Women’s Global Forum for Peace and Humanitarian Action (GWF 2023): Berlin opens its doors
The Women’s Global Peace and Humanitarian Forum opened in Berlin, May 23-25, 2023. This event is organized by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) in collaboration with the German Federal Foreign Office. The event aims to bring together women working in peacebuilding and humanitarian response to discuss their priorities and influence the global agenda. The discussions are held under the theme “Investing in the knowledge and capacities of women leaders of civil society organizations on the front lines”.
The women leaders invited to the event come from all over the world and have varied experiences, including those working in regions affected by multiple crises. The meetings are an opportunity for them to propose solutions to deal with the different situations their communities face. They seek support to continue their work in an increasingly restricted global space for civil society activists.
Among the personalities present in Berlin, we can mention the Executive Director of Afia Mama (Women’s Health) vzw, Mrs Anny MODI. She is also a member of the strategic committee of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN-DRC) and intervenes to defend the cause of women in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Indeed, her interventions mainly focus on the participation of women in the Nairobi process to negotiate peace in eastern DRC with dozens of often brutal and heavily armed groups. Thus, the Executive Director of Afia Mama asbl pleads for greater involvement of Congolese women in this process and requests support for the implementation of the Synergy of Women for Peace and Security, under the coordination of AWLN- RDC and the technical secretariat of the FFC.
In addition, Anny MODI also participates in the fight against gender-based violence in the DRC. In the east of the country, women are victims of mass rape in a conflict between M23 terrorists and the Congolese armed forces. She believes that the solution lies in intensive work with young girls and rejects violence in all its forms.
At the Women’s World Forum for Peace and Humanitarian Action, Anny MODI launched a plea for the holding of training and mentoring programs for young girls. She encouraged governments around the world to support the fight against gender-based violence and to help women leaders deal with multiple crises in their communities..
The Women’s Global Forum for Peace and Humanitarian Action is an opportunity that Anny Modi seized to express the needs of Congolese women in eastern DRC. For her, the cause of women is a universal cause, and it is up to all actors in the international community to find solutions to meet the expectations of women.