By Zubairu Idris
The Mercy Corps, an NGO, has organised a dialogue to create awareness and promote women peace and security among some of the local governments affected by insecurity in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the dialogue has the theme “Creating Awareness and Promoting Women Peace and Security (WPS) in Katsina State”.
The two-day dialogue was organised in collaboration with the Katsina State Government, under the Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation in North-west Nigeria (CMCR-NW).
The project is currently being implemented by an NGO in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), funded by the European Union (EU).
The mercy corps’s Senior Programme Officer, Ms. Lynda Emmanuel, said that the dialogue was aimed at addressing issues that affect women in their respective communities.
She further explained that among the objectives of the dialogue was to increase understanding and awareness of the ‘Women Peace and Security (WPS)’ agenda, among women.
Another objective, the officer said, was to empower women to take leadership role and advocate for policies and practices that would support the WPS agenda.
According to her, they realised that there was a weak awareness among women in the state, that prompted the dialogue, so as to strengthen it for the betterment of women.
The programme officer further explained that they were currently working in Batsari, Kankara, Danmusa and Jibia Local Government Areas of the state.
She said that 190 women were selected from those LGAs for the programme.
“Women need to speak for themselves and participate in a number of actions.
“Katsina women should come out to promote WPS, so that we can have massive women participation in all aspects of life,” she said.
In her remarks, the Commissioner, Ministry for Women Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Yar’adua, stressed the importance of peace to women folk.
She explained that peace means settlement of mind that enables women to do their activities without problems.
The commissioner further emphasised on the importance for women to know their rights as women folk and as citizens.
One of the participants interviewed, Nana Sahabi from Jibia, said that they have learnt a lot of ways to ensure their security and safety without even taking weapons.
“We were also educated on how to become self reliant.
“In fact, I have never attended a workshop where I was enlightened very well on issues that affect women like this one,” she said (NAN)
