The United Nations Entity for Gender Equity and Empowerment of Women (UNWomen) on Wednesday in Gombe, said 25 states in Nigeria were yet to domesticate UN’s resolution on women security.
UnWomen’s Deputy Program Manager, Mr Peter Mancha, stated this at the opening of a training on “The Role of Media in Implementing National Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325 for Electronic Media in Northern Nigeria’’.
According to Mancha, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325 is premised on the important roles and responsibilities of women in peace-building.
He said that Nigeria keyed into the resolution in 2013 and created a National Action Plan (NAP) which was upgraded in 2017.
He said that the action plan was under the ambit of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Mancha, however, said that only 11 states in the country had domesticated the plan, and deplored the situation where 25 states were yet to accept the plan.
“The states that have domesticated the NAP are Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kano, Plateau, Rivers, Yobe, Gombe and Kogi.
“More effort needs to be made to fully implement the NAP in states to help equip women to air their voices in decisions that concern them as the major victims in crisis situations.
“The domestication of the NAP will equip women in peace-building, conflict-resolution, enhance accountability and promote gender equality”.
Mancha said that domestication of NAP was imperative because conflicts affected women and men differently, adding that in most cases, women and children were the most affected.
He said that the plan had five pillars which echoed the government’s commitment in ensuring the security of women and enhancement of their active participation in peace-building process.
He explained that the action plan would enable government and stakeholders to be alert and look out for and identify early signs, conflict prevention, peace-building and post conflict remedy.
Mancha said that such would provide a good road map for the implementation of the UN plan 1325 with practical operational tools for supporting those affected by armed conflicts.
He urged the media to increase sensitisation on the UNSCR1325 to ensure its full domestication to promote peace and security in the concerned states.
Mr Obinna Chukwukezie, Media Consultant, Search for Common Ground, an International Non-Governmental Organisation, described the media as critical stakeholder in the implementation of the plan.
Chukwukezie urged the media to engage more in the dissemination and enlightenment of the NAP.
He also encouraged newsmen to be objective in their reportage and deliberately play up issues of gender inequality to give women and the voiceless a voice.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised by Search for Common Ground in collaboration with UNwomen, UNICEF and the European Union.
It is to equip journalists with the necessary tools and information in the promotion of women’s role in peace-building.
