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Activities of Year 2006 Activities of Year 2007	2008 July 21st-22nd The 5th NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGION BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights as part of her intervention efforts convened her 5 th Annual National Discussion on women’s human rights and religion with the theme “CEDAW: A Tool for a Balanced Society: Debunking the Myths and Misconceptions of the Convention” . The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979. The United Nations General Assembly set forth the scope and definitions which constitute gender discrimination and identifies the commitment of states to end discrimination on the basis of sex. The 2-day National Discussion was held at Crest Hotel, Jos,Plateau State,Nigeria between 21 st and 22 nd of July 2008. The discussion featured over 50 participants drawn from different backgrounds such as religious and traditional institutions, the media, government agencies, academia, human rights organisations, e.t.c. Resources persons from within and outside the country presented papers at the National Discussion. Objectives of the National Discussion are: To further raise awareness of CEDAW in relation to the role of women in nation building and sustainable society To deconstruct the myths and misconception of CEDAW as well as continue the advocacy for its domestication To explore diverse strategies to generate more acceptability of CEDAW with a view to promoting a balanced society through its domestication. Observations Major observations at the discussion are that: Every member of the society stand to benefit from CEDAW There is a general lack of understanding of CEDAW provisions which has militated against its passage The non passage of the CEDAW bill in 2007 has been a major set back to the progressive development of gender issues in the country. That the myths and the misconception of CEDAW are traceable to misinterpretation and misapplication of religious and cultural beliefs Communication strategies currently being used to propagate CEDAW messages are largely insufficient There are duplication of efforts and absence of synergy among groups working on CEADW. Arising from the above observations, the following recommendations are made: That Information on the benefits of the domestication of CEDAW should be disseminated across the various segment of the society Initial contacts and spade work should be done before re-presenting CEDAW at the National Assembly Effective Communication strategy be fashioned out to break the myths and misconceptions surrounding CEDAW Strategic partnership be formed among key stakeholders, including: academia, religious and traditional institutions, women groups, the media, labour unions, e.t.c. Intra and inter religious dialogue should be strengthened to harmonise the different positions of religious interpretation and present a common front Gender issues should be mainstreamed into school curriculum at all levels Education of women should be promoted as a veritable tool to understanding CEDAW and promoting women’s human rights. June9th-11th,2008 Leadership training workshop for Women in the Academia BAOBAB in collaboration with the University of Jos organized a leadership training for Women in the Academia.The three day training was held in the University of Jos,Plateau from the 9th to the 11th of June 2008.Participants of the workshop were female Academics of the University of Jos. The aim of the workshop was to; Empower women within academia to encourage a participatory learning approach Enable participates to identify and develop communication skills, presentation skills and team work to be incorporated into the various aspects of their lives To build the self esteem and confidence of women, to enable them take up leadership challenges To share the principles of horizontal, consensus building, participatory gender sensitive leadership To have a shared vision that will transform the leadership agenda towards achieving social justice and gender equality Some of the benefits as shared by participants after the workshop include; having acquired better negotiation skills The workshop gave them the opportunity to identify their visions. It had helped them to build their self confidence. The workshop had changed them as women and had helped them to appreciate the work they do as women. They learnt about the horizontal style of leadership and were eager to apply it. they had been mentored, and were inspired to mentor others. They realized that they were all leaders but with different qualities of a leader. The workshop gave BAOBAB the opportunity of sensitizing women in academics which from past research had been a group that usually resist change and do not accept or hide their problems or issues due to perceived pressures to live up to their academic status. The workshop also provided BAOBAB the opportunity to expand her network and contacts. The objectives of the workshop were met. At the beginning of the workshop, quite a number of participants felt they already knew the issues that would be discussed and were not very keen while some others were very withdrawn and did not want to speak or contribute to discussions. By the end of the workshop however, the participants who felt they knew the issues said they had realized that the workshop was quite different from what they had expected and it had opened them to new ideas and concepts they had not thought about or known earlier. It also built the self-confidence of participants who were withdrawn at the beginning as they were later willing to make contributions and share experiences. May 28,2008 BAOBAB/WLP Evaluation Training In May 2007, BAOBAB-WLP training of Trainers was conducted for diverse women from across Nigeria, using the English edition of WLP’s manual Leading to Choices: A Leadership Training Handbook for Women and the Multimedia curriculum, Leading to Choices: A Multimedia Curriculum for Leadership Learning. The training, which was held in Akure, Ondo State of Nigeria, had exposed the participants to learning leadership strategies that would further empower them as leaders able to demonstrate inclusive, participatory and gender sensitive leadership in their constituencies. In further commitment to WLP’s theory of change and transformative leadership, these past beneficiaries of BAOBAB/WLP National training of trainers (TOT) leadership institute were re-convened for an evaluation of the change process and experiences that must have taken place in their personal lives as leaders, as well as in their leadership role within their families, immediate communities and the larger society. The 12 leaders that reconvened for the evaluation came from diverse sectors of the society –including community based leaders, politicians, women’s human rights activists, policy makers etc. The evaluation meeting took place at Excellence Hotel Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on May 28, 2008. The beneficiaries were very excited to see one another again and were eager to learn about what each of them had been up to since the training. It was a very participatory meeting and beneficiaries openly shared their achievements, challenges and future plans. They all looked forward to learning new ideas and strategies in carrying out their work, and also surmounting obstacles that they encounter as leaders.....More April April 7– 13, 2008 Meeting on Women’s Human Rights and Religion: Bridge Building (BB 18) Every year BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights holds Bridge – Building meetings. These meetings bring together people from diverse belief systems to interact, examine the contents of their belief systems vis – a- vis women’s human rights and come to a common understanding of these rights, as well as customary laws and practices. This is an ongoing program aimed at preventing conflict between these groups and ensuring peaceful co-existence. This year the 17 th and 18 th edition of Bridge – Building Meeting took place in Kano on April 7 th – 13 th, 2008. The Objectives of the meeting toopen up discussions on the rights of women and religion, develop, protect and promote the rights of women in religion, document and develop a resource document, mobilize local efforts for the protection of women’s human’s rights, bridge the gaps of understanding on women’s human rights across religious back groundsandstrategise on interventions in individual case of violation of women’s human rights under religious laws The Muslim Group The meeting provided an opportunity for better understanding of the rights accorded to women by Islam as well as the differences between Islamic laws and Muslim laws. The denial/violation of women’s rights is not a religious injunction but culture and tradition being camouflaged as religion. It was established that the causes of misinterpretations of religious texts are many, some of which are: translations, social circumstances, the human factor, distortions along the path of transmission, rigidity of ideas and beliefs, monopoly or hoarding of knowledge by a particular group, differences in understanding and reasoning BAOBAB was able to create awareness and educate people on women’s human rights. The participants being representatives of different groups will pass the knowledge acquired to their colleagues in addition to applying them as individuals. The participatory nature of the meeting ensured that participants gained a lot form each other’s experiences and that BAOBAB got more inputs to update its resource document on Women’s Rights in Muslim Laws. The Christian Group The workshop had as outcome the production of a written and signed communiqué by the Christian groups. In addition, BAOBAB recorded a remarkable group dynamics as the participants explained that they were hardly aware of these facts on women’s human rights concerns and how the misinterpretation of religious texts is contributing to the discrimination of women. Participants expressed the enthusiasm to carry forward the sensitization on women’s human rights to their various churches. The workshop positively affected the lives of the participants and has become a medium for social change in the society disposition towards women among participants The workshop was an eye opener which gives room for conceptualizing various ways women human rights organizations can engage the church without necessarily being confrontational. The participants were open minded and agreed that this was a learning process. The characteristics of religious fundamentalists/ extremists, and conservatives were identified during the exchange of ideas among participants. It was agreed that being innovative with existing ideas may produce better result and create a better impact for the BAOBAB. The workshop communiqué written and signed by participants. March 8,2008 International Women’s day Every year March 8th is set aside to honour women’s struggles and achievements globally. It is a day popularly known as the International Women’s Day (IWD) In the past years, women all over the world have drawn attention to areas of critical concern to women’s lives in particular and the society in general. This day has been recognized since 1908 to highlight women’s equality worldwide and it marks a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB) since inception has organized series of activities every March 8th to highlight various issues affecting women the world over. BAOBAB in collaboration with Badagry Local Government Area in Lagos State organized a sensitization workshop for women in Badagry Local Government Area to commemorate the International Women’s day of 2008. The aim and objectives of the workshop were to; Mark the International Women’s day Sensitize women in Badagry on issues of women’s human rights To build the capacity of participants At first, most of the participants did not understand the issue of economic empowerment as well as see the importance for the education of the girl child. This is because the women were of the opinion that the empowerment of women meant trying to compete with men, and they preferred to engage their daughters in trading which they felt was more lucrative than letting them go to school. After the workshop however, they were ready to be a part of that change by either talking to people in their communities or start this change in their personal lives. This gathering gave BAOBAB the opportunity to address some misconceptions on issues of women’s human rights. An example of this is the issue of women trying to equate themselves with men or be above men. BAOBAB stated that it is interested in equal opportunities for both men and women and the two should learn to work together, not one dominating the other. Also, the issue of women’s human rights had nothing to do with one sex equating them self above the other but rather promote respect for each other. Another misconception was the belief by some participants that economic empowerment was the ability for them to make their husbands’ hand over his salary to them. It was explained that being economically empowered was the ability for them to be in charge of their own funds with a source or means of income. BAOBAB was also able to make contacts within the local government for future networking and partnership. The workshop not only marked the International Women’s day but also gave BAOBAB the opportunity to sensitize and build the capacity of the women. After the workshop a number of participants saw the need to be educationally and economically empowered especially for those with political aspirations. They asked if BAOBAB could organize adult education training workshops for them and some were even willing to go back to school to further their education. The participants’ views on issues of gender relations and women’s human rights have changed. From their responses after the paper presentations, they kept stressing the importance and the right of the girl child to education, an opportunity many of them did not have. They said girls should be encouraged to go to school instead of being engaged in fishing or mat making which is the predominate occupation in the area. The participants have also seen the need for their economic empowerment to improve as well as self enhancement. February 4,2008 African Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights Day In commemoration of the African Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights Day celebrated all over Africa, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized a workshop at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja on the 4 th of February 2008. The objective of the workshop were to Get the views of religious leaders on sexuality and reproductive health and rights issues, Sensitize them on the ills of not talking about such issues at home, in the churches and in the mosques(the effects), Encourage them to talk about issues of sexuality in their various places of worship (mosques and churches) and to their children at home. Get participants to know the effects of fundamentalism Participants learnt that whether they speak on issues of sexuality or not, children will get to hear of it from outside and the information they get from outside might be the wrong one which could make them do things that will cause them permanent damage. They also learnt that it is the interpretation that religious leaders give to religious texts that worshippers, either at the mosque or in the church hold on to. They were enjoined not to interpret the texts to suit their personal views as some people see them (religious leaders) as next to God. The meeting was a fruitful one as the turn out of participants mainly religious leader was very impressive. BAOBAB was able to utilize the opportunity of their presence at the workshop to do a gender-sensitization training for the participants as the first paper presented highlighted the need to recognize and respect women in all spheres of life. The objectives of the workshop were realized in that participants were really open and made their views known. At the end of the workshop, most of them agreed that issues of gender discrimination and sexuality should form part of the programmes in the various places of worship. A number of the participants, after the paper presentations realized that they have not been playing their roles well both as parents and as religious leaders, this they also admitted and promised to change for the better in line with what they learnt at the meeting. 2007 December 12 -18, 2007: Strategic Planning Meeting As a learning and mentoring organization, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights believe in strengthening its capacity to better promote and protect the human rights and women. In this regard, BAOBAB’s annual Strategic Planning Meeting (SPM) is normally a time of assessing and reviewing its programmes, projects, vision, mission statement, and strategies for an enhanced future. The SPM is usually the last major activity for the year in BAOBAB. The programme also offers an opportunity to enhance the capacity of BAOBAB personnel in different areas as well as promote team work. Another aim of the SPM is for BAOBAB to plan its work calendar for the next one year. For therapeutic and strategic reasons –the annual SPM is normally scheduled to take place outside the office location (preferably outside the country), in order to give room for enough deliberations without distractions but also to serve as a ‘new’ environment to rejuvenate, and create time/space for strategic thinking towards improving the standard of the organization. The SPM under review was held in December 13-17 2007 , with the theme "Reviewing our Strategies for Organisational Growth." The choice of the theme was informed by the fact that having attained a decade (last couple of years), it was imperative to look back and analyse our strategies side by side emerging women’s human rights issues and determine if there would be need to change strategies or sustain existing ones. The 2007 SPM was also focused on positioning BAOBAB for the next five years. It was noted that the future of BAOBAB and by extension, its constituencies, rested on the will, experience and knowledge of its staff, management, board and outreach volunteers. For BAOBAB to continue to play a strategic leading and mentoring role in the promotion of women’s human rights, the need to strengthen and develop its personnel and the organization itself in a dramatically changing environment, cannot be overemphasized –hence the tradition of having a yearly strategic planning for informed and effective interventions as well as sustainable growth. The key objectives of the 2007 SPM include to: review the existing programmes, to develop ideas for effective monitoring and evaluation of programmes, to plan towards actualization of BAOBAB’s projects, draft a 5-year strategic plan for BAOBAB, as well as to enhance the capacity of BAOBAB and outreach personnel. In line with the objectives, the sessions commenced with a review of BAOBAB’s vision, mission and strategies. The exercise of reviewing BAOBAB’s vision, mission, and strategies was very useful and set the pace for the in depth discussion and analysis of the review of existing programmes. There was analytical review of previous activities giving room for each BAOBAB personnel to share her/his work experience for the year under review, including outstanding achievements and challenges. The strategic planning with a focus on examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to BAOBAB’s work in the next five years was invaluable to the entire SPM. In exhaustive plenary and smaller group discussions and practical exercises, BAOBAB personnel examined what BAOBAB as an organisation ought to be doing, whether it is on the right track, and what the organisation will be doing in 3-5 years time. It was also an opportunity to examine if there would be need to re-strategise. The capacity building exercises covered –monitoring and evaluation of programmes, stress and time management, effective programme planning and implementation, as well as enhancing facilitation skills. To remain relevant to its constituencies as well as keep track of the compatibility of BAOBAB’s strategies with emerging women’s human rights trends, BAOBAB believes that effective monitoring and evaluation of programmes will strengthen its mandate. Also, building the capacity of personnel in the area of programme planning and facilitation skills was very useful as BAOBAB continues to organize various intervention training programmes locally and internationally –hence the need for personnel to update their knowledge and skills in this area. The stress and time management sessions came in handy in the SPM under review as the year was filled with a full calendar of activities that would have posed a challenge of effective implementation but for the ability of personnel to manage time and stress effectively. The entire 2007 SPM was a success and according to the post meeting assessment given by the personnel, the SPM no doubt invigorated a new spirit in them to be more focused and result oriented in 2008. The 2008 calendar of activities was successfully planned, and this gave each member of staff a sense of guide to prioritise effectively in the new year. Evidently, updating the skills of BAOBAB and outreach personnel in various areas related to BAOBAB’s work is very useful and has proved effective as the sessions were well organized and delivered by respective BAOBAB and outreach volunteer personnel. The BAOBAB team and outreach personnel that participated enthused that they acquired new skills during the capacity building sessions and promised that this would no doubt reflect in their productivity in the new year and consequently the growth of BAOBAB in its strategic position to promote and protect the human rights of women. December 4- 5, 2007: Gender Training for Fresh Graduates BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized 2-day gender training for fresh graduates. The workshop took place at Excellence Hotel Ogba, Ikeja. There were 15 participants from various universities in Nigeria . The training aimed to build participants’ understanding of the concept of gender , inculcate gender-sensitive values in fresh graduates, promote gender-sensitivity in the society , build a work force that is gender-sensitive and also prevent gender-based violence in the workplace. The training was an interactive and participatory workshop that gave an indebt analysis of gender as a word. It also examined relevant concepts related to tradition and gender relations, gender roles, gender and language, and stereotypes. Brainstorm sessions, smaller group interactions, plenary presentations and clarification of concepts by facilitators were some of the methodologies adopted towards the realization of the aims and objectives of the training. At the end of the session on introduction to gender, participants no longer confused gender with sex, but understood gender as the socially given or constructed roles, attributes and responsibilities that are related to being male or female in any given society, as opposed to sex, which is the biological difference between men and women. They were also understood that while gender is made, dynamic or non constant, content specific, conditioned, socially constructed and dependent on the society, sex is universal, biological or born, unchangeable and natural. Participants’ belief that socialization is what brings about changes and new innovations, and that which has to do with embracing new reforms, cultures and interacting with other people was analysed further. The participants were enlightened that socialisation is a process through which individuals grow up to become functional to the society which could be positive or negative, through which most of the agents in the society come into existence. Together with the facilitator, the participants listed the agents of socialisation to include peer group, family, mass media, culture/tradition, and education. While analysing the relevance of gender to development issues, it was discussed that development should always encompass gender considerations, and government should also mainstream gender in policies geared towards development. It was then agreed that in order to change women’s position, there is a need to address their strategic gender interests, include equal access to decision making and resources, get rid of discrimination in employment, land ownership, and so on. The session on gender and the use of language was very educative for participants as they were able to take an exercise in which they were able to identify five gender sensitive and five gender insensitive languages. Under concept of power relations, participants were taught the different types of power, which include power over, power with and power within. A participant was interested in knowing the type of power that is recommended, and all other participant learned that ‘power with’, that is, the kind of power that emanates from a group of people coming together for a common purpose, and which gives room for people to identify a specific thought, and encourages team work, is the best type of power relation. The session on Gender roles/ Division of labour was an eye-opener for the participants to learn about the implications of gender division of labour and also to identify stereotypes and contradictions between roles and activities. Participants displayed good understanding of the issues discussed and were could identify at least three examples of gender relation types in institutions of higher learning that are gender sensitive and at least three that are not gender sensitive relating to their days in the University. They identified the Youth Service Corps for both male and female, alphabetical arrangement of names, equal participation in social activities and an open academic competition between males and females as some of the gender sensitive relation. On the other hand, different hostel rules and regulation for male and female, difference in time allotted to sporting activities for males and female and the discrimination on females’ dressing, usually termed indecent dressing, were identified as some of the gender insensitive relations. The participants shared their personal experiences/challenges of gender relations, and were afterwards taught strategies that promote gender equality. Some of the strategies given include the following: Creating awareness on gender issues amongst friends, families, youth corp. members etc. Introduce topic on gender and women’s rights to secondary schools when on service as a youth corp. Parents instilling gender sensitive values in their children. Encourage more women to participate in workshops and learning processes. Living by examples (e.g. using gender sensitive language, mentoring our close relatives and friends). Recognising and appreciating the role of women especially in policy making and government affairs. The training provided an avenue for BAOBAB to learn some new form of gender insensitive relations peculiar to Nigerian university students, and this was very useful in enlightening and empowering the participants to these gender sensitive issues which arise in their day- to day activities. November 5-6,2007: National Discussion on Women's Human Rights and Religion BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights in its continued efforts in ensuring that women’s human rights are promoted and protected in Nigeria convened a National Discussion from November 5 – 6, 2007 In Abuja, Nigeria. The theme of the discussion was “The Misconception of Culture Dynamism, Relativism and Religion in Relation to Women's Human Rights: Using CEDAW as a Balancing Mechanism in Nigeria." Participants were diverse professionals such as journalists, teachers, nurses lecturers, members of NGOs and so forth. The discussion aimed at building a critical mass of women’s human rights defenders in relation to developing a unified plan of action for further CEDAW advocacy; examining the setback suffered by the draft CEDAW bill in a bid to clarify the grey areas that caused these challenges; furthering and consolidating the sensitization process to deconstruct contextual misinterpretation surrounding the draft CEDAW bill and generate more acceptability and engaging the members of the National Assembly through advocacy medium in instituting a legal framework for the empowerment and development of women in Nigeria. The participants were sensitized on the need for the CEDAW bill to be passed into law and the need for more advocacy not just with the legislators but also focusing attention on cultural and religious leaders, since most objections on the domestication of the bill are based on culture and religion.....Read Communique November 1-2, 2007, HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy Workshop The workshop on the HIV/AIDS Workplace policy, and the eventual launch of the workplace policy documents took place at Abuja, Nigeria from 1-2 November 2007. The WPP documents were developed and supervised by Carolien of the ETC Crystal- a Consultant based in the Netherlands, and funded by NOVIB/Oxfam for their 11 partner organizations in Nigeria. The project was coordinated by BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights. The names of the NOVIB/Oxfam partners who participated in the development of the WPP documents and those already implementing this document are as follows: Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RDDC), Calabar; Environmental Rights Action Friends of the Erath Nigeria (ERA); Development Exchange Centre (DEC), Bauchi; Farmers Development Union (FADU), Ibadan; BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Lagos; Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO); Benin-City; Girls Power Initiative (GPI), Benin; West Africa Network for Peace- building-Nigeria (WANEP); Action aid International, Abuja; Adolescent for Health and Information Projects( AHIP), Kano Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) Objectives of the Workshop: To share experiences on the HIV/AIDS workplace policy development and initial steps to implementation To (re)enforce the partnerships between the eleven organizations To gain new insights from others, including external parties, which can feed into their existing plans of actions To exchange ideas on how to sustain the workplace programme and how to operationalize external mainstreaming in the organizations To launch the workplace policy The wrap-up workshop provided opportunity for groups not only to share experiences and learn vital lessons from each other on the development and implementation of the policy, but principally, to officially LAUNCH the HIV/AIDS workplace policies. In the course of the exercise, partnerships were reinforced and new insights gained. It is expected that ideas exchanged at the event will help sustain the workplace program and lead to successfully mainstreaming HIV/AIDS as well in the various development programmes of the organizations. Three external parties were invited to share experience with the 11 organizations on the implementation of the workplace policy on HIV/AIDS. A representative of the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS shared with participants the strategy that has been adopted by the private sector, he commended the NGO sector for the brilliant work they were doing with regards to coming up with the policy documents and the implementation plans shared. Two other organizations; Oxfam GB and Water Aid, both based in Abuja also shared their practices with regards to implementing HIV/AIDS workplace policy. The 11 partner organizations developed a press statement which was presented to the media representatives, who had since reported the workshops in their publications. In the press statement, they enjoined the government to pass into law the relevant legislations to protect People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It is hoped that by the time the partners convene, the insurance companies whom they are already speaking to, would have developed insurance packages for Persons living with HIV/AIDS. October October 18 - 20, Paralegal Training for NGOs/CBOs workers BAOBAB organised a Paralegal Training workshop for NGOs/CBO workers in Auchi, Edo state Nigeria. The Objectives of the worksop were: To enhance participants skills/knowledge on paralegal issues. To create awareness of women’s human rights and how to address the abuse of these rights. To encourage effective networking of local activists with interest in paralegal issues Through the workshop Baobab was able to increase the number of paralegals within Auchi community. At the end of the Training, BAOBAB was able to have a more informed group of individuals on Women’s Human Rights Human Rights issues and discriminatory practices within the community as well as NGOs and CBOs. September September 2nd - 4th, Meeting on Women's Rights and Religion(Bridge Building Workshop 15,Muslim) September 6th - 8th, Meeting on Women's Rights and Religion(Bridge Building Workshop 16,Christian) August 14 - 16 Paralegal Training for Teachers In ensuring that Nigeria becomes a society where women’s human rights become an integral part of every day life, BAOBAB organized a 3 day paralegal training workshop for mid and top level teachers in different parts of Auchi in Edo State between August 14 and 16 2007. The paralegal modules focused on information and training relevant to women’s concerns, situations and needs as well as men’s. It is hoped that beneficiaries of the training will in addition to their work as paralegals, share their experiences with their colleagues and/or community members. The training modules cover the need, functions and limitations of a paralegal; the forms of law, the court system, enforcers and the application of international human rights instrument in Nigeria. Issues of marriage, divorce, inheritance, child custody etc., under statutory, religious and customary laws were included from a gender perspective. The paralegal training workshop no doubt enabled the participants share various strategies that could work best in their respective communities and context. Furthermore they will be better equipped to deal with instances of rights violations. This training also provided the opportunity for enhancing networking amongst the Auchi community. May National Learning Institute Liberia May 28 - 31,2007 The Latest in the series of National Leadership Institute for Women’s Leadership and Training of Trainers was held in Thinkers Village Paynesville Liberia from May 28-31, 2007. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights ( Nigeria) and Women’s Learning Partnership USA (WLP) in collaboration with New African Research and Development Agency (NARDA) and National Women’s Commission (NAWOCOL) Liberia convened the institute. Twenty four (24) women from different countries and organizations in Liberia were in attendance. The participants were directors and senior level personnel of women’s rights organizations’ in Liberia who through the training would become better advocates for women’s equal participation in civil society. The minister of Gender and Development in Liberia gave the opening address with remarks from the Chair of the Board of Directors of NAWOCOL, Program Director of BAOBAB and the Liberian country representative of UNDP. The main focus of the institute were: Facilitation skills training which comprised of comprehensive training in facilitation techniques that put into practice the participatory leadership concepts such as developing a shared vision, meaningful dialogue and cooperation and community; and Advocacy training which entailed creating media campaigns, and learning to communicate effectively to influence decisions-makers and mobilize the public. Various role-plays and exercises were used to help facilitate the learning process through out the institute. This institute was a great opening for BAOBAB has the hub of the Women’s Learning Partnership in Africa to have these institutes not just in Liberia but in other countries across Africa. The institute gave BAOBAB the opportunity to share its experiences and listen to experiences of the Liberian women. BAOBAB was also able to expand its network base by creating an alliance with the National Women’s Commission (NAWOCOL) in Liberia. National Learning Institute/ Training of Trainers for Women’s Leadership May 21-24, 2007 BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, the WLP (Women Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace) hub for Africa convened the National Learning Institute/ Training of Trainers for Women Leaders/representatives in Non Governmental Organisations from May 21-24, 2007 in Akure, Nigeria. Twenty four women from the six geo-political zones across Nigeria participated in the institute. The goal was to strengthen participants’ leadership capacity and training skill and equip them with the tools and methodology to empower women to become effective decision-makers in their families, communities and societies. The session was declared opened by the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Development, Ondo State. Also in attendance were journalists from the print and electronic media. During the training, participants were familiarized with concept and methodology of being effective leaders, communicating with others, respect for diversity, and the need to empower others especially within their organizations. The participants experienced how innovative and inclusive leadership learning strategies can be used for the betterment of the society inspite of the cultural, religious and socio-economic conditions of each society. Participants were empowered to realize their agency, create action plans and mobilize their communities to bring about change. The institute was conducted using the English edition of WLP’s Manual Leading to Choices: A Leadership Training Handbook for Women and the multimedia curriculum, Leading to Choices: A Multimedia Curriculum for Leadership Learning. Participants discussed the thematic framework for power, gender relation and leadership. This was related to their leadership styles, personal experiences and visions. The participants also identified with the session on collaboration for change understanding that for any meaningful change to take place there must be sincere collaboration. Issues on effective communication were also looked into and participants realized the need to involve the media as a stakeholder and a vital ingredient in their advocacy for change. The roles of facilitators as well as the various interactive learning skills were adopted and participants finally conceptualized effective advocacy and concluded the session with individual plans of action. Diverse methodologies were utilized at the forum to ensure an interactive as well as participatory involvement of all trainees. These included group work/discussion, brainstorming sessions, case studies from the leading to choices, personal stories and experiences. There was also systematic movement of participants from being an audience to a point where they became interactively involved in facilitation. Audio visual devices as well as documentaries were also employed in the institute learning process. The informal session which took the form of a sisters’ evening provided a platform for participants to create bonds with each other. The newly inducted trainees in the course of the training initiated a communiqué to address issues on women rights and leadership issues agreeing that everyone can be a leader, the domestication of CEDAW and the need for women’s group to partner for change and work collectively to ensure women have a greater level of participation in the new political dispensation. Participants evaluated the institute daily through written evaluation that enabled them comment on the day’s activities. The summary of the evaluation revealed that the training will greatly enhance the work the participants are engaged in. They indicated their willingness to empower their members of staff and apply the knowledge to various aspects of their organization’s work. They reported that they had adequate opportunity to speak, discuss and ask questions during the institute. They were encouraged to participate as their point of views were heard and respected. The immediate outcome of the Akure Institute was the formation of an electronic mailing group with all the trainees. This will enable them further network and sustain their collaborative initiative to promote women’s leadership and active participation in decision making within their communities. Human Rights Training Workshop,May 14 - 18,2007 The concluding part in the series of Human Rights Training workshops for Judicial and Police officers took place in Ni’imah Guest Palace, Kano State. The workshop was held from May 14 -18, 2007 and participants were drawn from Kano and Jigawa States. The training aimed at sensitizing men and women to gender concerns, focusing on human rights theory and practice, discussing strategies for an increased access to justice by women, creating awareness on women’s human rights issues and suggesting ways to bridge the gaps as well as to highlight the role of the Police and Judicial personnel in bridging these gaps. The participants had a wealth of experience to share regarding their day to day practice either as Judicial personnel or Police and the injustice women face daily at different levels whether as Police, Judicial officers, prisoners or witnesses. This broadened BAOBAB’s knowledge base and also provided an opportunity for BAOBAB to expand its network, having gained new partnership with the beneficiaries of the training. BAOBAB further learned that there were a lot of gender issues in the law enforcement and judicial sectors, and hoped that the newly trained personnel will translate the gains of the training into positive results in their respective constituencies. March March 8, 2007 The International Women’s day which is marked yearly on the 8 th of March; a day set aside to celebrate women’s achievements over the years and to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. Most importantly, it is a day to recognize the fact that women, have made and continue to make a difference in all spheres of human life. Over the years, women have played various roles and have contributed tremendously to the political process not just in Nigeria but also in the world at large. In commemoration of the International Women’s Day BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized a programme on Women’s Participation in politics at Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat Lagos. It was an intergenerational meeting of female politicians where ideas, skills and strategies were exchanged on how full participation of women can be attained in the 2007 elections. The theme for this year’s International Women’s day is; ‘Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls’ The women were enlightened on the requirements for contesting for elections as well as strategies on how to tackle possible challenges. Some of the participants were aspirants in the upcoming elections running for different positions at the local government and state levels. It was also an opportunity for older and experienced politicians to mentor the young ones; it was like the older ones passing on the baton to the younger ones. The women’s interest in politics and their willingness to help each other was very encouraging. February February 24 - March 13 THE 51 ST SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN MEETING – February 24 to March 13, 2007 The years’ deliberations commenced both at the UN and the Church Centre from February 24 to March 13, 2007. BAOBAB's representatives (Sindi-Medar Gould, Chibogu Obinwa and Ngozi Nwosu-Juba) identified and attended meetings which were directly beneficial to BAOBAB. BAOBAB and WLP’s Presentation at the Church Center and John Hopkins University BAOBAB was represented at the panel organised by WLP at the Church Center and John Hopkins University. After showing the documentary ‘Against All Odds’, participants were reminded that some of the issues affecting women include, rising trend of fundamentalisms, stereotyping, conflicts, poverty amongst others. After explaining that women’s realities differ from country to country participants were asked to share strategies that women can use to empower themselves. A few participants stated that one of the challenges women face is scarcity of resources, some others suggested sustainability through endowments and volunteer work. Participants spoke about the need for women to empower themselves and not work against each other. Another participant suggested the need to manage women’s power responsibly. There were suggestions on the need to ‘unlearn’ some strategies and gain new ideas and also ‘unlearn’ prejudices. Participants agreed that violence against women is not restricted to the south, and called that all participants work towards eradicating violence. Participants expressed the difficulty in raising funds to do work on women’s issues, and called for more support and collaborations. The gains of the meeting included sharing of experiences, knowledge of emerging trends on issues of women’s rights, lobbying strategies and inputting into government documents, as some of the documents are vague and difficult to hold anybody by. BAOBAB distributed its publications, and received from other organisations. February 19-23, 2007 BAOBAB organized a human rights training workshop for Judicial Personnel and Police Officers from Sokoto and Kebbi states.. The training took place at Giginya Hotel Sokoto State from February 19-23, 2007. Issues addressed were the concepts of human rights and women’s human rights and its relevance in everyday life and gender as a critical issue in human rights thinking and practice as well as the state of women’s human rights under the statutes. Other issues discussed were international, regional and national human rights documents and the available mechanisms for enforcement and redress. BAOBAB learnt that when inviting participants from the police and the judiciary, there is need to focus more on areas that they are not familiar with for example; international instruments as opposed to the areas they are conversant with like crime, the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Act etc. The injustice that women go through in the Police Force was also reiterated for example; female officers cannot get married until they have completed the first 2 years in service, there is no such thing as an ASP for a woman, she has to be called W/ASP which stands for Woman Assistant Superintendent. The importance of creating awareness about the existence of international human rights instruments and that fact that Nigeria is a signatory to a number of them cannot be overemphasized since a lot of judicial personnel and Police officers are not aware that these documents exist. February 8-13, 2007 National Outreach Planning Meeting The latest in the series of the National Outreach planning Meetings took place at Chelsea Hotel Abuja from February 8-13, 2007. The aim of the workshop was to improve the capacity of the outreach teams in ensuring outreach sustainability. The workshop was of significant benefit to BAOBAB because it helped to build the skills of members of the members of the outreach teams with focus on how they could identify funders to finance activities in their states. They learned how to source for other funding opportunities on the internet and were also equipped with the necessary proposal writing and budgeting skills needed to get these funds. Specifically, Members of the team were shown how to use search engines when looking for specific topics on the internet, how to use the power point package for making presentations and basic computing skills for those who needed it. The group work gave the teams the opportunity to actually apply what they had learnt thereby ensuring that they had a practical understanding on how to use search engines and the internet in general as well as write budgets and proposals BAOBAB hopes that with the knowledge gained from this workshop, Outreach teams would be able to source for funding on their own for activities in their state which will go a long way in sustaining the activities of the outreach teams. February 4, 2007 To mark the International Women’s Health And Rights Day,a meeting was organised by BAOBAB.The meeting took place in BAOBAB Office and the objectives were: To highlight the issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights of young persons To raise consciousness of the role of the stakeholders in providing sexual and reproductive health information To share and exchange experiences on the way towards providing information to enable young persons make informed choices BAOBAB with participants were able to discuss the myths around sexuality issues. Participants further identified the following myths, which they promised to work on: If you start to menstruate and go near a man, you will become pregnant Information on sexuality leads to experimentation Talking about body parts has to do with having sex BAOBAB also used the opportunity of the workshop to speak about some of the difficulties parents face in discussing sexuality issues. They include the following: Parents do not know what to discuss, as their parents made sexuality issues taboo issues, and never discussed with them. Parents do not know when to seize the opportunity to discuss sexuality issues Parents pay emphasis to negative parts of sexuality, neglecting the positive parts Parents are afraid of saying the wrong things Parents have a feeling of guilt over their own mistakes and therefore fail to discuss. BAOBAB facilitated a discussion on how parents can handle these difficulties, and also seized the opportunity to discuss other issues raised by parents and representatives from faith-based organisations . At the end of the meeting, participants recommended the following as a way of ensuring that young persons are adequately informed on sexual and reproductive health rights: Need for change of orientation by all stakeholders Faith-based organizations should seize the opportunity of the trust vested on them by young persons to give information Representatives of faith-based organization should be trained to ensure that they give the right information Recommendations for organizations such as BAOBAB to continue to train and disseminate relevant information to guide parents and young persons Identification of the role of the schools as change agents Need for open discussions for both boys and girls Need for skills development School curriculum to include skills building and self esteem topics Need to disseminate information through meetings, clubs and an understanding of the reproductive health and rights needs of adolescents. January January 20 - 24 2007 World Social Forum –WLP presentation on Movement Building in the 21st Century: Against All Odds: “Women Partnering for Change in times of Crisis” The programme was organized by Women Learning Partners & BAOBAB for Women Human Rights The objectives of the meeting were: To have an interactive panel discussion with women’s rights activists and learn strategies to strengthen social movements, particularly the women’s movement, in an era of crisis for civic organizing. To deliberate on efforts to promote gender equality, human rights, and social. To share perspectives for strengthening partnerships to bring about social change. BAOBAB gained tremendously from the workshop as one of the resource persons and panelist is the executive director of the organisation who after the documentary presentation during the questions and answer session, was able to discuss the activities that BAOBAB engage in for the promotion of women’s rights. The materials display stand was very strategic and BAOBAB’s materials were distributed to the human rights activist who visited and made enquiries about the organisation and Women Learning Partners. December Strategic Planning Meeting The Annual Strategic Planning Meeting of BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights for 2006 took place at Coconut Grove Regency Hotel Accra,Ghana from December 14-21 2006. The theme of the strategic planning meeting was “Positioning Baobab for Women's Human Rights for the next decade:Using Feminist Tools Enhance the Capacity of Baobab".All members of staff including two Outreach Team Coordinators were present.....More November 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence November 25th-December 10 2006 Sensitization workshop for women towards the 2007 elections held on the 25th of November 2006 A one day sensitization workshop was organised for women from the 57 local government developmental areas in Lagos state as one of the activities to mark both the 16 days of Activism against Gender based Violence and the tenth year anniversary of BAOBAB. The meeting was basically to interact with the women on the issues they felt as politicians were preventing them from participating actively and actualizing their ambitions come 2007 and to sensitize them on the need to participate in the process not just as voters or in the ’women’s wing’ (as the case usually is) but to vie for political positions. The three major issues that were looked at are; the role of women in Nigeria’s political process, what are the issues for women and women’s participation in 2007 elections......More National Discussion on Women’s Human Rights and ReligionNovember 24&25 2006. The latest in the series of the National Discussion was held on November 24 & 25 2006. This forum was convened to commemorate the tenth anniversary of BAOBAB and to discuss and create awareness on the interconnectedness of global and local issues and the effects on the rights of women as equal citizens. The theme of the discussion was The Challenges of Religious Fundamentalisms and Globalization to Women’s Human Rights. The discussion had Media, NGO’s, Organizations, Embassies, Partners, Development agencies, Outreach Teams, government functionaries from different parts of Nigeria. There were thematic paper presentations on human rights and gender issues, Religious fundamentalisms (Christian and Islam) and a touch on Globalization by erudite scholars and seasoned professionals. The forum was interactive and brought out the issues of Christian and Moslem Fundamentalisms and its implications on Women’s Human Rights. It also made the linkage to globalization and highlighted its consequences on women’s human rights issues. The methodology of this discussion which included plenary discussions, smaller group work, examined real case studies and sharing of real life experiences, and further brought to bear the reality of the issues discussed.....More October TALENT COMPETITION, Oct 28, 2006 Introduction BAOBAB organized its 3^rd National Talent Competition; a commitment to promoting women’s rights amongst children and young adults. The competition is designed to enable children to exercise and develop their talents. It sought to promote young people's appreciation of human rights from a gender perspective. It also encouraged young people to think and talk about rights in general and in particular, recognize women's human rights as basic human rights. The talent competition was designed to facilitate an early process for the shaping of children and young men and women's discourse in manner that we take for granted that women's rights are human rights and promote their ability to recognize violations of women's and girls' rights in their own experiences. There were two areas to the competition – Essay writing and Poster design. The three age categories are - Children (6-12 years), teenagers (13-18) and young adults (19-24 years of age). The theme for this year’s talent competition is “The Role of Women in Nation building”. This aptly reflects the current global consciousness of the need to integrate women in leadership, as well as the recognition by the united nations that women‘s participation in decision-making is crucial to any development process. In developing a theme for this year’s competition, BAOBAB considered the fact that this year marks the 50^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, with theme around issues of women’s participation in decision making positions which of course includes political participation. Coincidentally this year has witnessed women’s inclusion in leadership in 3 continents. The countries are Liberia, Germany and Chile. We widely distributed the handbills and posters for the competition and we received about 430 entries from different parts of the country. Selections were made by a panel of judges and the National prize giving day took place on October 28, 2006. The Award Ceremony The 3^rd National Talent Competition Award Ceremony on October 28^th, 2006 at the Ocean View Restaurants, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State. The aim of the award ceremony was to honour winners of BAOBAB’s 2006 Talent Competition by presenting gifts to them as part of BAOBAB For Women’s Human Rights effort in promoting Women’s Human Rights amongst young people. It was to encourage the winners who displayed a variety of skills during the course of the competition. In attendance were 18 winners who came from different states in Nigeria. Guests invited were top Government functionaries, parents/guardian of winners, students, teachers, media, Non Governmental Organization (NGOs), friends of BAOBAB, Artists and Embassies. There was a showcasing of some of the entries that were sent; the 3 best essays were also read. There were On the Spot questions on women’s human rights issues for the children and prizes were given to those that answered the questions correctly. Some of the gifts presented to the winners were E-learning laptop computers, Desktop Computers, One year book scholarships, French courses and Computer training. There were other educational materials such as, dictionaries, scrabble, Chess and Writing pads. The 2006 Talent Competition was sponsored by the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD). We appreciate their support and commitment to the development of the rights of women in Nigeria. JULY Human Rights Training for Bauchi and Gombe participants –July 28th-August 2^nd 2006 The latest in the series of the Human Rights training from a gender perspective for Judicial Officers and The Police, was held between July 29th –August 2nd 2006. The training had Judicial Officers(both Sharia court Judges and Magistrates) and The Police of different cadres - from both Bauchi and Gombe States. Facilitators included programme personnel from BAOBAB, a representative of the National Human Rights Commission, and a member of the Police Force who had earlier benefited from the training of trainers. Issues addressed included human rights concepts, treaties and mechanisms for enforcement, gender analysis and relevance to human rights protection and promotion. Other issues discussed included discriminatory laws and practices as well as criminal justice procedure using human rights framework. The methodology of the training which included- plenary discussion, smaller group work exercises, examining real case studies, and the sharing of real life experiences, enhanced the training as expressed by participants’ post training oral/written evaluation. Media Coverage The training was covered by the electronic media. A couple of Participants and facilitators were interviewed in Hausa and English languages by reporters from the National Television Authority (NTA) Bauchi, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Bauchi. Advocacy Visit to the Grand Khadi of Bauchi Sharia Court of Appeal During the human rights training for The Police and Judicial Personnel held in Bauchi, July 29-August 2^nd 2006, there was an advocacy visit to the Grand Khadi of Bauchi Sharia Court of Appeal. The team comprised Chibogu Obinwa, a Senior Programme Officer of BAOBAB, Aminudeen Mohammed from the Police Headquarters, and a couple of participants from the training –Mohammad Manga Mahdi (Judge-Upper Sharia Court, Gamawa, Bauchi), and Bello Abbayo Hassan (Chief Magistrate with the Gombe High Court of Justice). The Grand Khadi received the team warmly, and expressed sincere gratitude that BAOBAB chose Bauchi as one of the focal points for the training. He intimated the group that when he saw the invitation letter, he had wished that more judicial personnel from his court could benefit directly from the training. He admitted that women have been relegated to the background in most spheres of life and that there was need to ensure that they are at the fore front of affairs. He further said that women should be given equal opportunities with their male counterparts especially in consideration of the enormous role they (women) are playing in keeping the home front intact. The Grand Khadi promised that the gains of the training would be replicated through the judicial personnel that directly benefited. It was a very strategic visit as it motivated the participants –knowing that the Grand Khadi had fully endorsed the training and its potentials. The Grand Khadi was later presented with a few materials related to the training, which he promised would definitely serve as good reference resource and will be kept in their library for further use. APRIL National Roundtable Discussions on Women’s Human Rights and Religion Between April 23 and 28 2006,  BAOBAB organized National Roundtable discussions on women’s human rights and religion- Christianity and Islam. The meetings took place at Kwara Hotel Ilorin, Kwara State. There were 50 participants drawn from the Christian and Islam communities. The objectives of the meetings were to §          Open up discussion on the rights of women in religion §          Develop, protect and promote the rights of women in religion §          Document and develop a resource document §          Mobilize local efforts for the protection of women’s human rights §          Bridge the gap of understanding on women’s human rights across diverse religious backgrounds §          Strategize on intervening in individual case of violations of women’s human rights under religious laws. BAOBAB was able to gather information useful for revising the Christian Background Document. It was also satisfying to learn that participants appreciated the opportunity given to them to discuss issues that are critical to their existence. In addition, the interactive methodology of the workshop afforded participants and facilitators the opportunity to benefit from one another’s experiences. Participants gained a lot from the meeting and were able to share their experiences with others. Some of them who were not very familiar to the issues of gender, women and development noted that their capacity was enhanced in this regard. The majority of the participants commented that though the two predominant religions – Islam and Christianity –do not discriminate against women, there is gross misinterpretation of the texts by people who want power and control over women. Participants resolved to continue to make available the options for women and disseminate the gains of the workshop in their respective communities It is worth noting that participants were very open in discussing issues bordering on the rights of women within their respective religions. This is an indication that the efforts of human rights activists are not in vain as Nigerian women in particular are beginning to appreciate their religions and to question their ‘man-made’ inferior status. Human Rights Training Workshop BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized a  human rights training workshop for Judges, Khadis and Law enforcement agents from April 1-5, 2006. The training took place at the Crystal Garden Hotel, Kaduna, Kaduna State. Once again BAOBAB has been able to share information on human rights issues from a gender perspective with Sharia court judges and law enforcement agents from Niger and Kaduna states. From the interactions during the 5-day training, it was believed that the knowledge gained would be inculcated into the day to day administration of justice and law enforcement by the respective beneficiaries, and in turn will be further replicated by indirect beneficiaries with whom the direct beneficiaries would have shared knowledge.  The participants in their evaluation of the programme reflected that they gained immensely from the training – specifically in the areas of gender, women’s human rights, discriminatory practices, international human rights treaties /instrument, violence against women, and so forth. Below is one of the SMS (test message) sent in by one of the participants after he returned to his destination: “infact, I have once again sincerely express my appreciation to your organization in her ability to organize /coordinate a hitch free programme like the just concluded one. Honestly your combined zeal and dexterity has reinvigorated my confidence in women. Please keep up the good work” This same training had been carried out in Katsina, Borno, Zaria as well Niger and Kaduna town. Other states such as Sokoto, Gombe and Bauchi will also benefit from this training which is ongoing. It is hoped that part of the benefits of this training would be that the custodians of various laws guiding the lives of women and the law enforcement agents are sensitized about women related issues. It is also hoped that with the knowledge of these laws from a gender perspective will lead to a reduction in the violation of the rights of women. MARCH Leadership Training Workshops In most parts of the world, women lack support for the fundamental functions of a human life. In Nigeria, there are few women in positions of responsibility as they have fewer opportunities than men do. Very often they are discriminated against in political and public life, and from local, national and international participation in the decision making process as evidenced by the token representation of women in government.  Women’s ideas are often left unspoken or unheard, even when they are present during discussions and decision-making assemblies. In most, if not all communities across Nigeria, men are perceived as dominant and women as subordinate.  They often do not hold positions of leadership in the community, at work or in politics. The factors affecting women’s participation in the life of society in general, and in politics in particular, are interrelated. These include: poverty, triple burden of productive, reproductive and community work, culture, religion, low self-esteem, socialization, lack of self-confidence and so forth. Fortunately, changes are slowly starting to emerge as more people are realizing the importance and the benefits of equal opportunities for men and women.  To expedite this change and raise women to the status which they are entitled, women and girls need to be empowered to reach their full potential and not be oppressed by the stereotypes of men’s and women’s roles.  These stereotypes, along with the myth that women are the “weaker sex” and therefore not as intelligent as men, keep women and young girls from pursuing higher education, promotions at work and participation in politics. In response to this inequality between men and women in our communities, BAOBAB, in collaboration with Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace (WLP), organize leadership training workshops in different communities all over the country for different categories of women and in some cases, men’s groups. A collaborative project of the Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace USA (www.learningpartnership.org) and its partners Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc – Morocco, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights – Nigeria and Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, Palestine (www.pal-watc.org), the leadership programme is based on the following premises:         Good leadership serves both men and women in society.         Good leadership is inclusive, participatory and does not leave out any part of the community.  It teaches women and men to be partners, not to fight against each other.         Leadership is horizontal.  Horizontal leadership, as opposed to vertical leadership creates the conditions for the equal treatment of women and men.         True leadership leads to greater choices for everyone. The objectives of leadership training workshops are as follows:         To empower women and men by giving emphasis to their leadership potential         To enable participants identify and develop communication skills, presentation skills, and teamwork to be incorporated into the various aspects of their lives including home, community and in work environments.         To build self-esteem and confidence in sharing ideas, opinions and working with others.         To enhance participation at leadership levels in different spheres of social interaction and decision-making.         To inspire participants to become involved in their communities to make lives better for all. The training programme is based on the concepts that everyone can be a leader and, at various times, both a leader and a follower; sharing power and respect for the other are essential for creating group synergy that empowers the individual, mobilizes collective action, and produces capabilities larger than the sum of those contributed by each individual. These concepts are operationalized in a system of learning that does not preach or teach, but provides an environment in which each individual discovers her own abilities, particularly the ability to relate to others, and become a part of a pool of communicators that produces ideas and solutions all can relate to. Workshops organized around this concept are dialogue-based and interactive. They help clarify a woman’s own position, help her understand alternate ways of looking at a given situation, accept differences in outlook and approach, learn how to work towards achieving a shared view, and respect diversity whether or not a common vision is created. This method of learning, tested in the WLP Partnership leadership training workshops in about twenty (20) countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, has proved successful in creating an atmosphere of tolerance, building self-confidence and honing conflict prevention skills. We just concluded a 4 day leadership training workshop for the media which took place from March 13-16, 2006 at BAOBAB's Conference room. BAOBAB is organising another leadership training workshop for professional women that will convene twenty-five (25) participants who are mid/top level professionals in the following areas:  banking, insurance, education, telecommunications, civil service, NGO, and so forth. It will take place at The Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja from March 28-31, 2006. International Women's Day Every year March 8^th is set aside to honour women’s struggles and achievements globally. It is a day popularly known as the International Women's day (IWD). In the past years, women all over the world have drawn attention to areas of critical concern to women’s lives in particular and the society in general. This day has been recognized since 1908 to highlight women’s equality worldwide and it marks a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights since inception has organized series of activities every March 8th to highlight various issues affecting women the world over. For March 8 2006, BAOBAB is specifically working with women at the community level in two Local Government Areas of Lagos State - Kosofe and Alimosho. BAOBAB hopes to reiterate this collaborative effort in other Local Government Areas in Lagos State and extend it to other states in Nigeria in the future. The collaboration between BAOBAB and these two Local Governments is primarily to commend the efforts of women in the Local Government and to create an appropriate platform for discussions on identified areas of needs and the way forward. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Women in Power and Decision-making’.This aptly reflects the current global consciousness of the need to integrate women in leadership as well as the recognition by the United Nations that Women’s participation is crucial to any development process. Inspite of this recognition and the general drive towards democratization in most countries of the world, women are still marginalized at most levels of decision making. Consequently, this process does not allow women to make choices rather they are restricted to decisions imposed on them. In striving to achieve sustainable development in any country, it is vital that leadership is inclusive, participatory and horizontal. Such leadership avoids the assumption that certain individuals have the innate right or authority to make decision for others. The society will gain politically, economically and culturally by leveling the power imbalance between men and women. BAOBAB is joining the rest of the world to state that the development process is incomplete with the marginalization of a key sector of human endeavour - Women! FEBRUARY Strategic National Outreach Planning Meeting BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized its yearly Strategic National Outreach Planning Meeting for its Outreach Teams from 14 states in Nigeria. This year’s meeting formed part of the series of activities to mark BAOBAB’s Tenth anniversary, and its remarkable years of activism on Women’s rights advancement both within and outside Nigeria. The meeting took place at Tamarin Hotels, in Lagos. The theme for this year’s meeting was: ‘BAOBAB at Ten: Sustainability of Outreach Teams’. The aim of the meeting was to review 2005 outreach activities, enhance the capacity of the Outreach teams and plan activities for 2006. BAOBAB was able to review the various activities of the teams since inception of the outreach activities in the various states in line with BAOBAB values and principles. Various capacity building sessions were shared with representatives of the teams. The group’s capacity was built on areas such as Report Writing, Community Mobilization; Fundraising, Budgeting and Retirement, Proposal Development. The sessions were aimed at enabling the team Members meet the challenges in community level advocacy. Other sessions include conflict resolution sessions and basic HIV/AIDS information. At the end of the training the volunteers reiterated their commitment to addressing the issues of women’s human rights in their communities. The meeting also afforded the opportunity for a better understanding of issues affecting women in various communities and strategies for addressing them. Addressing Sexual Violence in Church Communities February 4, 2006 BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights in collaboration with Parent-Child Communications Project organised a one day workshop On “Addressing Sexual violence in the church” to mark the International Women Health and Rights Day. The participants were adolescents drawn from the Church. The objectives of the workshop was to analyze emerging trends of violence against young people, to highlight the role of the church in addressing sexual violence and share experiences and identify the way forward towards eradicating abuse. BAOBAB was able to identify emerging trends in violations against young people and the desire of young people for holistic information on sexual and reproductive issues. The major gain of the workshop was the identification of new areas of work as required by the adolescents. This will further enrich the work we are currently embarking on in some Church communities in Nigeria As a follow up based on request by participants, BAOBAB plans to organize a workshop for parents and some select members from the church community on February 4, 2007. JANUARY WLUML-AME COORDINATION Synthesis Writing Meeting Between January 17 and 22 2006, BAOBAB organized a synthesis meeting to finalise the production of the WLUML-Africa Analytical Book. Hosted by one of the networking organisations of WLUML – Femmes et Droits Humains, (FDH), Mali, the meeting took place at the Hôtel Olympe, Bamako. Present at the meeting were ten contributors. At the end of the 5-day writing meeting, the book was restructured to accommodate most of the realities of women living in Muslim communities. Contributors also revised existing drafts to reflect the changes made to the composition of chapters. WLUML Africa Regional Meeting As the Regional Coordination Office for International Solidarity Network of Women Living under Muslim Laws (WLUML), BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights organized the Africa Regional Meeting in collaboration with Femmes et Droits Humains, (FDH) Mali