Centre calls for safe operation spaces for women, girls

As the world commemorates the World Humanitarian Day 2019, the Mothers and Marginalised Advocacy (MAMA) Centre has called for safe operation spaces for women and adolescent girls in humanitarian responses to enable them brainstorm and devise appropriate response strategies at all levels.

The Executive Director of the centre, Barrister Ola Onyegbula, said yesterday in Abuja that while they acknowledge the unique role of women in peace and conflict resolution, they commend and celebrate the contributions of Women Humanitarians in making the world a better place, despite the associated risks identified with humanitarian activities.

“We continue to appreciate women humanitarians as the first responders to the ‘darkest hours of crisis’, revealing their incomparable exceptionality, while validating the global affirmation of female strength, power and perseverance at all levels.

“We are not unaware of the existing life-threatening challenges and unjustified attacks targeted at Women Humanitarians at various humanitarian stages and processes,” Mrs. Onyegbula said.

She also condemn the discrimination and violence against female aid workers in the country and across the world, calling for more robust and supportive policy environment through implementation of appropriate surveillance system and competent reporting mechanism to encourage and address the plights of women humanitarians.

She said, “We also call for specific effort to reach marginalized women and girls, including women with disabilities, indigenous women, elderly women, and women of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, to building on their needs and capacities in order to effectively engage them as active partners in humanitarian process.”