During 2023, ASF continued its actions to protect human rights defenders through the project ‘Supporting and strengthening networks of women human rights defenders for a sustainable contribution to peacebuilding in the Central African Republic’, financed by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).
It follows on from a previous project promoting the role of women as peace-builders, which led to the creation of 4 networks of women human rights defenders in Bangui, Bouar, Berberati and Nola.
The main objective of the project is to enable women human rights defenders to offer appropriate support and quality services to people in vulnerable situations who come to them with their needs in terms of justice and guidance. A number of capacity-building initiatives and exchange sessions have been organised to create synergies and foster collaboration between the community, the judiciary and the administrative authorities.
In 2023, the women members of the network benefited from capacity-building on the legal framework governing civil society organisations (CSOs) in CAR to enable the network’s member CSOs to comply with it. As part of the project, the CSOs carried out awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the authorities and community leaders to inform them about this law and the early warning mechanisms for reporting human rights violations.
A total of 113 people received training on the legal framework governing CSOs in the Bangui, Bouar, Berberati and Nola areas. The participants undertook to put their administrative affairs in order.
As part of the project, ASF entered into partnerships with 4 civil society organisations: Défis & Objectif Centrafrique (DOC), Centre pour la promotion et la défense de droit de l’Enfant (CPDE), Organisation des Jeunes leaders pour le développement (OJLD) and Maison de l’enfant et de la femme Pygmée (MEFP).
In collaboration with these CSOs, ASF works to:
Raise awareness among local authorities and community leaders about the role of CSOs;
Launch joint actions between government authorities, civil society organisations and the media to challenge the stereotypical representation of the role of women and men in the promotion of human rights and the consolidation of peace;
Develop forums for exchange and advocacy between women politicians and women from public administration, the private sector and communities on the promotion and defence of human rights.
