Yemi Akinsuyi/
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, says active inclusion and participation of women will help in fighting insurgency in Nigeria.
The Minister spoke in Abuja, yesterday, at the Learning Forum on Women in Reconciliation and Reintegration in North East Nigeria, organised by IOM UN Migration and UN Women.
Tallen explained that women are much more affected by the activities of insurgents, adding that they bear the brunts of caring for their husbands, children, other relatives.
She said: “No doubt, women and girls remain the most affected by negative impacts of violent conflicts and insecurity, such as banditry, insurgency/terrorism, kidnapping/abductions amongst others. Yet, they are seldom integrated into peace building processes at all levels. This is inspite of the natural management negotiation and reconciliation abilities possessed by women which is often seen in their day to day peace mediation in the home front and even within their communities.”
The Minister, who was represented by one of her aides, Princess Jumai Idonije, disclosed that there’s a presence of the National Violence Against Women and Girls Situation Room, where security issues can also be discussed.
She noted that despite the level of insecurity in the North Eastern part of the country, Women Peace and Security Agenda has helped in different ways to bring some calmness in the area as well as strengthened women to involve in countering conflict extremism in most of the conflict prone states in the region.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs as the National Gender Machinery of the Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to support efforts such as this, to ensure the engendering of all peace processes in Nigeria, while encouraging the effectiveness of all established structures and networks towards adequate implementation of the peace resolution.”
The Commissioner of Women Affairs, Yobe State, Hajiya Hauwa Bah Abubakar regretted that women are typically excluded from formal peace process and reconciliation, underrepresented in public offices and the decision making table that are developing policy emerging from conflict.
She, therefore, called for the usage of the pool of knowledge of the women in facilitating sound relationships amongst government, community, gatekeepers, and other stakeholders to foster reconciliations which will help in fighting against insecurity.
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