From Gyang Bere, Jos
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has trained women in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on requisite skills required to mitigation conflict and champion peace in their respective communities.
FIDA Chairperson, Plateau State Branch, Mrs Obioma Achilefu disclosed this on Monday during a two days capacity building workshop for women as community safety partners, with a theme
“The Role of Women in peace building and conflict mitigation” held at Gwol Motel, Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
She said the workshop sponsored by Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is aimed at strengthening the capacity of women to contribute meaningfully in peace building and conflict mitigation in their communities.
Mrs. Achilefu said as peacekeepers, women have the capacity to reduce direct violence in their communities by influencing their spouses and children positively and to refrain from participating in violent conflicts or anything that will lead to chaos.
“This training has to do with the role of women in conflict mitigation within their communities and we see them as safety partners, that is why we are giving them capacity building which at the end of the day will help the women to play significant role in conflict mitigation and peace building.
“We have come to add capacity building to the women and to make them understand that they need to play the role of peace building all through their life. As long as we need peace, women should contribute to it because we have discovered that when there is crisis, women suffered most and they should not relent in playing any role in conflict mitigation.” She stated.
The Project Officer and former Commissioner of Justice, Plateau State, Barr. Olivia Dazyam said women play a significant role in the enthronement of peace in every society and appreciated the Canadian Embassy for supporting the project that strengthen women capacity in peace building.”
She explained that the choice of the two communities in Barkin-Ladi and Riyom is very timely because of the pains and agony women have gone through during the violent conflicts in the areas.
“The Canadian Fund for Local Initiative deliberately targeted women and this is not out of place considering the fact that women have always been left behind in so many things in Africa and in our own environment. Women are believed not to have any values that can contribute to societal development.
“But it is obvious by what women are already doing all over the world because United Nations have realized that women have critical role to play on security, peace building and conflict mitigation and that is why the Canadian Fund Initiative sponsored this programme.”
She explained that the women in a brainstorming section pointed out critical issues that can likely trigger violent conflicts and proffer solutions on how those issues can be tackle so that it will not result to violence at the community level.
Lucy Pam and Amina Inusa who are participants at the workshop, both acknowledged the imperative of the capacity training and said the women are better equipped with the requisite skills and ability to addressing conflict issues in their respective communities.