Gender NGOs Urge More Participation in Security, Democracy for Women

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Women non-governmental organisations have identified social and cultural norms as barriers to women’s freedom of speech and participation in democracy and security space in Nigeria.

Founding Director, Women Advocacy for Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, noted that the prevalence of socio-cultural norms are still affecting the ability of women to participate in peace processes in their communities and states.

She stated this yesterday  in Abuja during a round table discussion on the publication of a research conducted by WARDC and Women 4 Women.

She said: “Women who had information and could support peace processes were being denied the opportunity to participate despite the fact that the country has signed the UN security council resolution. The peace security architecture  I state  tye state is not allowing women and accepting women to be part of it.

“The project is called Listen to Women: Identifying the Barriers Against Women’s Freedom of Speech and Participation in Democracy. It’s a project that focuses specifically on Plateau state but however has a national coverage.

Akiyode-Afoabi explained that one of the recommendations of the research is for government to engender it’s security architecture to ensure that more women participate in the security architecture especially in Plateau state where the research was carried out.

“Plateau state has signed the Gender and Equal Opportunity bill into law which allows for women’s equal.participation so we are calling on the government to ensure that the law becomes activated,” she said.

Advocacy Coordinator, Women for Women,  Zainab Gbobaniyi, said the event is aimed at disseminating the research findings and to

“The research being an evidence based and carried out in five communities in Plateau state cutting across three local governments of Jos East, Riyom and Pankshin, tells the stories directly from the women themselves,” she said.

Federal Capital Territory, (FCT),  Mandate Secretary, Adebayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the direction of the present administration is geared towards promoting the well-being of women, increasing their political participation and empowerment.

Speaking on issues of domestic violence and early child marriage, Research Consultant for the project pointed that “forming coalitions, working with traditional councils and working with male champions have yielded a lot of results and I think that is a very good approach.”