A six-day virtual training to enhance the operational capabilities of all female peacekeepers serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), is currently underway.

Dubbed the Female Engagement Teams Course, the training was launched in Mogadishu on Monday by the Chief-of-Staff of the military component of AMISOM, Brig. Gen. Domitien Kabisa.

In his remarks, Brig. Gen. Kabisa highlighted the important role that female military officers play in Peace Support Operations (PSOs), saying that the training would enhance their capabilities as they execute the mission’s mandate, which includes protecting civilians.

"By the end of the training, there will be a great enrichment on participants’ knowledge and skills on the protection of civilians, including child protection, conflict-related sexual violence and the roles and responsibilities of female engagement teams in prevention and response,” said Brig. Gen. Kabisa on Monday.

The Chief-of-Staff added that the training would help support the preparation of female engagement team members ahead of deployments in the future and create an understanding of in-mission personal conduct and stress management.

Additionally, the training will enhance understanding of cultural awareness and the importance of addressing various cross-cutting issues like gender and sexual exploitation and abuse.

Facilitated by the British Peace Support Team in coordination with various trainers from AMISOM Mission and Force Headquarters, the training that is being attended by newly deployed female officers and those who have spent some time serving on the mission, will cover aspects like operational planning, conflict-related sexual violence and child protection.

Other topics include Somali cultural awareness, the AMISOM mandate and obligation, civilian casualty tracking and response, the concept behind Female Engagement Teams, gender perspectives in peace support operations, and sexual exploitation and abuse, among others.

AMISOM Gender Officer Major Lillian Maela noted that the current training, which will end on December 12, is targeting female officers from the English-speaking Troop Contributing Countries (TCC’s)-Uganda and Kenya.

The second phase, which she said is scheduled for January 2021, will target female officers from the French speaking TCC’s (Burundi and Djibouti), and Ethiopian female peacekeepers, who speak Amharic.