Source: Leadership
In the wake of ethno-religious crises in the country, wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Sambo, has tasked women on the need to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence.

She spoke at the opening of the 3rd Biennial National Women Conference organised by the Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) in Abuja.

The National Women Affairs Secretary of NASFAT, Alhaja Nofisat Arogundade, said the purpose of the workshop was to sensitise women on major issues and their role in nation building.

In a call for bottom-up approach in refocusing the family, she regretted that insecurity has broken the family bond between most children and their parents.

Describing the theme of the conference "Role of Women in Peace Building and Conflict Resolution" as being relevant to the present security challenges facing the nation, Hajiya Sambo, stressed that, it is the natural role of women to remain as arbitrators and promoters of peace.

"The unfolding violence and agitation across the country have the potential to rob us of our peace and capable of tainting our timeless traditional and religious pristine values".

"Women by the special creation of the Almighty Allah are naturally gifted with virtues such as intuition, wisdom; patience, vision, perseverance, kindness and courage which aid us in effectively fulfilling the role of peace building in the society" she said.

Emphasising that Islam is a religion of peace that forbids violence, killing of innocent people as well as gender discrimination, Hajiya Sambo said "women must become promoters of ethics, values and norms".

Sambo's wife urged women to act as Peace Corps at the home front, neighbourhood and community.

NASFAT President, Alhaji Sheriff M. Yusuf, who expressed joy that the perpetrators of the recent spate of violence are not women and would not have come from families that enjoy the care of a dutiful pious Muslim women. She added that women still have very important roles to play to put an end to violence in the country.

In a corroborative response, the Chairman of Abuja NASFAT, Shehudeen Giwa, maintained that "Islam does not promote transgression, perfidy, terrorism, kidnapping, immorality and so on.

It does not support harming those who are not at war with us. It encourages understandings, mutual respect, love, kindness, humility, modesty, self-esteem and liberty of faith. This is why as Muslims we must condemn evil and discourages attitudes capable of creating misconceptions of our religion".

Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, encouraged members to prioritise women empowerment.

She said empowering women is vital to national development, adding that the conference should be extended to people in the rural area.

• Nigeria