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation honors contemporary individuals in the fields of Cosmology, Genetics, Neuroscience, Justice, and Women's Rights whose groundbreaking work provides new models that inspire and enable fundamental shifts in knowledge and culture.
Each award carries a gold medal and unrestricted cash prize of $500,000.
The 2009 Gruber Women's Rights Prize goes to Leymah Gbowee and the Women's Legal Centre.
Working within the courts and existing political and cultural institutions, Leymah Gbowee and the Women's Legal Centre have helped achieve significant legal and social reforms to build peace and advance human rights for African women.
The executive director of Women in Peace and Security Network – Africa, a peacebuilding organization in West Africa, Leymah Gbowee formed a coalition of Christian and Muslim women that helped bring about an end to civil war in Liberia.
Vacancy Announcements
Aug 1, 2008
The Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa), a Pan-African Non-Governmental Organization working to promote women's strategic participation andleadership in peace and security governance, invites qualified candidates for the followingpositions:
1. Post Title: Programmes Officer
Duration: Twelve (12) Months
Location: Accra, Ghana (with travels within and outside the
continent)
Expected Start Date: 1st April, 2010
Deadline for Application: Friday 19th March, 2010 at 18.00 GMT
|
Under the supervision of the Director of Programmes the Programmes Officer will focus on activities related to the implementation of WIPSEN-Africa's core programmes namely: a) Gender and Security Governance; b) Youth Security and Development c) Rural Women's Security Initiative; as well as all sub-projects. In this regard, the Programmes Officer shall undertake the following tasks:
1. Conduct background research for, and develop project proposals;
2. Assist in capacity-building activities;
3. Update the fund-raising database and identify key donors for specific project funding;
4. Compile a directory of contacts by means of the interactive database;
5. Conduct a gender audit of peace and security related policies at national and regional
levels to ensure compliance with UNSCR 1325, 1820 and other women, peace and
security related instruments;
6. Prepare programme and strategy reports;
7. Support the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes;
8. Develop a database of experienced women peace and security practitioners;
9. Assist in furthering the establishment of a greater interface between women's civil society
groups and the policy-making process;
10. Assist in other tasks to be determined by WIPSEN-Africa's Management
Team Requirements:
1. Masters degree in gender studies, development studies, international relations,political or
social science, international law, or any other conflict, peace and security related field;
2. Prior working experience (including internships or volunteer work) preferably in different
country contexts in fundraising, project development, advocacy work, applied research
and/or facilitating training;
3. Fluent English is essential and a working knowledge of French is highly desirable;
4. Sensitivity to gender issues and understanding of and interest in human development,
international legal frameworks and security policies;
5. Ability to work under pressure in order to meet deadlines, and to work on own
initiative;
6. Proven research and writing skills;
7. Familiarity with MS office, Excel, and internet browsers for research purposes.
2. Post Title: Administrative Officer
Duration: Twelve (12) Months
Location: Accra, Ghana
Expected Start Date: 1st April, 2010
Deadline for Application: Friday 19th February, 2010 at 18.00 GMT
|
Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Administrative Officer will ensure the smooth, efficient and effective functioning of the secretariat and is expected to provide quality routine office leadership in procedural management, operations and coordination; effective and collegial human resource relations and discipline.
Tasks:
1. To provide a comprehensive administrative support service including:
· Preparing documents relating to the work of WIPSEN-Africa;
· Taking and drafting minutes and notes;
· Preparing, collating and distributing agendas and papers for meetings;
2. Responding to and answering public and internal enquiries, and taking messages;
3. Liaising with other departments particularly programmes in the organization of
logistics/administrative support for project/activities implementation;
4. Arranging and servicing meetings, including organisation, agenda production, room and
refreshment booking, minute taking and distribution;
5. Liaising with service providers, including travel agencies, hotels, car hire, etc.;
6. Purchasing and maintaining adequate stocks of stationary and supplies and keeping the
storage areas tidy;
7. Checking, processing and inputting of invoices via manual and computerized payment
systems;
8. Management of computerised and manual filing systems including the maintenance of a
library of materials for WIPSEN-Africa;
9. Sending out mail and delivering documents within the organisation;
10. Expand partner's base and maintain partners' database;
11. Supervise adherence to WIPSEN-Africa's principles, procedures and guidelines as
inscribed in the Statues and Staff Operating Manual
Requirements:
• First degree in administration or a related field (masters degree is an added
advantage);
• Ability to design and produce documents to a high standard or presentation;
• Competent in Microsoft office suite (including word, excel, access, PowerPoint and
outlook);
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing• Ability to plan, prioritize and
coordinate workload in order to meet conflicting deadlines
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to work within a team environment and under own supervision using initiative
• Ability to arrange and minute meetings to a high standard
• Demonstrate numeracy skills to be able to check invoices and computer data to
carry out reconciliations and make appropriate amendments;
• Fluent English and French.
How to Apply:
To apply for this post, please submit your CV and a letter explaining your suitability and
motivation to Ms. Vivian Armah at wipsen@wipsen-africa.org
Suitable women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
[[file:/wipsen/news/vacancy_announcements/file]]
WIPSEN-Africa signs Memorandum of Understanding with ECOWAS, KAIPTC and GTZ
Jun 2, 2008
The Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa) has formalized its collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that is aimed at promoting the mainstreaming of gender and women's issues in peace and security in West Africa.
The MoU specifically defines the terms of the tripartite partnership between WIPSEN-Africa, the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) in Dakar, Senegal and the KAIPTC/GTZ to among others,
- Develop a region-specific gender, peace and security manual to be used for training of military and civilian peace support personnel and field practitioners;
- Increase capacity to mainstream gender in peace and security policies, programmes and institutions; and
- Document grassroots women's perspectives on peace and security as a basis for developing informed training curricula and operational guidelines.
The project will be focused on, and implemeted with stakeholders from the Fifteen (15) ECOWAS Member States. Special focus will however be placed on Five (5) countries which provide represntative cases of unique conflict and peace systems with natural socio-cultural, economic, political, and security inter-linkages; namely: Liberia (post-conflict), Guinea Conakry (simmering conflict zone), Cote d'Ivoire (fragile), Niger Delta, Nigeria (a region recently transiting from armed violence) and Ghana ("peaceful").
For more information on the project please contact wipsen@wipsen-africa.org.
WIPSEN-Africa signs Memorandum of Understanding with Liberia Ministry of Gender and Development
Jun 2, 2008
WIPSEN-Africa has entered into a one-year partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Development in Liberia to implement a project entitled "Young Girls' Leadership Dialogue". The project which is being implemented in three target locations (county) in Liberia: Monrovia, Bassa and Bong is aimed at strengthening Young Girls' Leadership Capacities for the Promotion of Constructive, Innovative and Collaborative Approached to Non-violent Transformation of Conflict, Peacebuilding and Human Security. The project facilitates a mentor-mentee relationship between young girls and female role models over a Six (6) months period, after which they are placed in key institutions to intern/volunteer for a stint.
For more information, please contact wipsen@wipsen-africa.org.
Internship Policy & Form
Download file
May 19, 2008
The Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa) welcomes graduate students, young professionals and peacebuilding practitioners (particularly females) from across the world and the African continent in particular to participate in its work through an institutionalized internship programme that is intended to build and/or strengthen the capacities of young professionals who are interested in gaining sound skills and field based practice in peacebuilding in Africa. WIPSEN-Africa recognizes the existing generational gap in the field of peace and security and its internship programme is launched as a conscious effort to bridge this gap.
WIPSEN-Africa Executive Director Gets Peace Award
May 19, 2008
On the 11th October 2007, Ms. Leymah Gbowee, the Executive Director of WIPSEN-Africa was honored as the recipient of the 2007 Blue Ribbon for Peace Award by the Women's Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
The award was given in recognition of Ms. Gbowee's prominent role in the Liberian Peace Process.
