The Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa), through an AWDF and ELCA support, and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, through a GTZ support, collaborated to co-host a four-day strategic reflection forum for women in Peacebuilding on the subject of “Institutionalizing Women Peace and Security in Africa” from the 21st to 24th May 2007 in Accra, Ghana. The goal of the forum was to review progress made in the level of participation of women in peace and security processes, relations and institutions against the bedrock of the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security six years ago in 2000, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003) and the Solemn Declaration of African Heads of States and Governments on Gender Equality in 2004. Given that WIPSEN-Africa in its former status focused its operations predominantly in ten West African countries, forum participants were largely drawn from civil society groups and gender ministries/women’s bureaus within West Africa with minimal representation from the Eastern and Southern regions of the continent. Participants also included representatives from the Gender Development and Observation and Monitoring Centres of the sub regional grouping — ECOWAS, the Gender Unit of the United Nations Observer Mission in Cote d’Ivoire (ONUCI), and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). In reflecting on the progress that has been made towards the realization of gender equality and women’s empowerment in peace and security in Africa, the forum also took stock of the unique experiences, successes and challenges of women in peacebuilding that are brought about mainly because of their sex.