The Conflict, Security and Development Group

CSDG’s Peace and Security Fellowships for African Women programme, now in its fourth year, has been funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust. This is part of the CSDG knowledge building and mentoring programme. It brings together African women at the different stages of their careers to undertake a carefully designed training programme in conflict, security and development at King’s College London. This training will then be followed by an attachment to an African regional organisation or a centre of excellence to acquire practical experience. Ultimately, the project will train African women to develop a better understanding of African peace and security issues in order to increase their participation in conflict management processes and other areas of security concerns for all Africans, especially women.

The Fellowship programme is designed to expose professional African women to the complexities of conflict, security and development and equip them for careers in this field. The Fellowship programme was conceived against a number of background factors. First, is the comparatively low level of women involved in peace and security issues, especially as compared with those involved in human rights and development issues. Second, is the need to assist African women to meet the demands of the Beijing process and, more recently, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 that calls for the inclusion of women at all decision-making levels in “all national regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts”. This Fellowship is aimed at challenging the existing tendency that seems to reinforce the male dominant discourse on conflict and security related matters. It will also develop the network of African women scholars working in the field whilst linking them with the peace and security mechanisms of the regional institutions.

The Fellowships are undertaken over a period of one year with two six-month phases. The first phase is based at King’s College London where the Fellows attend specifically designed courses on conflict, security and development. They also visit various UK institutions working in the field of conflict management, including the international Institute for Strategic Studies and the UK Parliament and European institutions including the European Union Parliament, Commission, Council of Ministers; International Crisis Group, Brussels and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. This phase ends with a simulation seminar during which a mock conflict management situation is practiced. The second phase is an attachment of Fellows to an African regional organisation or centre of excellence to undertake practical work in the field of peace and security including peace and conflict management processes.

We prepare the new announcements every year and they are available in February/March. The Fellowships start Sept/Oct every year. For further information on how to apply please click here or contact Eka Ikpe: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it