African Women Millennium Initiative (AWOMI) based in Dakar, Senegal, recently concluded a 4-day workshop on accountability tracking on governments' commitment at Sendou village, Senegal.

The workshop brought together 32 participants from 9 countries in Africa. This workshop was a follow-up of a month's training of participants of Young Women's Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI) in Dakar, Senegal. According to Madam Yassin Fall, president of AWOMI, "YOWLI is a crossroad enabling them to celebrate together with gender sensitive young women and men; the vibrancy and leadership of young women from Africa and its Diaspora."

The topics dealt with in the workshop were: gender equality; economic and social rights in Africa; methodology; introduction of the accountability tracking tool/cost-benefit and gender analysis and sector-based analysis of the ACT tool.

"The synopsis is this: governments sign treaties and conventions;  Sometimes they ratify, domesticate and even implement but what happens on the ground?  This is where the accountability track tool comes into play - to ask questions like: Are there resources allocated to implement the programmes?

What is the trickle down effect on recipients?
What questionnaires have been developed?" agued Amie Sillah. According to her, it should be agreed by all for usage in the research and the deadline is 10 January. Amie Sillah added that, AWOMI believes in evidence-driven analysis and she and Haddijatou hope to meet the two YOWLI participants to map out a plan for the Gambia.  The Gambia was twinned with Namibia in the follow-up workshop.  "We were awarded certificates and we visited Gore Island.  It was a fruitful workshop", disclosed Amie Sillah.

She further gave a brief history about AWOMI, its mission, objectives and programmes  as follows:
Mission: To foster mass mobilisation of African women and youth to provide bold leadership for economic and social development of the African continent under the banner of human rights and gender equality.

It is based in Dakar, Senegal.  It was launched in May 2005 on Limura, Kenya.  AWOMI proposed alternative economic policies to be centred on respect for human rights.  It is engaged in evidence gathering, promoting education on economic issues, youth empowerment, accountability tracking and policy advocacy to effect change.

Objectives:
- To promote the emergence of a strong African social movement on economic and social justice led by women community leaders and youth living in impoverished communities.

- To make policy analysis and formulation responsive to gender equality and states accountable with regards to their human rights commitments at all levels

- To challenge and influence different categories of stakeholders involved in policy-making and poverty eradication processes at the local, national and global levels to re-orient their approach towards pro-people and equality driven interventions;

- To promote economic opportunities for women and youth.

- To develop innovative advocacy mechanisms ensuring that resources mobilised for poverty eradication especially as stated in the MDGs, benefit impoverished women and youth. Pgrammes include:

-  Evidence-based research

-  The Young Women's knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI)

- The Women's Empowerment Fund (WDFU)

- Social mobilisation and movement building

- AWOMI is spear heading the new Casablanca initiative.

-    Training and working with economists, journalists and JOWLEES to use the new Accountability Tracking Tool (ACT).

Haddijatou Mbenga, economic student of the University of The Gambia and Amie Sillah, a gender activist and journalist were invited to the workshop and Omar Dibba of Gamcotrap and Priscilla H.D Allen represented the Gambia.