Leveraging Experience: Lessons from the AU Panel of the Wise for Women, Peace, and Security
The African union Panel โof the Wise has emergedโ as a โcrucial instrument for advancing women’s inclusion within AU initiatives โand amplifying their expertise. Notably, theโข FemWise-Africa network, launched in early 2025, provides a readilyโ available roster of skilled mediators and expertsโฃ forโ AU PAPS deployments, demonstrating โคa strategic โadaptation to the evolving needs of โขpeacemakingโ on โthe continent.โข This approach underscores the Panel’s commitmentโค to solidifying the AU’s authority and engaging withโฃ influential figures within the African context.
FemWise-Africa’s success highlights the Panel’s effectiveness โin creating tangibleโ opportunities for women.โค Beyond providing a platform for visibility, it has facilitated โฃsecondments to AU Liaison Offices and enabled participation in gender-focused monitoring during Election Observation Missions.โ The network’s โco-chairsโค function as vital advocates, โคfrequently enough serving as the โฃprimary voice for women’s concerns during critical negotiations โฃand high-level discussions.
However, the Panel’s impact extends beyond direct representation.It actively champions women’s inclusion across various โAU โstructures, complementing the work โขofโ dedicated departments like theโค AU’s Gender Program, the Special Envoy on WPS, and the Directorate for Women, Gender and Youth. These institutions, focused on protecting women’s rights, preventing gender-based violence, and ensuring participation, are essential for holdingโฃ power accountable and driving urgentโค action. Recognizing the value of these dedicated bodies reinforces the importance of the Panelโ of the Wise as a model โfor integrating genderโค equality โand the โWPS agenda into broader conflictโ prevention strategies.
The Panelโฃ operates within a formal institutional framework, strategically positioning its members and supporting staffโฃ to advance the WPS agenda. Through research, formal reporting, and the creation of a visible โnetwork of female mediators and experts, it legitimizes women’s leadership and advocates โfor their participation within โtheโข African Union Commission.โ This focus on elevating elite women to decision-makingโค tables operates on a scale of representation and aspirational politics, fostering normative change while recognizing the importance of supporting grassroots movements within local communities.
Ultimately, the strength of the AU Panel of the Wise lies in its ability to weave gender โequalityโ into the very fabric of conflictโค prevention. Ensuring women’s voices are โขheard and โฃempowering them to shape government โฃpolicies is paramount. The Panel’s 18 years of experience,โ combined with the lessons learned over โthe past 25 years since โthe adoption of UNSCR 1325, provides a valuable โขfoundation. โข Moving forward, a comprehensive approach – one that embraces bothโข the institutionalization of the WPS agendaโฃ and robust gender mainstreaming across all AU directoratesโ – is crucial. Every mediator must prioritize inclusivity, and every governmentโ must uphold laws protecting women, ensuring a future where peace and security areโ trulyโข equitable and โlasting.
