UN charged African women on peace building

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed  have charged African women to ensure active contribution in the peacebuilding process, transformation and stability of Nigeria.

Mohammed made the call in Abuja via a video message during the inauguration of the steering committee of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), Nigeria Chapter.

She said that women played crucial roles in the development of every society, hence the need for Nigerian and African women to include themselves in politics, governance and policy-making process of the country.

She said that building a peaceful and sustainable society meant responding to women’s unique needs and making the most of their wide range contributions.

Mohammed urged the membership of AWLM to drive the implementation of both the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and Africa’s agenda for 2063.

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“Meaningful women participation has proven crucial to the success of peace and security interventions, efforts to reduce poverty and accelerate development and to work to make sure decision making in all sectors are responsive.

“We are committed to ensuring that these ambitious objectives are realised, including implementing the UN/AU joint framework for peace and security.

“It is especially important to address social and economic challenges that affect women including health, quality education, water and sanitation, jobs, finance, access to finance and technology, poverty, hunger and climate change.

“We must also address both old and emerging threats that target women and girls, from forced displacement to sexual and gender-based violence to growing recruitment and abduction by terrorists and violent extremist groups.

“In Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, almost one in every five suicide bomber is a child and three-quarters of all suicide bombers are girls.

“Women’s meaningful leadership and gender equality must be part of our response to counter these threats by bringing together women’s leaders from politics and economic sectors,” Mohammed said.

She said that financial inclusion was also a key priority of the AWLN and Joint efforts led by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the UN Women and the Africa Union, promising that her office would help create funds.

She expressed optimism that half of the initial funding of 500 million Euros would focus on eight Africa countries in addressing sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices.

Also speaking, Dr Tunji Asaolu, Country Representative, African Union, said that the AU recognised women as very special creatures because the essence of development revolves around women.

He said that unfortunately, women had always remained at the receiving ends of development because of the inability to recognise and harness their enormous potential for development.

Asaolu urged members of AWLN to ensure that the relevant instruments were being promoted in other to enable women enjoy their full rights.

Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, Minister of Women and Social Affairs, lauded the initiative and pledged the support and partnership of the Ministry with AWLN programmes capable of fostering development.

She called for the inclusion of women in the grassroots and those physically challenged, urging the new committee to be focused on the mandate of the network.

The newly elected Chairperson of AWLN, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo said that members and the steering committee were aware of the numerous challenges facing women in Nigeria and globally.

“We are very much committed and fired up to see that the narrative around women’s equal participation in leadership in particular changes.

“And we are being focal in terms of pushing the policy dimensions of government as well as the changing context of our country,” Toyo said.

AWLN is being facilitated by the UN Women, the African Union and the German Embassy in Nigeria before setting off on its own.