IOM - Strengthening women's resilience as peace actors in Nord and Sahel 2022-25 IOM - Stärka kvinnors motståndskraft som fredsaktörer i Nord och Sahel 2022-2025 Insatsen ämnar stärka kvinnors rolls som fredsaktörer genom att stärka deras kapaciteter, deras socioekonomiska egenmakt och deras deltagande i lokal dialog. Since January 2016, Burkina Faso has been facing a deteriorating security situation marked by the proliferation of armed violence. The violence has led to massive internal displacement, with 1,850,293  registered internally displaced persons (IDP) as of 31 March 2022 (CONASUR). This amounts to almost 10 % of the total population of Burkina Faso. The security situation and the resulting displacement of people have led to a humanitarian crisis marked by closed schools and health centers as well as widespread food insecurity. The displacement of people strains the social cohesion of communities as IDPs and host communities have to share, and sometimes compete for, resources that were already limited before the crisis. The Nord and Sahel region of Burkina Faso find themselves at the epicenter of this crisis. The two regions contain 43 % of all registered IDPs in Burkina Faso which, in combination with pre-existent and widespread poverty exacerbates the vulnerabilities of the population and weakens their resilience. Women represent the majority of IDPs (53 %) and are particularly affected by the crisis since they are to a greater degree exposed to  sexual violence, discrimination, forced marriage, slavery, and other human rights abuses. In addition, they bear a disproportionate burden in providing for their households and their children. At the same time, due to systematic exclusion, they lack the necessary access to resources and decision-making to effectively participate in the promotion of peace and social cohesion within the communities.The proposed intervention aims strengthen women's (IDPs/Host communities) resilience and thus enable them to contribute significantly to the consolidation of peace and the strengthening of social cohesion in the North and Sahel regions. This will be achieved by improving their inclusion in local planning processes and community dialogues as well as strengthening their socio-economic autonomy through income-generating activities (IGA) and improved infrastructure. 

It aims to strengthen the role of women as peace actors by enhancing their capacities, their socio-economic empowerment and their participation in local dialogue. The overall objective of the proposed intervention is that:

Women (IDPs/Hosts) will be more resilient and will be able to contribute significantly to the consolidation of peace and the strengthening of social cohesion in the North and Sahel regions

This will be achieved by working towards the following results and outputs: 

1. Women actively participate in local planning processes and community dialogue on peace and social cohesion in the North and Sahel regions

1.1 the capacities of local government and services are strengthened in the promotion of gender equallity, and mechanisms for the socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable people (IDPs) are reinforced

1.2 Women's leadership in targeted communities is promoted and women act as promoters of peace and protection of vulnerable communities 

2. Socio-economic empowerment of women (IDPs/Hosts) is enhanced in the North and Sahel regions through sustainable sources of income

2.1  Women's committees (IDPs/Hosts) improve their socio-economic autonomy and have strengthened capacities in income-generating activities 

2.2  Successful initiatives by beneficaries (IDPs/Hosts) are disseminated nationwide