By Isaac Eranga
Abuja – Nigeria’s maiden edition of the Women, Peace and Security Journal has been unveiled in Abuja.
The journal whose foreword was written by the Minister of Women Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dame Pauline K. Tallen, OFR, KSG, is aimed at promoting the contributions of women to peace and security processes in Nigeria and across Africa.
It includes documenting qualitative and quantitative information based on facts from women, peace and security interventions in Nigeria.
The journal reviewer, Prof. Patricia Donli said the journal provides academic background for research in women, peace and security, and that it’s a dependable source for empirical information.
She commended the publishers – West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Nigeria (WANEP Nigeria) and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Nigeria.
Prof. Donli said the journal “will document qualitative and quantitative information based on fact from women in theory and practice, peace and security interventions in Nigeria; provide a platform to share information and best practices on implementation of Nigeria’s National Action Plan (NAP) on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) and other women, peace and security related issues.
“In addition, it will provide dependable reference materials for policy and academic discourse on the WPS agenda”.
In her remark, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline K. Tallen, represented by her Special Assistant, Princess Jummai Idonije, said Nigeria is working assiduously to get the 3rd National Action Plan (NAP) which will help fill the gap for the previous NAPs.
“The Honourable Minister is very happy to be associated with this movement. Before her assumption of office, the domestication of the NAP was in an abysmal situation, but today, up to 16 states have domesticated the NAP.
“The Ministry identifies with the journal. It will help improve on existing materials on the WPS. Most of the security agencies now have gender departments. This is due to the doggedness of the Honourable Minister.
“Always involve your Women Affairs Commissioners because we’ve observed that there is death of capacity among many Commissioner”, she said.
Speaking, WANEP’s National Network Coordinator, Chief Ms. Bridget Osakwe said “globally, women have been identified as vulnerable in the face of myriads of violence that pervade the world.
“In spite of their vulnerability, women’s voices have persistently been subjugated and under-valued when lending their voices to peace and security discourse.
“The systematic exclusion of women in peace processes especially in decision making continues to raise global concerns on the need for women’s enhanced capacities to address the effects of violence on them.
“This journal captures women’s contributions to conflict prevention and peacebuilding processes”.
Also Speaking, the International President of WILPF- Prof. Joy Onyesoh said the journal will help to avoid duplication in knowledge-sharing of WPS.
“Whatever you see in this journal has been verified; you can quote it anytime. The unique thing is that it is being unveiled at a time when we are celebrating the 22nd anniversary of the UNSCR1325 though much is still left to be done on it.
“A lot of people that are working on WPS are not known, this journal therefore, is a good rally point. the journal is a global resource material”, she said.
The Consulting Editor, Nathaniel Msen Awuapila said the journal is a launch-pad for better things – many people have been doing a lot on WPS but with very poor documentation.
“It offers opportunity for us to export some of our key learnings. What we look out for is facts – facts of what people are doing”, he said.
