Kaduna State Peace Commission, Mercy Corps and other partners organise workshop for women on peace building processing and security.
Kaduna State Peace Commission in partnership with Mercy Corps and Community Initiative to promote peace have held a one day workshop for women and other stakeholders on sustaining women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peace and security processing in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Sale Momale said the five years programme was funded by USAID and implemented by community initiatives to promote peace CIPP held in Kaduna.
Dr Momale explained that, the participants deliberated on strategies for enhancing and expending the participation of women in conflict resolution and peace building.
According to him, Kaduna State Peace Commission had been working with numerous civil society organisations in an effort to entrenching peaceful coexistence among the diverse communities of the State.
“One of the project that had been implemented in the state over the five years was funded by the United States agency for International Development USAID and was implemented by Mercy Corps as the leading implementing organisation”
Dr Sale Momale further said the partners including Interfaith Mediation Centre, Radio Drama Association among others, revealing that, the project focus its attention in five local governments of Kaduna State such as Kaduna South, Zaria, Kauru, Kachia and Kajuru Local governments.
The Executive Vice Chairman hinted that, through the five years programme, they build the capacity of traditional rulers, women peace networks, youth peace coalitions and faith based institutions with a view to have a capacity of conflict resolution as well as to strengthen their early reporting and early response to various levels of conflict.
He maintained that, as the project is coming to an end by may of this month, Kaduna State Peace Commission have been working tirelessly to identify all the groups that have participated in the project inorder to engage them in strengthening the linkages between the State government to sustaining the collaboration and continue with the support provided by the grassroot leaders in promoting peaceful coexistence.
“The gathering here is largely with the women coalition, Network of women in peace building in Kaduna is basically to reassured them of the Kaduna State government and the peace Commission to continue work with them and to identify modalities of partnership in their effort of ensuring peaceful and harmonious coexistence in the state”
Earlier, the Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria IPAC, Kaduna State branch, Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Mustapha said bring women as a participants of the workshop was a gre6 come development because women are partners in peace building process.
Alhaji Ahmad Mustapha argued that women always play a pivotal role in upbringing of their children.
“Principally, bring women to the workshop on peace processing and security is very creative and is very indulgence and industrious. Without women we won’t have great nation “
“I think all the 19 political parties have been given women chances because if you look at it, most of the political parties women don’t even buy forms and i can attest, about 90 percent of political parties, women involvement is very high”
Alhaji Mustapha also drew the attention of women to understand that, political parties play a very relevant roles in governance, stressed the need for more women to come onboard, without women no politicking.
“If you look at it, during elections who are the highest population that you can see in polling unit, all the Polling unit you see in Nigeria mostly are women
In a remark, the Deputy Chief of Party, Community Initiative for Peace Programme, Amina Bello said the purpose of the workshop to basically was strengthening participation of women in peace and security processing, promoting women leadership and their participation in local peace building.
“So this is about strengthening collaboration, promoting their synergy with relevant government ministries, department, agencies and civil society organisations”
“As you can see we are doing this with Kaduna State peace Commission, is about exploring opportunities for the structures established by the programme in five years.
Some of the women participants who spoke with newsmen expressed optimism for organising the programme, saying that it would go along way in engaging more more women in peace building process.
The outcomes of the conference will be integrated into the state strategic plan of the Kaduna State peace Commission 2024 – 2027 and the Kaduna State Development plan 2024 – 2027.
COV/AMINU DALHATU
