On the eve of the inauguration of Guinea's first democratically elected President, over 50 representatives from women's organizations and associations gathered at the Palais du Peuple in Conakry. The December 15 meeting was for the purpose of reflecting on the role played by women in preventing electoral violence. It was initiated by IFES’ partners in the  "Women's Caravan for Reconciliation, National Unity and Peace" who came together to exchange lessons from their experience during the mobile peace awareness campaign, also known as a caravan, evaluate its impact and make recommendations for the future. 

The caravan was launched in March 2010 after it became clear during a meeting held on International Women's Day (March 8th) that there was tension between women's groups in Guinea over the stadium massacre on September 28, 2009 in Conakry. The friction was mostly between the associations of women's victims and women in the military. The caravan was launched with the objective to strengthen solidarity between women in order to engage them in peace building efforts during the pre- and post- electoral periods. The caravan visited the 5 communes of Conakry in June, before the first round of the presidential election, and the 7 administrative regions of Guinea before the second round of the election.

While opening the debriefing meeting, the Secretary General of the Ministry for National Solidarity and the Promotion of Women and Children's Affairs thanked BEFORE (swisspeace's program to prevent electoral violence) and IFES for initiating the caravan. He also praised the role the two organizations played in contributing to a peaceful electoral climate. The chair of the Conseil National de Transition (the transitional legislature) committee on reconciliation, Mrs. Hadja Mariama Sow also spoke of the important role women can play in maintaining national unity in the post-electoral period.

Participants at the debriefing highlighted the importance of this dialogue process and recommended measures to consolidate peace in order to support the new government with its mission of promoting reconciliation and national unity. The women in attendance agreed to create a permanent platform for women's organization with these goals to work together.

The Women's Caravan for Reconciliation, National Unity and Peace is a BEFORE initiative in partnership with the Guinean Ministry for the National Solidarity and the Promotion of Women and Children's Affairs and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). It was made possible by a generous gift from Ms. Cynda Collings Arsenault.