Stakeholders discuss role of women in peace building, good governance »

….lauds gov. Bello for ensuring women equality

Stakeholders cutting across government agencies, civil societies, religious bodies, security agencies, People living with Disabilities have stressed that women in the society holds the key to peace building and good governance

This among many others was made known as submissions at the roundtable discussion on the role of women in peace building and governance in Kogi State, a program organised by the State’s Sustainable Development Goal Office in partnership with Mercy Corps.

Speaking at the event, the Head of Service, Mrs. Hannah Odiyo noted that Kogi State Government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello has largely empowered women into position of power thereby tapping into the political potential of women across the state.

She expressed women are promoters of peace and unity in every society because of their influential position and that while discuss on women inclusivity in governance would be going on in other parts of the country, Kogi state has taken a giant leap to affirm women equality

The DCOP, Mercy Corps Mr. Sani Suleiman in his lecture emphasized the need for women to give support to fellow women who seek elective political position noting that they had the statistics on their side if proper sensitization was given to women.

He expressed that although Kogi State Government has gone a long way to create the enabling environment and opportunity for women to actively participate in government more conscious efforts were further required to ensure a more robust and sustainable legislative action.

The DCOP expressed that women continued to be the nerve of peace in every society hence they should never be taken lightly in concerns of good governance

In a joint communique signed by stakeholders at the event, they observed that Kogi State has raised the bar for women inclusiveness through the various opportunity given to women in various positions and also through several intervention for women and the recent signing of the VAPP bill into law by the Kogi State House of Assembly.

Recommendations made ranged from the need for government to enforce strategies to open more space for women in elective position, provide economic development strategies, the urgent need for the executive to ascent the VAPP bill and the provision the needed resources to help the SDGs provide the needed facility.