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WILPF Togo: A Commitment to Peace and Disarmament in West Africa

In an insightful interview with WILPF Togo members and their President, Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré, this vibrant National Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) highlights its strong commitment to advancing peace and disarmament across West Africa.

Image credit: WILPF Togo
  • 3 min
WILPF International Secretariat
15 August 2024

Since its inception on 15 August 2019, WILPF Togo has remained unwavering in its commitment to promoting peace and disarmament in West Africa. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has effectively addressed the urgent needs of local communities. As they celebrate their anniversary, WILPF Togo remains a vital movement in raising awareness and tackling gender-based violence and arms proliferation, continuing to make a meaningful impact in the region.

In a recent meeting with President Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré and several dedicated members, they shared insights into the Section’s mission and values. This interview explores the initiatives, challenges, and aspirations of this dynamic group, highlighting how it mobilises women and youth for a peaceful future.

Can you tell us about the history and mission of WILPF Togo? 

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré: Certainly! WILPF Togo was established on 15 August 2019, at a time when the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid this health crisis, we immediately responded to community needs by distributing care kits to help combat the virus. More broadly, our mission is to promote peace, advocate for disarmamentand defend the rights of women and girls. We firmly believe that peace and security are achieved through the inclusion and active participation of women in all aspects of society. 

What are the main activities and programs that WILPF Togo is currently involved in? 

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré: We are actively working against arms proliferation, including nuclear weapons and killer robots.To this end, we participated in the first Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in Vienna. 

We also run awareness campaigns against gender-based violence and work on conflict prevention by organising educational workshops and awareness sessions. Our actions include collaborating with other organisations and promoting peace within local communities. 

What are the main challenges WILPF Togo faces ? 

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré, along with several members: We face numerous and complex challenges. The porous borders and constant threat of terrorism complicate our peace and disarmament efforts by increasing the circulation of small arms and creating tension zones. 

Additionally, our limited financial resources are a major obstacle to expanding our activities and recruiting in remote areas. This limitation is particularly problematic in regions like the northern part of the country, where our interventions are crucial but insecurity restricts access. 

Moreover, we suffer from a lack of government support, making it difficult to mobilisze sufficient resources to maximise our impact and expand our national presence. To overcome these challenges, we need increased funding and stronger institutional commitment to take peace and security seriously. 

How does WILPF Togo engage local communities to promote peace and women’s rights?

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré: We take an inclusive and participatory approach. We organise training sessions and awareness workshops, distribute flyers, and collaborate closely with other organisations to optimise our impact. Our regional focal points, such as Akondo in the Central Region, are essential for conveying our messages and working directly with communities. We also use WhatsApp groups for quick and effective communication and conduct radio interventions to reach a broader audience. 

What is the importance of the 9th Pan-African Congress for WILPF Togo? 

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré: The 9th Pan-African Congress is a crucial platform for us. It allows us to enhance our visibility and establish our organisation as a major player in promoting peace and disarmament regionally. This congress is also a valuable networking and advocacy opportunity. We will be able to participate in workshops and panels, share our experiences, and develop joint strategies with other organisations to advance our cause. 

What are the future projects and aspirations for WILPF Togo? 

Bassiratou Idrissou-Traoré, along with several members: We have ambitious plans for the future. Recruiting young people is vital to ensure the sustainability of our movement. We aim to expand our coverage nationally, strengthen our financial and security support, and increase our influence in both national and regional political spheres. Training and raising awareness among youth about peace and disarmament is a key priority to counter recruitment by terrorist groups. Finally, we wish to strengthen the involvement of our regional focal points to ensure a lasting and significant impact in all communities.

To learn more about the impactful work of WILPF Togo, explore the two resources (in French) shared by the Section: WILPF Togo’s Missions and Values and Campaigns Flyer.

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WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

Berit Aasen

Europe Alternate Regional Representative

Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.