By Temitope Ponle
Abuja – ECOWAS is enhancing the level of women engagement and participation in peace, security and political processes in the region through its policy dialogue.
Dr Siga Jagne, Commissioner, Social Affairs and Gender, said this at the maiden Annual Policy Dialogue with ECOWAS on Women Participation in Peace and Political Processes in Abuja on Thursday.
Jagne said that in spite of ECOWAS’ capacity in conflict prevention and peace-making, more needed to be done to ensure inclusive participation of women in all peace and security initiatives in the region.
The commissioner said that the policy dialogue would support the United Nations Resolution 1325 adopted in 2000 which sought to increase the participation of women at all levels of peace and security.
“This Gender Policy Dialogue is envisaged to be an annual activity to sustain a mere formal and institutionalised interface between women representatives and ECOWAS in the area of women, peace and security.
“What this dialogue aims to do is to build on the momentum and transform the nature, scope and level of women engagement and participation in the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and interventions.”
She said the dialogue would produce gender parameters and checklist on women participation in ECOWAS political processes and interventions, and methodology for the collection and reporting of gender-disaggregated data in peace and security.
She also added that the dialogue would develop a draft template for an integrated database of women stakeholders and an action plan.
Gen. Francis Behanzin, Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the collaboration between political affairs, peace and security and gender would ensure that the UN Resolution 1325 guides the intervention and political processes.
Behanzin was represented by Mrs Onyinye Onwuka, Head of Political Affairs and International Cooperation, Directorate of Political Affairs, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the commission.
“This meeting is very important for us because it speaks clearly to the mandate of PAPS: how to enhance women’s participation in peace remediation.
“How to enhance political processes and how we can effectively and very practically mainstream the gender resolution 1325 into programming.
“We will look at our interventions, how to build on counter narratives and ensure that the political space, that is gradually shrinking, with the numbers of women participating at the highest level is also being enhanced.” (NAN)