UN WOMEN HE for SHE CAMPAIGN HOLDS IN MAKURDI
DEBORAH ADEKAA
Peter Mancha the UN Women’s Programme Manager said, the HeforShe campaign was launched in order to bring men together as gender equality can only be achieved when the male gender is carried along. Mr Mancha said it is to further spread the campaign of the UN Women’s HeforShe that the initiative was launched in some States of the country. He said the smartest approach to achieving Gender equality is to tag the men along.
Mr Mancha also said that the sole purpose of the Workshop was to educate the traditional rulers, security operatives, the media and other stakeholders on the relevance and how to effectively promote gender equality as men and how best they can mobilize other young men to key into the programme.
The Benue State Coordinator, UN HeforShe Campaign, Nathaniel Awuapila said it is an orientation programme to increase women’s effective participation in security process, Peace negotiation, conflict prevention and resolutions. He said the HeforShe Campaign was launched in Nigeria in May 2017 by the then acting President, Yemi Osinbajo making Nigeria the 5th country to launch it. He urged the participants to eradicate cultural practices that are harmful to the society and have a synergy with the women mediation network to see how their working relationship can be harmonized. Mr Awuapila encouraged participants to be gender champions; take women along and strive to reach a mutual agreement on issues.
The Benue State Ministry of Women Affairs represented by Dooshima Ageh said in the bid to promote gender equality, 20 women have been appointed both at the State and Local Government levels to serve as mediators where conflicts of interest might arise. Mrs Ageh said that in Governance men and women are needed as ladders to a greater society. She encouraged women who wish to join politics to do so even at a young age; the 35% affirmative action has recorded success, which is also a way to encourage women in active politics.
Terseer Agber, the Chairman Logo Local Government council said for Gender Equality to record success story, women should learn to support them, form a synergy to fit into the society. He said for women to gain relevance into the society, they have to identify things that make them relevant.
Chief Benjamin Eyah a District head in Adokpa-Agatu local government said in the past and even in the present age women are not permitted to meddle with issues pertaining culture and tradition. Chief Eyah said until the voice of a woman is heard and given consideration, the advocacy for gender equality will not see the light of day.
Stakeholders at the occasion included traditional leaders, politicians, government representatives, the security forces and uncategorized members of the public.
Ten years after the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on increasing women’s participation in matters of global security, the number of women participating in Peace settlements still remains marginal. While improvements have been made, women remain underrepresented in public office at the negotiating table and in peace missions.
The needs and perspectives of women are often overlooked in post-conflict disarmament demobilization Reintegration (DDR) as well as in security sector reform, rehabilitation of Justice and the rule of law. Many conflicts have been marked by widespread sexual and gender based violence, which often continues in the aftermath of war and is typically accompanied by impunity for the Perpetrators. Continuous lack of physical securing and the existence of significant legal constraints in post-conflict societies hamper women integration into economic life and leadership.
United Nations Women’s HeforShe Campaign was launched on 20th September, 2014 by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN WOMEN’S Global Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson. HeforShe a Solidarity movement for gender equality provides a systematic approach and Target platform on which men and boys can engage and become Change agents towards the achievements of Gender equality.
