Mission and goals
A significant number of Muslim women have not previously been involved in local development and peacebuilding. They decided to create their own organisation, the Bureau National des Femmes Musulmans de Centrafrique (BNFMC, English: The National Bureau of Muslim Central African Women) giving women the opportunity to be involved in community activities and learn new skills at workshops.
The BNFMC's goals are to:
- Enable women to develop financial independence, by organising seed funding and entrepreneurship training
- Run literacy courses
- Support women in being more active in the community: campaigning for peace and helping at hiospitals and refugee camps
- Strengthen the voice of women in within their communities, organising meetings with local leaders and other, non-Muslim women's organisations.
Main projects
The BNFMC has a strong focus on women's involvement in the peace process. For example, they organised a "Women's march" in the Muslim quarter of Bangui in order bring people together to demand peace, reconciliation and the free movement of people around the city.
The BNFCM also organise meetings with the anti-Balaka in order to advocate for peace and reconciliation.
Thanks to this work, it is much easier for Christians to go to the Muslim areas of the capital. The transitional president, Catherin Samba-Panza, has acclaimed this work. The group is now a member of the religious committee involved in the interim government's peace and reconciliation process.
