Nigeria: Women Groups Meet On Arms Proliferation
Abimbola Akosile

June 13, 2006 – (AllAfrica) Women groups under the aegis of Women in Peace-building program (WIPNET) of the West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP) have called on the Federal Government to enact a law making un-approved arms importation into Nigeria a criminal offence; and to enact a bill to monitor accountability in arms transaction in government security agencies.

Above call was made at a forum marking the International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament, which took place in Lagos (May 24) with the slogan 'Arms Know No Gender'; to raise awareness on the impact of small arms on women and children and also expose the dangers of proliferation of small arms in Nigeria. At the forum, where more than ten media houses (both print and electronic) and two representatives of WIPNET members in the South West zone who are working in the area of Peace and Disarmament attended, government was also urged to put in place mechanisms to domesticate and implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW, and UN Resolution 1325 on women, peace and human security.

In an opening speech at the commemoration, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, WIPNET/WANEP National Network coordinator, welcomed media persons and civil society representatives and commended the activities of the Fourth Estate in Nigeria especially on the third term Agenda. He explored the origin of International Women's day for Peace and disarmament in Europe in early 1980s, which he linked to the realities of an average African woman in Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, women in Niger/Delta, North west zone, Ife and Modakeke, and the current situation in Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics where arms are brandished at will; and urged the participants to join hands with WIPNET-Nigeria to make the 'Arms know no Gender Campaign' have more impact in Nigeria.

Mrs. Bridget Osakwe, WIPNET's Program Officer, in her presentation spoke about WIPNET-Nigeria's concern on issue of armed violence against women. According to data there are about 650 million small arms in world, 60 percent of this in the hands of private individuals, mainly men. She highlighted the havoc proliferation of small arms have wrecked on humanity; most especially on women and children in different conflict areas world over, with particular focus on Africa, West Africa and Nigeria.

Stressing how women suffer disproportionately from firearms violence either directly or indirectly, Osakwe explained that women suffer through displacement, molestation and sexual violence, also becoming breadwinner at the death of husbands, lost sons, daughter and loved ones, and being killed, injured or maimed for life, all which have lasting psychological and physical impacts on their lives; sometimes resulting in women being compelled to take up arms during and/or support armed conflict, beyond being victims. She explained goals of the campaign at various levels, where at the national level, it hopes to improve the national mechanisms for the control, transfer and circulation of arms for better protection of people and goods, in conformity with international laws, norms/ conventions and standards; and at the community level, to reinforce security locally for the reduction of the supply, the demand and the circulation of arms.

Osakwe also presented several ways in which the campaign can have full impact in Nigeria thereby reducing situations of armed violence, which though not seen as a major concern in Nigeria, could have been a war situation in other West African countries. The Women in Peace-building (WIPNET) program, used the forum to call on more women groups to join hands with WIPNET to form a strong network to monitor, report and fight the proliferation of arms; to be involved in public naming and shaming of the known arm dealers; and for women organisations to create desks and awareness programs on the effect of armed conflicts on women and children in Nigeria. More women organisations were also urged to participate in the International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament through various programs and projects leading to the reduction and eventual disappearance of armed conflict in the country.

Similarly, the Federal Government was enjoined to enact a law making un-approved arms importation into Nigeria a criminal offence; to enact a bill to monitor accountability in arms transaction in government security agencies; and to put in place mechanisms to domesticate and implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW, and UN Resolution 1325 on women, peace and human security, the Beijing Platform of Action and the Millennium Development Goals, as well as review the National Policy on Women, to make it more current and relevant. Above position concerning the campaign was supported by the participants, who expressed willingness to propagate it on different platforms; though there was a need for more awareness and sensitisation programs, through a strong network, to enable more Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community - Based Organisations (CBOs), and Faith Based Organisations (FBOS) join hands in fighting proliferation of small arms.

Since 2004, Women in Peace-building program (WIPNET) of the West Africa Network for Peace-building WANEP launched her participation with the help of her strategic partner Oxfam in the Control Arms Campaign with the slogan 'Arms Know No Gender'. The network has been working through campaigns at the national level aims to improve the national mechanisms for the control, transfer and circulation of arms for better protection of people and goods in conformity with international laws, norms, conventions and standards at the community level; while it seeks to reinforce security locally for the reduction of the supply, the demand and the circulation of arms.

The International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament began in Europe in the early 1980s when women activists worked together internationally to protest the deadly threat of arms race, leading the way forward to peace through solidarity. Against this background, WIPNET-Nigeria joined millions of women globally, to commemorate the International women's day for peace and disarmament by holding a media conference to raise awareness on the impact of small arms on women and children; and also to expose the dangers of proliferation of small arms in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta, a situation that is fast turning to the situation of a failed state. WIPNET-Nigeria acknowledged the fact that the amount of small arms in circulation in Nigeria especially at the Niger Delta could have meant a war situation in other West African countries, and that raising awareness on the danger this portends is a sure step to finding possible solution to the situation.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200606140299.html