Femi Adi ,Kaduna

As women across the world to celebrate International Women's Day , Mercy Corps a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible joined Kaduna women to celebrate the eventful day .

The Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) program of Mercy Corps Nigeria celebrated women in leadership across various levels of society during a special International Women’s Day event in Kaduna state on Monday, 8th March, 2021.


The event which held at the Al-Ihsan Metro Hotel in Kaduna featured remarks from prominent women leaders in the state including Saude Amina Atoyebi; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Kaduna state government, and Priscilla Ankut, CEO of the Kaduna Peace Commission.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2021; Women in Leadership: achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable efforts made by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the biggest components of the CIPP program is recognizing the essential role of women in peacebuilding and empowering women for equal participation and involvement in conflict prevention and mitigation through the creation of women peace building councils and women-led forums.

According to Sani Suleiman, the CIPP Deputy Chief of Party at Mercy Corps Nigeria, “The women we work with, who are leaders and influencers in their communities, have demonstrated tremendous skill and initiative in successfully spearheading peace and conflict resolution initiatives and now we are seeing more acceptance of women’s roles in leadership and peacebuilding at the community level.”

In addition to the event in Kaduna, women participants of the CIPP program across its key implementing states of Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, and Plateau states embarked on community-led activities to raise awareness for the importance of women’s active participation in leadership and peacebuilding.


Mercy Corps’ CIPP program is committed to amplifying the voices of women and addressing gender gaps in conflict prevention, management and peacebuilding through; integration of women leaders into peace structures, capacity development and support for women-led peace initiatives, and enhancement of Women’s networks to build a movement for strategic conflict prevention and response. This activity will also contribute to the UN’s SDG 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced inequality) and 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

CIPP is supported by USAID and implemented through a consortium, led by Mercy Corps that includes African Radio Drama Association (ARDA), Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Pastoral Resolve (PARE), and Savannah Center for Diplomacy Democracy & Development (SCDDD).