NGO advocates equal participation of women in conflict resolution

NGO advocates equal participation of women in conflict resolution

NAN-HG-7

Resolution

By Chinenye Offor

Abuja, April 10, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Ann Nwadinobi, Manager Women and Girls Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, an NGO, has called for equal participation of women in peace and conflict resolution.

Nwadinobi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

According to her, inclusion and equal participation of women in conflict and peace resolution will help achieve the goals of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women’s peace and security.

She said that the first objective of the resolution was to ensure that violence against women and girls were reduced as well as protection from abduction and sexual abuse during conflict.

She added that the second said that “women and girls be allowed in the whole spectrum of peace resolution, participation in the military, among others, and also participate in negotiations and mediations’’.

“There should be at least 50 per cent of women in the panel of conflict resolution.

“Women should participate in panel of inquiry, mediation and signing of peace resolution and rebuilding.

“In Rwanda, mostly women are the ones doing the plumbing, electricity, among others. Prevention, humanitarian services and mediations,’’ she said.

Nwadinobi noted that Nigeria joined other countries of the world in the year 2000 to sign this resolution.

According to her, in 2012 with the help of Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs produced a National Action Plan (NAP) which has been implemented.

“In our support, NSRP has eight states with action plan which include Borno, Yobe, Kano Kaduna, Plateau, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa.

“Also in winning peace and security, two states of Plateau and Kaduna, have done something extraordinary which we don’t have in the whole ECOWAS region.

“They have come up with their own plan to reduce violence against women during conflict,’’ she said.

The manager therefore enjoined the Federal Government to imbibe the new security resolution 2349 which welcomed the need for equal participation of women in conflict resolution. (NAN)

CSO/GOM/MST

Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola