A civil society organisation (CSO), Global Rights, said it held a dialogue to promote women’s inclusion in peace and conflict resolution processes at the community level.

Programme Officer for Global Rights, Noya Sedi, disclosed this during a mentorship workshop for Community Dialogue Committee (CDC) Women Leaders in Kaduna, held in Abuja on Thursday.

Ms Sedi said that the organisation had been implementing the project since 2023 to strengthen women’s participation in community-based peace-building efforts across the North-West, with Kaduna State as one of the focal areas.

She said, “When we piloted this project, we worked in one community in Kaduna State, but we have now expanded to all senatorial districts and currently operate in about three communities.”

Ms Sedi explained that the mentorship workshop provided a safe space for women to identify barriers hindering their participation in peace and conflict resolution processes.

On the current security challenges in Nigeria, Ms Sedi noted that they could not be eradicated overnight but stressed the importance of community involvement in peace-building efforts.

“All we can do is ensure that community members most affected by insecurity are actively involved in building peace,” she said.

Also speaking, technical advisor for legal awareness for Nigerian women, Rebecca Sako-John, said that the workshop was designed to strengthen women’s leadership and confidence in peace-building roles.

“As a facilitator, I presented a paper on agency and leadership. These women are expected to lead peace-building and mediation processes in their communities, identify issues affecting women and influence decisions in favour of the marginalised,” she said.

Ms Sako-John added that the goal was to help the women earn community trust and handle conflicts impartially and effectively.

Secretary of CDC, Cecilia Bakut, described the workshop as impactful, noting that the lessons learnt would help promote peace both at home and within the larger society.

“Through mediation with compassion, we women can help resolve many differences among community members,” Ms Bakut said.
(NAN)