From July 14 to July 16, 2025, executive members of Somali Defenders attended the Women Refugee-Led Organizations (RLO) Leaders’ Convening, held in Kampala, Uganda. This meaningful event brought together refugee women-led organizations from across Africa to enhance leadership, foster collaboration, and design support systems tailored for sustainable impact.
Overview of the Convening:
The Women RLO Leaders’ Convening 2025 was co-organized by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Authentic African Works, and the Mastercard Foundation. It focused on addressing the unique challenges faced by women-led RLOs, especially in gaining access to resources, decision-making spaces, and sustainable development opportunities. The three-day convening centered the voices of refugee women leaders and promoted inclusive change within humanitarian and development systems.
Key Objectives of the Convening:
• Identify Leadership and Capacity Gaps: Assess existing gaps in leadership and organizational capacity among women-led RLOs and co-create solutions to strengthen their resilience and impact.
• Promote Peer Learning and Cross-Country Collaboration: Facilitate knowledge sharing, exchange of best practices, and collective learning among women leaders to support long-term sustainability.
• Build Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy Networks: Strengthen relationships between RLOs, international NGOs, donors, and policymakers to enhance advocacy efforts and influence decision-making processes on economic and social inclusion.
Somali Defenders remain committed to empowering refugee communities, IDPS and advancing the role of women leaders through active participation, collaboration, and advocacy at the regional and global levels.