Source: Daily Independent
Recently, United Nations (UN) hosted journalists from four States of Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at an interactive session to brainstorm on how to promote women's engagement in peace and security in Northern Nigeria. The training workshop was facilitated by the United Nations Women through its media consultant, Bronz and Onyx International Limited.

It would be recalled that the European Union and the Federal Government on March 24, 2014, signed an agreement for a project aimed at promoting women's engagement in peace and security in Northern Nigeria.

In the agreement, the European Union provided 10million Euros (about N2.1billion) for the implementation of the project which spans for three years (2014--2016). The EU funded programme is to be implemented by the UN Women in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and National Planning Commission(NPC).

Speaking on the overview of the programme at the signing ceremony, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, explained that the programme was in line with the 2011 Annual Action Plan approved by European Commission, covering a number of projects in priority sectors jointly agreed in the context of the country strategy paper signed between Nigeria and the EU in November 2009.

Arrion stressed the need for women's involvement in conflict resolution and peace building, regretting that they are rarely allowed into the formal peace processes.

According to him, "Women's involvement in conflict resolution and peace negotiation is not just an issue for women, but also for men. The point is to improve life for all people as long-term stability and development can only be achieved if violence and discrimination against women are addressed."

He also noted that women as mothers could bring their influence to bear in preventing their children and husbands from engaging in conflicts and violence.

In her remarks on the occasion, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Grace Ongile, further underscored the need for active participation of women at the level of decision-making and conflict resolutions, adding that in the period of conflicts and war, women and children suffer most.

According to her, "We cannot succeed without involving women in conflict resolution. Women are key to finding lasting solutions to conflicts anywhere in the world, this is because women are peace builders and bridge builders."

She explained that the project would support women's participation in conflict prevention and peace building; develop tools and mechanisms to mitigate conflict impact on women and girls as well as establish a conducive environment for strengthening the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR)1325 in the selected states. She noted that the three year programme would be implemented in the three selected Northern States of Adamawa, Gombe and Plateau.

To this end, she called on all stakeholders and the media to support the project, adding that without peace and security, there will be no development.

At the capacity building for journalists in Jos, Plateau State recently, the Deputy Programme Manager of the Project, Mr. Peter Mancha, maintained that women bear the most burden of violent conflicts in Nigeria.

He lamented that despite the significant number of women, that is, in terms of their constituting 50 per cent of the country's population, "that women and girls, especially in Northern Nigeria remain hidden and silent, their concerns unknown and their rights overlooked... In urban and rural communities alike, they face the major problems of poverty, discrimination, vulnerability to violence/abuse and low participation in peace building and conflict resolution."

He added that in promoting women's engagement in peace and security in Northern Nigeria, the UN "seeks to support the Nigerian government , the three Northern States and selected local government areas to strengthen women's leadership in peace building, advance gender equality and improve protection for women and children in conflicts settings."

He revealed that the Programme has three components and specific objectives, which include "to promote women's engagement in peace building and conflict management processes at all levels; to increase access to reporting mechanisms and protection services for girls and women affected by human rights abuse as well as to support a conducive environment for implementation of UNSCR 1325."

Meanwhile analysts have lauded this EU funded programme. They have argued that women are poorly represented in formal peace processes, regardless of the fact they contribute immensely in so many ways to conflict resolution.

As a matter of fact, Director, Women Affairs in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Esther Adeyemi, is quoted as saying that: " In recent peace negotiations, women have represented fewer than eight per cent of participants and fewer than three per cent of signatories, and no woman has ever been appointed chief or lead mediator in UN-sponsored peace talks. Such exclusion invariably leads to a failure to adequately address women's concerns, such as sexual and gender-based violence, women's rights and post-conflict accountability."

Adeyemi however, observed with joy that the UN Security Council, now recognises that women's exclusion from peace processes contravenes their rights, and that including women and gender perspectives in decision-making could strengthen prospects for sustainable peace. While acknowledging that women are mostly affected in conflict situations, she posited that women "are disproportionately disadvantaged in terms of personal safety, access to resources and human rights."

"They (women) become the single heads of households and are forced to travel to camps for refugees or internally displaced persons. Despite being victims of conflict, they can be instrumental to conflict resolution, management and peace building processes.

It was against this backdrop that journalists drawn from both electronic and print media were trained in conflict-sensitive reporting and programme related issues tailored to increase women visibility, representation, participation leadership and decision-making in conflict resolution and peace building in northern Nigeria.

Addressing members of the fourth estate of the realm, the UN Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, tasked them to embrace factual reportage and eschew sensationalism and falsehood, which could engender conflicts in the society. She charged media practitioners to always get their facts right before going to the press or public. She told journalists to join hands with relevant agencies in promoting peace in the country, adding that there cannot be any development without peace.

While describing journalists as "agents of change", she admonished them to be courageous and brave in the discharge of their duties. According to her, "Before you embark on any information, get your facts right. Before you pick up your tools of reporting, it is important that you get your facts right. The methodology of your reporting is very critical, because whatever you give to the public is actually what is taken."

In a paper presentation entitled, "The Role of the Media in Promoting Women's Engagement in Peace and Security," the Media Consultant to the UN Women, Moji Makanjuola, charged journalists to be responsive and responsible to the society that consumes their products. Makanjuola, a renowned presenter, counseled journalists to be discrete in times of war or conflict, in the management of information or news to ensure peaceful resolution of such conflicts in the long run.

In the words of ace journalist, "As a marketplace of ideas, the media, as presumed by peace journalism are in a position to constructively transform conflict away from violence by expanding the number and diversity of individuals whose ideas and perspectives are shared, given credibility and valued.

"The ultimate goal is to make better for all parties, the possibility of sharing views as a means of finding better ways to transform or resolve crises. Peace journalism thus should concern itself with contexts, backgrounds and the broad, negative consequences of crises, as it explores alternatives and solutions.

"It should create adequate performance space for information flow and open the range of options for addressing conflict. Its concern is a win-win strategy which declines simplistic binaries such as good/evil and right/wrong." She further urged news hunters to embark on strategic journalism that would create a conducive atmosphere which would encourage women to actively participate in peace-building and negotiation process before, during and after conflicts.

While urging journalists to go beyond the traditional disengaged journalistic role to become more proactive as peace facilitators or conciliators in the field, Makanjuola advised the media to play the role of informing people to make good choices

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