On 2 March 2026, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, in partnership with the AU Chairperson’s Special Envoy for WPS and UN Women ESARO, convened a virtual meeting of the Advisory Board for WPS in the Great Lakes. With former President of Ethiopia H.E. Sahel-Work Zewde as the chief guest, participants discussed gender perspectives relating to ongoing peace efforts and opportunities for the Board to support local WPS initiatives. CSOs also provided their insight to regional security, the social-economic context, declining funding for women organizations and weakening of protection networks within the region.
