ActionAid: Nigeria needs women’s participation in peace process for national security

ActionAid Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, says without the involvement of women in peace processes, there will be no peace and security advancement in Nigeria.

Ene Obi, country director of the organisation, said this on Wednesday at the 2nd annual national women’s conference by women’s voice and leadership (WVL) Nigeria Project Partners in Abuja.

Speaking at the conference with the theme ‘Women Peace and Security, Perspectives on Inclusion, issues and Progress’, Obi said the WVL-Nigeria project which is implemented by ActionAid, seeks to support the empowerment of women and girls.

She said women are continuously used as weapons and targets of violence, adding that the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women, girls and children cannot be ignored.

“We therefore must act as fast as possible to stop this expanding insecurity in Nigeria,” she said.

“Acting requires Nigeria to operationalise in all regions of the country, the provisions of the United Nations security council resolution 1325, which enjoins all states to facilitate women’s participation and leadership in peace and security, and which Nigeria committed herself to.

“Therefore, the time to act is now, there is no better time than now to enthrone peace. And without women and girls sitting on the table and being part of the peace processes, there will be no advancement in peace and security in the nation.

“ActionAid Nigeria is therefore, calling on all actors – state and non-state – to rethink our security architecture, and to ensure women’s inclusion in the peace processes so that this epidemic that is upon is eradicated.”

Also speaking at the conference, Kelvin Tokar, acting high commissioner of Canada in Nigeria, said the inclusion of women in peace and security issues is of importance, adding that Nigeria’s ability to find solution to the problems depends on the involvement of women.

“l’m sure many of you would agree with me that gender inequality and a lack of respect for women’s rights is part of the reason why we have growing levels of violence, conflict, and instability,” he said.

“And I’m sure all of you here today would agree that finding solutions to these problems will depend on Nigeria’s ability to involve more women in decision-making processes whether in national or state assemblies, in the policing and justice systems, in community-level peacebuilding and governance, and in the highest levels of the business world.”