USAID/OTI BURKINA FASO REGIONAL PROGRAM (BFRP) Improving Women’s Negotiation and Persuasion Techniques

The program aimed to empower these women with negotiation and persuasion techniques to counter the influence of Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs). The training was conducted by a local NGO and focused on improving social cohesion, negotiation, and persuasion, as well as identifying individuals vulnerable to extremist groups' recruitment efforts. Twenty-four women community representatives participated in the training, which provided them with valuable insights and skills to effectively convey messages to their loved ones about the negative effects of VEOs. The training enabled the women to develop strategies for helping their children avoid recruitment by violent extremist organizations and to identify suspicious individuals and report them to the authorities. The women also reported that they are now better able to converse with their children, parents, and friends about peaceful coexistence, family cohesion, and mutual respect. The trained women community representatives have played a crucial role in building the capacity of 134 additional women. They have helped to disseminate the knowledge and skills gained from the training to their communities, promoting social cohesion and mutual respect. The program has also empowered the women to take an active role in preventing their children from joining VEOs and to build awareness within their communities about the dangers of extremist groups. The training program has been successful in equipping the women community representatives with the necessary skills and knowledge to counter the influence of VEOs in their communities. The program's focus on social cohesion, negotiation, and persuasion has enabled the women to effectively convey messages to their loved ones and to build awareness within their communities. The program's impact has been significant, with the trained women community representatives helping to build the capacity of 134 additional women. The Nord region of Burkina Faso has been particularly affected by the influence of VEOs, with the region experiencing a significant increase in extremist activity over the past two years. The BFRP's training program has been an important initiative in countering this influence and promoting social cohesion and mutual respect in the region. The program's success has been demonstrated by the women community representatives' ability to effectively convey messages to their loved ones and to build awareness within their communities.