WAGGGS young voices heard at International Colloquium

Three young WAGGGS delegates participated in the International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security 2009 from 7 to 8 March in Liberia.  

Girl Guides Annesofie Bjerre from Denmark and Lilian Itenga Asutsi from Kenya, and World Board member Nadine El Achy from Lebanon, were among 90 delegates from around the world to represent the voice of youth at a dedicated Youth Forum that was run before the main programme.

“The Youth Forum delivered several recommendations to the International Colloquium, insisting that the youth voice be heard and issues important to and impacting youth should be considered when discussing girls’ and women’s empowerment, leadership and peace initiatives,” explained Nadine.

Specifically, the Youth Forum recommended to:

1. Establish mechanisms to address harassment of girls and young women in schools
2. Motivate and enable young women to go to school and stay in school
3. Ensure youth participation in the achievement of MDG 3 for women’s empowerment and gender equality

As well as the Youth Forum, the young delegates were active participants in the general Colloquium. Nadine was on the panel discussing ‘Women and Leadership at Community levels: Realities on Accessing Positions of Power and Decision-Making’.

Annesofie, together with a young man from Liberia, presented the youth perspective on MDG 3. Lilian was on the panel of the Great Debate: “We have wasted our time pushing for more women in decision-making - they are indifferent to the concerns of women: A look at Africa.”

Also as part of the general forum, WAGGGS Chief Executive Mary Mc Phail co-chaired a panel discussion with Irish President Mary Robinson on female leadership challenges and opportunities; and Lydia Mutare, Leadership, Programme and Membership Director, was part of the international steering committee for the Colloquium.

Girl Guides of Liberia

World Board member Wamuyu Mahinda, Mary, Lydia and the young delegates also visited the Girl Guides office and camp area in Monrovia, Liberia. 

“It was a moving experience to hear the stories and see the devastation caused by war but ultimately it was a positive experience because we met the amazing girls and women of Girl Guides Liberia who were integral to finding a way to peace and continue to be instrumental in reconstructing their country,” said Wamuyu.

Annesophie was equally impressed with Girl Guides Liberia:
Local Girl Guide, Janice Pratt made the closing statement on behalf of the youth delegation on the final Sunday, reiterating the Youth Colloquium’s recommendations.

The Monrovia Declaration

The Monrovia Declaration, adopted by the delegates at the end of the event, will move forward the leadership and peace agenda.

Specifically, the Declaration calls for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for the protection, participation and promotion of women’s rights and their involvement in peace processes, and the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820 that addresses sexual violence as a tactic of war.

It also calls for greater numbers of women in positions of leadership and for greater efforts to enable and empower women to participate fully and on fair terms in the economic life of their communities, removing barriers and increasing their capacity in trade and business activity from the local to the global level. Read the full Monrovia Declaration

Mary Mc Phail recollected that: “the opening ceremony reinforced the role African women have played as strong leaders throughout history, constantly challenging oppression and inequality. It was also an amazing and uplifting moment as the Colloquium came to an end. Women from Liberia and around the world had taken part in a transformative moment for women’s empowerment.”