By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – The Kaduna State Peace Commission (KSPC), Mercy Corps and the Interfaith Mediation Centre, (IMC), have further moved to entrench the involvement of women in peace processes for an enduring peace and security in Kaduna State.
This was disclosed on Thursday at a one-day workshop on leadership and participation of women in peace and security organized by KSPC in partnership with Mercy Corps, and other implementing partners of the USAID-funded Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) project – IMC, Pastoral Reserve (PARE), and Radio Drama Association (ARDA).
The workshop deliberated on strategies to enhance and expand women’s participation in conflicts resolution and peace-building, drawing from experiences of the CIPP project implemented over the past 5 years and search for modalities for sustainability of the gains derived therefrom.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of KSPC, Dr Sale Momale, said the Commission had been working with numerous Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), in an effort to entrenching peaceful coexistence among the diverse communities in 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,” Momale explained.
He explained that the project focused its attention in five Local Governments (LGAs) of Kaduna State: Kaduna South, Zaria, Kauru, Kachia and Kajuru.
According to him, over the five years, through the project CIPP, they built 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 strengthen their early reporting and early response to various levels of conflict.
He said as the project is coming to an end by May 2024, the Commission has 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 to reassure 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,” he added.
Earlier, in her remarks, the Deputy Chief of Party, for project CIPP, Amina Bello, said the gathering is to further deepened conversations around the needs to strengthen participation of women in peace and security processes, promoting women’s leadership and their meaningful participation in local peace building efforts.
“So, this is about strengthening collaboration, promoting their synergy with relevant government ministries, department, agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
“As you can see we are doing this with KSPC. It’s about exploring opportunities for the structures established by the programme in five years,” Bello said.
Speaking on behalf of the Disability Community in Kaduna, the National President Association of Persons with Physical Disability (PWPD), Comrade Rilwan Abdullahi, appreciated Mercy Corps, KSPC and IMC assuring that his community is ever ready to participate, collaborate and work together as peace ambassadors in the state.
Abdullahi however, appealed for inclusion of more members of his community across the rural areas should such opportunity present itself again, as most of the current beneficiaries were selected within the metropolitan city.
Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen expressed optimism for the programme, saying, it will go along way in entrenching women in peace building and security processes in the state.
The discussion at the workshop aimed to also strengthen the implementation of the Kaduna State Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and UNSCR 2250, which will be integrated into the state Strategic Plan of the Kaduna State Peace Commission 2024 – 2027 and the Kaduna State Development plan 2024 – 2027.