The two-day national workshop on creating space for the civil society organizations to participate in the implementation process of transitional justice policy in Ethiopia was held from 20 to 21 June 2024 in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia. The workshop targeting women leaders from non-governmental and civil society organizations and representatives of grassroots community groups from various regions of the country aimed to assess gender sensitivity of the Transitional Justice(TJ) Policy recently adopted by Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers, to identify opportunities, gaps , and to collectively strategize and plan actions to ensure gender sensitivity and women’s participation during the upcoming implementation phases of the Transitional Justice Policy realized.

Discussions based on various related presentations focused on creating awareness of the TJ policy and roles of CSOs in the policy, identification of ways to engage women led CSOs in the implementation process of the TJ Policy, as well as to assess the policy from gender and conflict survivors’ sensitive aspect under international standards. Participants from various background actively involved during the discussions to ensure gender justice in the implementation of the policy through consultation for collective voice through reflections on practical experiences, small group discussions and presentations. The workshop concluded by establishing women’s working group drawn from the workshop participants and identified its working modality by setting the group’s overall mission, vision, goal and specific objectives to channel collective voice for sustainable peace.

According to Ms. Ergeba Abraha, a board member of CSO known as Mums for Mums in Tigray region, for lasting peace to happen for generations to come and to avoid revenge, Transitional Justice which accommodates women’s voices is critical, “Above everything else, we have experienced war destroying women and children. It is with a delight and motivation to contribute for lasting peace that I am participating in the Transitional Justice workshop. This is a great opportunity for women to bring together our voices for sustainable peace. On the challenge on making the Transitional Justice (TJ) effective in her region, she highlighted on the fact that the government in her region not being aware of the Transitional Justice and on the importance of fully engaging them to make the policy effective, “What I have been raising at the workshop is the importance of the government being aware of and accepting the policy. Otherwise, the fact that only the CSO that I came from, mums for mums engagement will not make a difference. If we are aiming for a lasting peace and justice for all, it is critical to engage all the concerned, including the government at higher level.” About the action she aims to take when she gets back to her region, she added, “Although I came to the workshop because of my role as a board member of the CSO, Mums for Mums, my primary job is as the Chairwoman of the Women Affairs Bureau in Mekelle town, where there are seven districts under it. I will inform them on the knowledge gained from the workshop and on its potential to prevail a lasting peace. If there is justice and healing now, there will be a lasting peace.”

For Ms. Mahlet Tilahun, the Director of the CSO known as Sustainable Women Empowerment in Bahir Dar of the Amhara region, the workshop isn’t only timely for her region where currently internal conflicts are happening, she also sight the established women consortium at the workshop as a trusted channel for her to transmit the reality in her region regarding conflicts and their effects on women and the community as a whole, “I have never heard of transformative justice before. Now from the workshop I am very aware of it. I came from an area where conflict is going on right now. This transitional justice implementation should be speed up to see lasting solution. Before the training I used not to see the value of collecting information in relation to impacts of conflicts as I had no trusted channel to use. Now, having a trustworthy consortium with a common cause that can hear my message is sufficient for me to proceed as the voice for many voiceless women in my region.”

 Ms. Workinesh Begi, Executive Director and founder of Tarkanfi Sustainable Development (TSD) in Bishoftu town, Oromia region, in her part emphasized that since the workshop participants are from almost all regions, if the transitional justice is being implemented soon, the potential of peace at country level is high. She also acknowledged the support of UN Women, “The Transitional Justice is new for our country. I have gown to Rwanda seen it impactful results. In the two-day workshop, where women leaders got together and discussed about peace, about those who are saddened and wounded from conflict and how we can contribute to heal them has enormous meaning and I would like to thank UN Women for its support. “Regarding what makes different this workshop from others in terms of peace, Ms. Workinesh added, “This one is about justice. Beyond a dialogue, specifically on accountability; those who made the damaged to believe it and ask for forgiveness and those who were damaged to be compensated to prevent conflicts from happening again. After the workshop, I will continue my advocacy work on the importance of engaging women in peace through youth, the disabled, older women and the community as a whole using the Transitional Justice policy as an opportunity.”

 In mid-2023, as the TJ policy was being considered and before its adoption, the UN Women Ethiopia office convened a high-level national consultation with women from diverse backgrounds to discuss policy options. The UN Women consultation was convened in partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the MoJ’s Transitional Justice Working Group of Experts, and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs. The consultation was designed to ensure women’s meaningful participation and voice in the development and implementation of a gender sensitive transitional justice policy in Ethiopia. The two – day workshop aimed to ensure women in Civil Society Organizations participation and enhance the transitional Justice Policy effectiveness. The workshop was supported by Government of Germany.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (https://IsDBInstitute.org/) is inviting nominations for the IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics for the year 1446H (2025).

This cycle of the prize is the ‘Development Solutions Achievement’ category that aims to recognize and reward successful projects that solve important development challenges in IsDB Member Countries.

Individuals and institutions can nominate a project that has a positive and significant impact on people’s lives and has a substantial impact on economic development based on Islamic principles. The nominated projects should be initiated within the previous seven years and be replicable elsewhere.

The prize comes with a US$ 100,000 award for the first-place winner, US$ 70,000 for second place, and US$ 30,000 for third place.

The nomination is a two-step process that can be initiated by visiting the ‘How to Apply’ (https://apo-opa.co/3T947vh) page on the  IsDB Prize Portal (https://Prize.IsDBInstitute.org/). The first step is the registration of the nominator/applicant, which is open until 30 October 2024. The second step is for the nominator/applicant to upload the nomination form details and any relevant files before 3 November 2024.

The prize winner and runners-up will be honored at a ceremony during the 2025 IsDB Group Annual Meetings on a date to be announced in due course.

For more information about the call for nominations, click About IsDB Prize (https://apo-opa.co/3SFLE91) to download the brochure or contact us on isdbprize@isdb.org.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

Media contact:
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Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI)
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About the Islamic Development Bank Institute: 
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives. More information about the IsDB Institute is available on https://IsDBInstitute.org/

In its latest policy brief, global trade association EnerGeo Alliance calls for further upstream investment in South Africa’s energy sector. The brief emphasizes the need for advanced seismic surveys and data generation to identify reserves and reduce exploration risks. It highlights the potential of South Africa’s Brulpadda-Luiperd fields, offshore prospects in the Orange Basin, and onshore shale gas in the Karoo Basin as game changers for the country’s energy landscape. Additionally, the company notes that significant investment is required to fully develop South Africa’s midstream and downstream sectors to enhance gas availability and reliability. 

To strengthen the call for greater investments, EnerGeo Alliance has joined the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 event – taking place from November 4-8 in Cape Town – as a partner. During AEW: Invest in African Energy, EnerGeo will host a pre-conference workshop on Monday 4th November titled, Legislative ad Regulatory Context for Promoting Investment in Exploration. This session will explore best practices, challenges and policy recommendations for creating a favorable legislative and regulatory environment to attract and sustain exploration investments in Africa. Additionally, Energeo Alliance’s President and CEO Nikki Martin will join the rountable discussion: Advancing Exploration in Africa and the Energy Trilemma, to discuss the importance of geoscience for resource discovery and development to meet Africa’s current and future energy demands. 

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

EnerGeo Alliance brings together member companies from over 50 countries and represents a diverse range of industries. Focus areas include onshore and offshore geoscience companies, energy data and processing providers, equipment and software manufacturers, service providers and consultancy groups. The association leverages its extensive expertise to provide comprehensive energy solutions to countries all over the world. 

In the context of the global energy transition, EnerGeo Alliance recognizes natural gas as a key transition fuel, especially within the African context. The company advocates for the strategic use of natural gas to transition from high-carbon fuels to cleaner energy sources, with Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt standing at the forefront of natural gas production in Africa. Meanwhile, frontier countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, Mozambique and South Africa have emerged as significant game changers in the African gas market. 

EnerGeo Alliance offers members essential resources for exploring and developing low-carbon energy solutions in Africa. It provides educational, scientific and regulatory tools, enhancing energy project efficiency and sustainability. The association also prioritizes geoscience data in energy policies as a requisite to attracting and retaining investment in the energy industry. This strategic focus optimizes energy resource development and maximizes economic benefits for African nations. 

“The integration of geoscience and the energy sector is crucial for advancing African energy projects and leveraging Africa’s hydrocarbon resources. By harnessing the advanced scientific knowledge and technological expertise of organizations like EnerGeo Alliance and its vast network, Africa can not only optimize the exploration and development of its resources but also drive the transition to cleaner energy sources. This approach is crucial for unlocking Africa’s full potential, ensuring energy security and enhancing sustainable economic growth across the continent,” states Executive Chairman of the AEC NJ Ayuk. 

By participating in AEW 2024, EnerGeo Alliance will engage with policymakers to advocate for supportive policies and regulatory frameworks. Its experience and success in other regions can inform and inspire effective energy policies in Africa. This collaboration aims to enhance the event’s mandate to eradicate energy poverty while creating a supportive landscape for energy development across Africa. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Through the support of UN Women in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government has taken various steps to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment as part of its commitments to realize its gender focused targets aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and its Ten-Year Perspective Plan (2221-2030). The first – ever Gender Audit manual developed by the support of UN Women and its implementation by the Office of the Federal Audit General (OFAG) is among the tangible results. The gender manual, targeting audit experts at the Office of the Federal Audit General aims to enable an effective performance audit of gender equality at ministries and other government agencies. Through the support of UN Women, the audit experts at the institution were also capacitated through various trainings on gender equality auditing including on proper application of the manual.

On the improvement of the institutions’ performance after the manual got introduced, Mr. Tesfaye Alemu, the Performance Audit Manager at OFAG explained; “Before we started using the manual, there were a few general criteria that we used to apply for gender audit. It wasn’t as detailed as the one in the new gender audit manual to the extent that the findings were not even visible. When we used the manual, which is comprehensive, critical findings were identified. For example, through the pilot performance audit at the Ministry of Health, which also looked into selected hospitals, we found the cost of gender gaps in the health sector including unsafe child delivery, improper family planning, and lack of focus on specific diseases that women are exposed to. These issues resulted because of lack of gender awareness, negligence, and weak or absence of policies for accountability. Based on our recommendations channeled through the parliament, the ministry has prepared action plan to accordingly address these issues.”

 Mrs. Tsige Tilahun, Women, Youth and Children Directorate Director at OFAG, described the manual as a groundbreaking one not only at OFAG as an institution, but also for the country, being the first of its kind to be produced and applied, “Application of the audit manual is part of our annual strategic plan. Each department at OFAG implements and periodically report with recommendations on the findings. It is assisting us to advance gender equality. Now, we realize more than ever that without proper gender audit, auditing is not complete in our institution.” 

On the benefits of the manual at country level, Ms. Tsige added, “Before this manual, there wasn’t a systemized gender audit standard at country level and now its availability benefits every sector involved. The outcomes of the pilot gender auditing on ministries are also benefiting more institutions at country level. For instance, at the Ministry of Health, where health services are provided throughout the country, the audit was done involving well-known hospitals in Addis Ababa and other regions. The findings enhanced awareness at various levels, from federal to community. The report on the findings to the parliament is also channeled through public media. This is alerting those audited to take actions as well as to create awareness to those not involved, for preventing similar findings by properly considering gender issues in their planning and implementations.”

 UN Women Ethiopia Country Office under its National Planning program has been partnering with Office of the Federal Audit General (OFAG) since 2021 to assist them advance gender equality through their audit report and recommendations. The development of a Gender Audit Manual and capacity enhancement on the use by the relevant staff of OFAG are among the key areas of support provided by UN Women. Using the manual, pilot gender auditing was performed on the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and findings, including recommendations for actions were presented to parliament as part of the 2023 annual report of OFAG. The partnership work with the Federal Audit General is financially being supported by Sweden, Government of Norway, and Netherlands.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.