Plateau Unrest: Role of women must be amplified in conflict resolution – Groups

A group under the aegis of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP, Nigeria in partnership with the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) has called for more inclusion of women in conflict resolution in Plateau State and beyond.

It also said it was necessary for women to be involved because they mostly bear the brunt of conflict in their various communities.

The call was made during a one-day strategic engagement on Conflict Mitigation and Peace Dialogue with key Stakeholders from Wase, Bokkos, Mangu and Barkin Ladi LGAs of the State.

DAILY POST recalls that some communities in the listed local government councils have in recent times been bedevilled by conflicts, which have claimed scores of lives, thousands displaced and many have lost their means of livelihood.

In her welcome address, National Coordinator, WANEP-Nigeria, Bridget Osakwe, represented by the Program Manager of the organisation, said, “One of the objectives of this meeting is to foster efforts among key stakeholders from Bokkos, Mangu, Wase and Barkin Ladi LGAs in Plateau State.

“To provide a platform for open dialogue to identify the root causes of violence, share personal experiences, and develop practical strategies for peaceful coexistence within communities.

“To amplify the role of women in the peacebuilding process, towards contributing to sustainable peace and stability and the affected communities,” she stressed.

In his remarks, the Director of Programmes in the PPBA, Nantip Joseph said, “Whatever partners are doing in complementing the efforts of the government in the provision of security is a welcome development, and particularly if it fits within the areas of peacebuilding and conflict prevention falls under our mandate.

“That is why you can see that this programme is organised in partnership with PPBA”, he explained.

“You all know that the challenges are so complex that no single entity of government has all it takes to be able to deliver its mandate without partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, which WANEP-Nigeria is one of them “, he maintained.

WANEP-Nigeria Head of Programmes, Patience Obualo, said, “Most times conflict resolution lies in the hands of the men, they are the ones that sit at the table and make decisions on behalf of the community, but we want to begin to hear what the concerns and needs of women are; where it comes issues of peace and security.

“If you recall the 2023 Christmas Eve attacks, which claimed almost 200 lives, and we realised that most of the victims were women and children, so in this regard, they also bear the brunt of conflicts”, he maintained.

A traditional ruler and participant at the engagement, Saf Dauda Maren, from Daffo District of Bokkos LGA, appreciated both organisations for bringing people from affected communities cutting across the four aforementioned local governments, to come together and chat a way forward for peaceful coexistence.

“A forum like this gives people room to forgive one another, so that they can coexist peacefully”, he maintained.