United Nations women empowerment program has trained 400 rural women on conflict management aimed at equipping the female gender on proactive measures in tackling insecurity. This was made possible through the Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigeria (CWEENS), says the Project officer CWEENS, Ms Noro Nature.

Nature who spoke yesterday at the UN Woman Steering Committee quarterly meeting in Jos, said the training was conducted in Mangu and Riyom LGs, with 80 participants who later organised a step down training to 400 women in their various communities.

“We also established Girls Empowerment Mainstream (GEM) club in 8 schools which would extend to other schools in the next quarter,” she said. Speaking also at the meeting, Mrs Jumai Fidelis, the Project officer for Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN) said that the organisation has conducted an exchange visit in communities in Wase and Jos North LGs. “We conducted advocacy visit to high level stakeholders where scorecards were administered, the scorecards contained the number of women in leadership positions at various levels in the selected LGs.

“The exchange visit was for them to share their experiences in the rural areas and share strategies if forestalling conflict,” she said. Ms Sewuese Surma, the Gender and Technical Advisor of UN Women on Promoting Women participation in peace and security in Plateau said that they were working with partners for gazetting of the Gender Equal Opportunity law ( GEOL). “We are working with Plateau Ministry of Women Affairs and Social development with other partners for the gazetting of GEOL in Plateau.

“We paid courtesy visit to the Attorney General in plateau and the Commissioner of Justice for the gazetting who expressed commitment to ensure it was gazetted to enhance its implementation,” she said. Daily Times reports that various implementing partners of the UN Women project on engaging women in peace and security processes were advised to synergize for optimal result