A two-day consultation meeting on enhancing women participation in peace and security held in Benin

By Isaac Eranga

Benin: A two-day Stakeholders Engagement and Consultation on the Development of Edo State Action Plan (ESAP) on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 meeting, has been held in Benin City. The meeting which was conducted by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), in collaboration with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), is in furtherance of a three-year project on 'Enhancing Women's Participation in Peace and Security in Nigeria' aims to broaden the understanding of stakeholders of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

The meeting which had representatives of the Edo State Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Planning and Budget, Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Police Wife's Association, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Civil Society Organisations, the media, the Christian Association of Nigeria, etc., was declared opened by the Permanent Secretary of Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues- Pastor Mrs. Dorcas Idehen.

In her speech, Mrs Idehen said "the meeting was long overdue". She said Edo State is committed to developing an action plan for the UNSCR 1325, saying "the importance of talking about women, peace and security, cannot be overemphasized". 

Speaking, WANEP Head of Programs- Patience-Ikpeh Obaulo said women are to be involved in Peacebuilding because: women are generally peaceful and able to build relationships due to their social and biological role as nurturers; women constitute about half of world population; their centrality to communal life as preservers of culture and central caretakers of the family, makes their inclusion in Peacebuilding essentially.

According to her, "the first resolution on Women, Peace and Security was adopted on October 21, 2000 and the thematic areas included: participation of women in decision making and peace processes, protection of women from violence, prevention, and relief and recovery", she said.

Speaking on the Nigeria Action Plan and existing peacebuilding initiatives at the local level, the National Network Coordinator of (WANEP) Nigeria, Chief Mrs Bridget Osakwe said Nigeria signed the resolution in New York, with the implication that the resolution must be implemented. "The way to implement is to develop an action plan.

"In 2013, Nigeria developed the first action plan. 

Nigeria was committed to implementing the UNSCR 1325, and as such, the National Action Plan was drafted.

In August 2013, the first NAP was launched and five pillars were adopted- prevention which include early warning and early response; participation about training women and girls as mediators, negotiators, and counselors, etc.; Promotion; protection; and provision of adequate and accessable humanitarian services.

"When Nigeria adopted the first NAP, some gaps were observered: it did not address the issue of coordination, funding, political will, and the people were viewing UNSCR 1325 as women issue. This led to the development of the second NAP. The second NAP looked into the issues of insurgency, farmer/herder crisis, inclusivity, and others. The second NAP has five pillars with extension: prevention and disaster preparedness; participation and representation; prosecution and protection; crisis management; and partnership coordination and collaboration", she said.

Chief Mrs Bridget Osakwe said the State Action Plan (SAP) is the legal framework for implementing women, peace and security. She reiterated that SAP provides prospect for attaining visible and sustainable peace.

Speaking on Inclusivity and Peacebuilding: Development of Edo State Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, a Peacebuilding Consultant- Esike Ebruke, described peace as the absence of underline structural violence. He said Peacebuilding which could be positive or negative, can done before, during, and after conflict.

"We need SAP for the following reasons: to break the culture of silence; to ensure equality and visibility of women and girls; and to eliminate exclusion of women and girls in decision making and peacebuilding processes", the Peacebuilding Consultant said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter- Bishop Oyonude Oriname Kure said the Christian community in Edo State, is in support of WANEP activities and that the association is committed to ensuring that women play key roles in decision making and peacebuilding processes. He called on women to be resilient and  courageous in promoting their course.

The meeting activities also included using the pillars of the NAP on UNSCR 1325 in identifying concrete strategies for women inclusion in Peace processes in Edo State, through group plenary sessions.