The Yar'Adua Foundation and Partners West Africa (PWAN), with support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs under the Promoting Effective Participation of Women in Governance & Combating Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria project, have garnered the support of key stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence, peacebuilding, and women's inclusion. 20 grassroots organizations and six community mediators in Kano State have been trained, better positioning them for leadership, awareness-building, mediation, and impact.

During the past three years, the team has launched media campaigns to raise awareness and foster ownership across the state, reaching approximately six million people. Given the significant impact achieved, it is crucial that the successes of the project's implementation in Kano serve as a platform for discussing context-specific approaches to driving women's participation in governance and peacebuilding across the country, with the goal of replicating these successes in other states.

To this end, the Yar'Adua Foundation, with the generous support of the Swiss Embassy and in partnership with PWAN, hosted a public policy forum on Contextual Strategies for Women's Leadership in Peacebuilding and Governance on December 4, 2024. The forum brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including the diplomatic community, civil society organizations, women in politics and leadership, university students, experts, thought leaders in governance, academia, and advocates for gender justice. These stakeholders convened to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with increasing women's involvement in governance and politics, as well as to promote strategies aimed at addressing gender-based violence in Nigeria.