North East Regional Initiative: A Lasting Legacy

The widow of a soldier receives a tailoring startup kit

STRENGTHENING THE VOICE OF WOMEN AND GIRLS My hope for them is to become strong women, very confident women who can stand up for each other in the long run and promote peace and security.” — Rukayya Jibrin, Women, Peace and Security Project Manager, North East Regional Initiative

need to address the obstacles facing women and girls, as well as improve their abilities to organize, advocate and become active members of and leaders in their communities. It developed a comprehensive approach that leveraged the U.S. government’s Women, Peace and Security strategy and guiding objectives, including promoting the participation of women in decision-making processes and protecting their rights. NERI implemented 34 Women, Peace and Security activities valued at more than $1.7 million with community organizations, state and local governments, mentors and traditional leaders, among others.

I nvesting in women , encouraging them to be active in their communities and to take leadership roles are critical to breaking the cycles of conflict and instability that threaten them, their families and neighbors. In Northeast Nigeria, women and girls face numerous hurdles. They are marginalized because of traditional and religious structures, suffer from gender-based violence, face poor access to education and are excluded from decision-making at home and in their communities. Compounding the situation is a decade of violence, abduction and coercion that has disproportionally affected women and children. The North East Regional Initiative (NERI) program identified the urgent

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