Two years after the launch of the “Toward Feminist Agendas: Women, Youth, Peace, and Security” project, supported by Equipop and AFD, it is time to take stock. The sixteen women’s and youth civil society organizations participating in the project in Benin presented a generally encouraging assessment during a knowledge-sharing workshop. Through their advocacy and collective mobilization efforts, they have succeeded in making progress on both the Women and Youth, Peace, and Security (FJPS) Agendas, enabling women and young people to make their voices heard more effectively and to strengthen their participation in local and national decision-making bodies. For example, they pressed the Ministry of Family Affairs regarding the National Action Plan (NAP), which had not been revised since 2021. With support from UNDP, the ministry subsequently launched an evaluation of the NAP with a view to updating it. Furthermore, in collaboration with youth CSOs active on the ground, the government has launched an initiative focused on a national youth action program, supported in particular by UNFPA
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Training, individualized support, flexible funding, and organizational capacity-building for organizations: the approach implemented by Equipop has enabled each organization to operate in close alignment with local realities. Another distinctive feature of the project is its broad scope. The program is not limited to formal CSOs; it also supports informal movements and local activists working on relevant feminist projects. This approach, which is attentive to the needs and realities of each participant, helps explain the changes presented during the knowledge-sharing workshop.
The first change concerns the development of initiatives—including collective ones—led by girls and women in crisis contexts. Collaboration among Beninese CSOs already existed, but the project served to strengthen the FJPS agenda and foster cohesion among the organizations. For example, CSOs organized the first National CSO Forum on the FJPS Agenda, which was attended by the Minister of Family and Social Action, as well as a storytelling tour across several municipalities in Benin, notably in Cotonou, Abomey-Calavi, and Akpro-Missérété. Collective initiatives have also been launched at the local level. The first Platform of Feminist Movements and Organizations of Northern Benin (PLAMOFEB), bringing together 38 organizations, was established. This platform is now an indispensable tool for local and regional authorities.
The second change highlights the increased participation of women and youth in mechanisms for conflict prevention and management and social cohesion. Awareness-raising efforts regarding the FJPS Agendas at the local level have fostered an understanding of the role these actors can play in conflict prevention and management and social cohesion. A community leader from northern Benin shares: “ Peulh women are now participating more in discussions. They are offering concrete proposals to prevent conflicts and improve social cohesion within our communities.” ”
Furthermore, these initiatives have enabled women and girls who are typically marginalized—such as waitresses in bars and restaurants—to be involved in initiatives promoting peace and security, in recognition of their exposure to risks related to insecurity and their potential role in conflict prevention and early warning.
The third change involves women and young people speaking out more frequently in public spaces to denounce violations (VSS) or assert their rights. Activism has given way to innovative approaches to make their voices heard, such as producing a feminist song, community forum theater, the “palaver tree,” and the educational game “Questions for a Champion and a Championess.”
In September 2026, in Natitingou, in northern Benin, a consortium of CSOs organized a two-day Festival of Feminist Solutions for Peace. Following a community assessment report conducted among girls and women living in insecure areas of Atacora, 27 women were invited to propose solutions to the identified problems by drawing on local knowledge. This approach shifted their role from that of beneficiaries to that of agents of change capable of developing solutions tailored to their needs and local realities.
Impressive progress in just a few months proves that women and young people are true agents of peace and change who can play a vital role in prevention and mediation.
The project “Toward Feminist Agendas for Peace and Security—Women of West Africa and the Sahel United for Peace” is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by a consortium comprising Equipop, FAD in Niger, Diakonia in Burkina Faso, and the Gorée Institute in Senegal, across six countries in West Africa and the Sahel: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Chad, and Togo.
Press contacts: ASSINOU Ahouefa Essi:aassinou@wanep.org– WANEP - Togo
HOUNKPATIN Romance:romance.hounkpatin@equipop.org– EQUIPOP
Priscille BANSE:priscille.banse@equipop.org– EQUIPOP
