by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
A prominent Foundation has kick-started a five (5) days’ Mediation and Digital Skills Training/Workshop for Women Mediators in the city of Jos, Plateau State, with the purpose of strengthening the capacity of women to in their skills of mediation, because women are seen as strong chains of agents – as positive influencers.
This was disclosed in an interview to our Correspondent by the Director Cleen Foundation, Gad Peter, in partnership with the UN Women, on Tuesday during the second day training in Jos.
The director stated, thus: “So, we think that, if we are able to influence their skills a little bit, they will be able to add more value to their homes and to their immediate communities to ensure stability and peace.”
He narrated that, “So, what we are doing is a mediation training for chains agents for women for critical stakeholders in four (4) Local Government Areas of Plateau State, which include Mangu, Wase, Riyom and Jos North.”
He said it is envisaged that, at every stage of conflict, the women should be able to intervene and, so, are expected to go back home as Mediators.
“We expect them to hold peace in their communities and, most importantly, let them be recognized as stakeholders in their various communities. So, we are building pools of strong influencers and large of women that will dominate the peace space in Plateau,” he explained.
While advising women to realize that they are critical stakeholders, Gad Peter stressed that, they should know that, if there is violence it affects them as it affects the men – times two; and they should not fold their hands and say that they are not part of the community, or they are waiting for somebody else to come and do any miracle for them.
The director further stated that, the women are the people that need to solve the problem, and they must do everything possible to solve the problem.
While recalling that, Plateau State for the last 20 years has gone through a lot of conflicts and had been a victim of terrorist attacks, the director also observed that, women have not been on the center of discussions for peace on good governance because most of the societies think that women have nothing to add – that women are “just a liability to the system.”