Women, Peace and Security at the forefront of conference hosted by Special Operations Command Africa, U.S. Embassy in Benin

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Cotonou, Benin - Special Operations Command Africa and the U.S. Embassy in Benin co-hosted the Women in Security - Africa Conference in Cotonou, Benin, Sept. 3-4, 2024. This milestone event focused on enhancing the role of women in peace and security efforts throughout West Africa, serving as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

The conference convened a wide range of participants, including government officials, representatives from non-governmental organizations, military leaders and international experts. Prominent female leaders, activists, and security professionals engaged in discussions and workshops aimed at advancing women's involvement in conflict resolution, peacekeeping operations, and national security strategies.

Opening remarks were delivered by the U.S. Ambassador to Benin, Brian Shukan; SOCAFRICA Deputy Chief of Staff, Faye Cuevas; and President of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, Djamilatou Sabi Mohamed. They underscored the importance of incorporating gender perspectives into security frameworks and emphasized the critical need to include women in decision-making from the local to the national level.

Benin especially has a storied history of powerful and prolific women leaders.

In the Kingdom of Dahomey, now present-day Benin, the women Amazons were an all-female military unit that served as elite warriors during the 17th century. Known as the Agojie, these warriors played a critical role in protecting the kingdom and expanding its influence and territory.

Mohamed outlined the parallels of the Agojie warriors and the impact they have on the Beninese government today.

"Just as the Amazons were central figures in the armed forces of the Kingdom of Dahomey, today's women must be fully and fairly integrated into our defense and security forces," said Mohamed.

Both Cuevas and Shukan spoke on the history of Women, Peace and Security as a vital global agenda.

WPS was established by the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000.

"With this resolution, the UN security council acknowledged the unique and disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women and stressed the importance of women's involvement in the prevention and resolution of armed conflict," said Shukan. "UNSCR 1325 was a call to all actors involved in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, including UN member state governments, to consider how gender affects their approach to conflict resolution, prevention, and post-conflict reconstruction."

Cuevas dug even deeper into the history of the landmark resolution - specifically how it relates to Africa.

"This conference is an opportunity to acknowledge that 1325 herself is a daughter of Africa," said Cuevas. "The landmark resolution was adopted in October of 2000 when Namibia held the presidency of the Council, supported by Mali and Tunisia as the full African delegation."

Cuevas continued, "The language of the resolution itself was informed by the regional and international experiences of women. Next year, what began in Africa, the world will celebrate when we observe the resolution's 25th anniversary."

Throughout the conference, attendees took part in interactive sessions designed to generate actionable recommendations and foster stronger collaborations between local and international actors. The event provided valuable insights into innovative approaches and solutions for integrating women more effectively into peacebuilding and security processes.

Cuevas closed her remarks by reaffirming SOCAFRICA's commitment to promoting gender inclusivity in security policies with their enduring partnerships across coastal West Africa.

"When we meaningfully include and involve women in security dialogue, strategy design, and decision-making," said Cuevas. "The outcome - globally - is more inclusive, more durable, and longer lasting peace.

About SOCAFRICA

SOCAFRICA conducts the full spectrum of special operations force missions and closely works with component, interagency and partner nations to protect U.S. lives and interests in Africa. The command builds tactical and operational counter-violent extremist organization capability in select, key partner nations and assists in developing regional security structures to create stability and combat trans-regional threats.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF providesU.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

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