Stakeholders implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Adjumani District have concluded a review engagement aimed at assessing and documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from the implementation of the district's Local Action Plan (LAP).
The engagement, held on Thursday at the Resident District Commissioner's boardroom in Adjumani Town Council, brought together members of the district LAP Taskforce, government officials, civil society organisations, development partners, and peacebuilding stakeholders.
The meeting was organised by the Women's International Peace Centre in partnership with UN Women, the Coalition for Action 1325, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD).
The exercise sought to document progress made in implementing the Local Action Plan, financing commitments by the district, success stories, lessons learned, and emerging challenges affecting the realisation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Speaking during the engagement, Diana Oroma, Programme Officer at the Women's International Peace Centre, said the documentation exercise was intended to generate evidence on the impact of localising the Women, Peace and Security framework.
"The purpose of this exercise is to capture the impact of the localisation of the WPS II framework and generate evidence that can inform future interventions and programming," Oroma said.
Adjumani District is among the districts implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which seeks to enhance women's participation in peace processes, leadership, and decision-making, while addressing challenges affecting women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Representing the district leadership, Senior Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Abubakar Gulam commended development partners for their continued support in empowering women and vulnerable communities.
"We appreciate all implementing partners for their efforts in empowering women. The district remains committed to supporting these initiatives because they contribute to household income improvement, poverty reduction, and community development," Gulam said.
Doreen Bakeiha, Senior Gender Officer at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, noted that Adjumani is among 21 districts across Uganda implementing Local Action Plans under the Women, Peace and Security framework.
"The Ministry of Gender plays a coordination role by working with different partners to ensure interventions are aligned with the National Action Plan. We also mobilise resources and provide technical guidance to support implementation," Bakeiha said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Sharon Apio Ruth Baru highlighted achievements registered under the Local Action Plan, particularly in advancing women's participation and leadership.
"The Local Action Plan is already registering success in its thematic areas. Women are increasingly able to make decisions and are being linked to government poverty-reduction programmes," she said.
However, Baru noted that harmful cultural practices continue to undermine women's empowerment, particularly among refugee communities in the district.
At the close of the engagement, participants resolved to strengthen coordination among stakeholders, intensify community sensitisation efforts, and advocate for increased resource allocation to support implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
They also pledged to build on the gains registered so far while addressing the challenges identified during the review.