The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Partnership Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and social Development, Norwegian Embassy and UN Women has organized stakeholders Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security.
The Director General of the Institute, Dr. Bakut T. Bakut while declaring the event open in Abuja said that the programme focused on how women can meaningfully enhance their role in conflict prevention and resolution in Nigeria with a reference to North East, the Middle Belt and the Delta region.
Dr. Bakut said that though conflict affects everybody negatively, but has a disproportionate impact on women in particular due to their peculiar vulnerability status and the general disrespect by combatants to uphold extant convention.
He lamented that women are often victims of violations and discrimination in conflict situations.
Dr. Bakut said: “The quest for peace in both conflict and post-conflict situations have also recorded a huge gender gap as women are often excluded from decision-making processes due to age-long socio-cultural discriminating norms.”
Dr. Bakut explained that to reverse the limitation in women’s inclusion in peace processes Nigeria and other member countries of the United Nations accented to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 which call for the inclusion of women in peace building. It was adopted in the year 2000 and also consolidated with the development of National Action Plan to domesticate the document.
He added that the IPCR has played critical roles in the development of the National Action Plans and is still contributing to the implementation of the framework to strengthen gender role in peace processes.
Also speaking during the event, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen, represented the Acting Director, Women and Gender Affairs, Oladipo Funke, noted that conflict brings with it terrible human rights consequences for all involved, children, women and men.
She noted that the impact of conflict on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of women, in particular is often devastating.
“As we are all aware, women, girls and children are usually the most affected by violence conflicts but yet are largely excluded from peace building and Conflict processes due to factors like patriarchy, ignorance and other socio-cultural impediments. Women’s interest has been neglected by the peace process, which has resulted in male-centered approaches to peace and security,” she said.
In her remarks, the Deputy Head of Mission Norwegian Embassy, Ingrid Skjolaas said that without women in peace process there would be no lasting peace.
She appreciated the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, UN Women and civil society organizations for their various support in promoting gender equality.
