by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Plateau State Government has (finally) launched the ‘3rd Generation Plateau State Action Plan for the implementation of the United Nations Security (WPS) Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security,’ which was adopted on the 31st October, 2000.
Speaking during the launching of the Action Plan, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, said, the landmark resolution led to a shift in the architecture of peace processes and reconstruction, including a major catalyst for the advancement of gender equality and the promotion of women’s rights in the area of peace and security.
According to her, the UNSCR 1325 is built on a body of international human rights laws and legal instrument and recognizes that armed conflict impacts women differently from men and, therefore, demands protection of women and girls before, during and after armed conflict.
She stated that, it also recognizes women’s role as peace builders and agents of change, and calls on UN and Member States, Civil Societies and the International Community to ensure women’s increased participation in conflict prevention and peace building process.
According to her, Nigeria has domesticated UNSCR through the adoption and implementation of the first and second National Action Plan (NAP) on women, peace and security, in 2013 and 2017.
She affirmed that, “These efforts have contributed to remarkable achievements, including domestication of laws and policies that protect women and girls’ rights, increase in women’s participation and representation in traditional decision-making structures, establishment of functional women, peace and security architecture, development of State Action Plans (SAP) in sixteen (16) states, and local action plans.
“It also brings about enhancement of gender responsive security sector through the development Gender Policies and Implementation mechanisms for security sector institution.”
Ms Beatrice Eyong explained that, Plateau State is one of the 16 states that has localised Nigeria’s National Action Plan on WPS through the development and implementation of its first and second State Action Plans (SAPs) in 2015 and 2017, with the support from UN Women.
She stated that, “Plateau State was the first to translate the policy document in local and sign languages, as well as braille for the visually-impaired, thereby making the document widely accessible to groups at risk of exclusion, including grassroots women and persons with disabilities.
“The launch of the third Plateau Action Plan on women peace and security is a momentous milestone,” she said, and appreciated the collective and collaborative effort of the State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, UN Women Team, the SAP implementation Committee, WPS structures and the expert consultant who has worked tirelessly to accomplish this great feat.
According to her, Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, with the support from UN Women and Norwegian Embassy adopted a multi-sectoral approach for the SAP development, recognizing the need for all sectors and diverse groups to be fully involved in the process from inception.
The UN Representative noted that, the third SAP development process commenced with a critical review of the second SAP and subsequent engagement of a wide range of stakeholders of the state and local government levels.
While commending the State Government for collaborating with UN Women and other development partners towards ensuring the fulfillment of its commitment to the provisions of UNSCR 1325 and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Partnership Framework goals and objectives in Nigeria, she noted that, “much work still lies ahead to ensuring the full implementation, monitoring and reporting on the third SAP.
“The legislators have a critical role to play in the implementation of the state SAP, including approval of annual budget provisions and oversight functions,” she said, and commended the Plateau State Traditional Council for appointing a significant number of women as advisers in the Council.
“It is important to ensure that these laudable efforts are replicated by all traditional rulers and that diverse groups of women are provided with a level-playing field to contribute to the decision-making process of the traditional institutions across the state,” she stated.
The UN Representative further stated that, “The collaboration between the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature is necessary for creating a supportive ecosystem for diverse women to actively engage in peace and security decision-making process, and have their voices heard in formulating and implementing solutions to complex conflict and resettlement of victims of violence and armed conflicts in the State.
In his presentation, a member of the forum, Prof. Chris Kwaja said, “The Third Action Plan itself is a representation of the vision of UN Women working with the Plateau State Municipal Women Affairs and Social Development, which is to put women issues on the front on our public policy.
“The focus is on how to engage women at all levels of our society, but bear in mind the fact that this journey is not just about women; it’s about humanity.”
He explained that, “The men are taking a very powerful place in that conversation, and, today, we have a traditional institution and we have the police. We have several other active agencies of public institutions present in this very important forum.
Prof. Kwaja stressed that, “There are four major pillars that the State Action Plan identified – participation of women at all levels, protection of women at all levels, prevention of women at all levels, relief and recovery.
“Today, the question is, against the backdrop of the violent conflicts and other disasters, human and natural, that women have passed through our face, to what extent have we put in place the necessary mechanisms for reclaiming their dignity? How are we doing that? What are the metrics for doing that?
“The State Action Plan captures these four pillars in terms of the litigations of what to do, how to do, who to do, where to do, and the strategic outcomes that we envisage. Now, what is it about the State we see today; and how does Plateau State serve as a model for other states in this country?,” he queried.
Prof. Kwaja buttressed that, “The plan itself also identifies three key issues that we should reflect on, going forward.
“The first is that, women empowerment should not be an emotional and a product of the place; it should be a direct, deliberate public decision-making process that gives back to what women are enjoying today – that, when we talk about a peace building, it is a woman we should see as something that was deliberately designed with the goal of ensuring that women are not left behind in peace building-related decision-making.”