Muslim Women Develop Advocacy Skills

February 11, 2005

January 2005 – IRI’s Africa division launched a pan-African initiative known as the Muslim Women Advocacy Program. The program began simultaneously in Nigeria, Liberia and Somaliland with advocacy skills workshops in each country. Each workshop included 20 or more representatives of rural civil society organizations that work with Muslim women. The program’s primary objective is to increase Muslim women’s political participation through advocacy for basic needs such as potable water, primary education and basic health services. The workshops provide participants with training on issue advocacy techniques and strategies. The Muslim Women Advocacy program will soon expand to Sudan. IRI will conduct an advocacy skills workshop in Khartoum in March 2005.

The Muslim Women Advocacy program seeks to encourage political and civic participation of Muslim women in key countries in Africa with a significant Muslim population. Fifty percent of Nigeria’s population is composed of Muslims, yet only 4.9 percent of its legislature is composed of women. Among the four countries involved in the initiative, Nigeria has the highest number of women in its legislature. IRI seeks to build the capacity of organizations within these countries to empower women and alter political discourse to address the needs of women.

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