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ActionAid Nigeria has advocated the strong inclusion of women in the forefront for discussing peace and Security at the grassroots levels of governance.
Mr. Anicetus Atakpu, Resillience Programme Coordinator with ActionAid, Team Lead of the SARVE 11 Project for ActionAid, made the disclosure at a one day Advocacy Engagement with Local Government Vice Chairpersons On The Development of Local Government Action Plan on Peace And Security of Women And Children in Kogi State organised by ActionAid in Conjunction with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, (PIBCID) with funding from Global Community Engagement and Resilience Funds.
Mr. Anicetus advocated the strengthening of the role of women in peace building, maintaining that as people who are more vulnerable, it is disheartening that there roles in peace and Security are not recognize.
He disclosed that until women are brought to the negotiating table to engage in peace and Security, achieving peace and Security in our communities would be challenging, described women as makers of life.
While noting that the strong bond of relationship existing between the mother and there children places them in a vantage to discuss women Participation in peace building, listed Cultural, religious, psychological, partriachical and educational factors as hinderances to women Participation.
Mr. Anicetus Atakpu, Resillience Programme Coordinator said the time to domesticate the UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace, Security adopted in 2000 at the various Local Government Areas in the State has become paramount, said the declaration links gender equality and the maintenance of international peace and Security.
He added that the UNSCR 1325 recognizes women’s role in peace and conflict resolution, and how women must be treated in times of Conflict, wars, war time sexual violence, women Participation in peace building amongst several other peace and Security building issues, urged the Vice Chairpersons to rely on the UNSCR pillars of Prevention, protection and Participation in achieving peace building.
In an overview of SAP Document (journey so far in Kogi State), the Director of Women, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Babatunde Josephine Motunrayo, urged the women to with passion and commitment, look at the peculiarities of there areas in designing a plan towards peace building in their Communities as it affect women and children.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, Halima Oiza Sadiq, Executive Director of Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, (PIBCID), described the Participants as critical stakeholders at the Local Government level, urged them to see the engagement as a partnership towards ensuring peace and Security.
In there separate goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatima Kabiru Buba, the Special Adviser on SDG Hon. Nasiru Ohiani, and the Kogi State Chairman of KONGRONET, Idris Ozovehe, all lauded the engagement, described and described women as the core of peace and Security.
They all described the advocacy on the State Action Plan on security as timely, urged the Vice Chairpersons to domesticate the engagement in their various LGA’s, insisting that peace remains the panacea to sustainable development at the grassroots levels of governance.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the Vice Chairpersons Forum of Kogi State and Vice Chairperson of Omala LGA, Hon. Faruna Eleojo, described the engagement as coming at a better time, insisting that the role of women in peace and Security in view of the rising numbers of insecurity in the country.
