By Shuaibu Adamu
ADDIS ABABA – Nigerian women civil society groups have called on African Union (AU) to help in rescuing the over 200 Chibok girls abducted from their school in April.
The Spokesperson of the group, Mrs Osai Ojigho, made the call in a submission during an open session of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AUPSC opened discussions on sources of instability in Africa on Thursday in the Ethiopian capital.
Ojigho in her submission called on AUPSC to compel the Federal Government to provide adequate rehabilitation, including legal and psychosocial services to families of the abducted Chibok girls.
She also urged the AUPSC to prevail on Nigeria to take protective measures to secure places of learning.
She added that “as we hear from women from Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region who will highlight their specific concerns, we are committed as civil society group to follow-up and support this process.
“In Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency has disproportionately affected women and girls.
“The continued abduction of girls is undermining girls’ education.
“Women bear the brunt of displacement, sexual violence, food insecurity, forced marriages, torture, sex trafficking and trauma.’’
She also decried the alleged forced use of women and girls as suicide bombers and urged the AU to take adequate measures to curtail recurrence of the menace.
“In addition, the upcoming 2015 general elections in Nigeria also present worrying potential for violence against women and girls.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to take the responsibility to protect lives and property.
“We call on the Nigerian Government and the international community to urgently evolve measures to address the needs of the growing population displaced by terrorism and insurgencies, particularly women and children.’’
The gender rights advocate, however, commended the efforts and commitments of the AUPSC Special Envoy for actively engaging civil society from the beginning and for amplifying the voices of women in difficult situations.
Ojigho said “we urge the PSC to support the formulation of a continental framework on women, peace and security to complement the provisions of the protocol of the Peace and Security Council.
“We also call on the PSC to strengthen the Office of the Special Envoy with the requisite resources to fully implement her mandate.
“In this regard, we also call for the Office of the Special Envoy to become a permanent structure of the AUC, and for the Open Session of the Council on the status of women, peace and security in Africa to become an annual activity.’’
She urged the PSC to push African governments to increase support to civil society groups, particularly women groups.
The Special Envoy on Women Peace and Security, Mrs Benita Diop, had on Monday, Dec. 8 in Abuja, held meetings with the Nigerian government.
She also held consultations with representatives of Women civil socirty groups and some of the girls who escaped from Boko Haram captivity. (NAN)