Nigeria is also committed to fulfilling its obligations under the African Cha...

Nigeria is also committed to fulfilling its obligations under the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights on the rights of women in Africa. As Ms. Bachelet has often said, the obstacles to women's political participation, which I believe have a direct bearing on their capacity to play an active role in preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention, are indeed enormous. Violence, poverty, lack of access to education and health care, and limited economic opportunities all combine to undermine the role of women and girls in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and peacebuilding. It is therefore necessary that we develop and take measures to address these inherent obstacles. Promoting women's equality and empowerment is, in our view, one of the best ways to address the root causes of conflict and therefore prevent such conflict. I envisage a presidential statement along those lines in the near future.