March 13, 2020 – In observance of International Women’s Day this year, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) asked some of its female youth peacemakers in Mexico, Uganda, and South Sudan to share their thoughts on what a more equal world would look like to them. Here is what they told us.
Dafne, a WPDI youth peacemaker in Tijuana, Mexico, noted the importance of collaboration and of working for a world where women and men help each other: “Joining WPDI has been a truly gratifying experience because I have had the opportunity to help myself as well as my community. On International Women’s Day and every day, I work hand-in-hand with my fellow peacemakers to help others – especially women – little by little. Together, we will be heard and obtain our rightful place in today’s society. I will continue to promote equality in my community.”
There is an awareness among the youths we support that they live in times of transformation and that they have a role to play in them. Manuela, a WPDI youth peacemaker in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, had this to say: “Us women have made history. We are worthy and deserve an equal world. This is why my generation is rising up with new tools to build peace, find new opportunities, and establish a new consciousness. As a member of the new generation of peacemakers, which comprises of both men and women, we will build a new world that adapts to the change we want to make. I want to tell all women: you are not alone! Learn, communicate, and express yourself. Our voices count!”
Esther, a student in WPDI’s Conflict Resolution Education in Schools program at St. Augustine Secondary School in Ikwoto, South Sudan, made an important remark on the importance of empowering women and providing them access to education: “With the knowledge and skills I have learned with WPDI, I am happier and healthier than ever before. I now offer trainings in peace education to my brothers and sisters without fear or limitation. On International Women’s Day, my message is this: We women are very strong. It is commonly said here that if you educate a woman, you have educated the whole nation. This is something that I want to help realize in my country.”
This ambition for women to be drivers of change is shared by all our female peacemakers, irrespective of their country or their personal stories, as expressed by Vicky, a WPDI youth peacemaker in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Uganda: “As a female youth peacemaker at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, I am so grateful to recognize International Women’s Day. I hope to help make a more equal world by empowering other women in my community with the skills and knowledge I received during my training with WPDI in ICT, CRE, and Business & Entrepreneurship. I see things changing in my community because of our impact and I want to help continue that change.”
WPDI is proud of its female youth peacemakers, trainees, and all of the women that work tirelessly to bring about transformative change in some of the communities that need it most. Together, we will continue to progress towards a world that is more equal and better for all.