35% Affirmation: NGO Trains 450 Youths in Delta

A total of 450 in-and-out-of school youths in Delta State are to be developed into peace club facilitators as efforts have intensified to sensitize women and girls in rural communities in the state in furtherance of the year 2000 ‘United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325’.

A non-governmental organisation, Global Peace Development, which flagged off the renewed awareness campaign in six communities in Ndokwa East, Ughelli North and Warri South local government areas, noted that the resolution, better known as UNSCR 1325, “provides for 35 per cent affirmation for women empowerment globally.”

According to the project director of Global Peace Development, Mr. Esike Onajite Ebruke, the said resolution, of which Nigeria s a signatory, addresses the profound impact of wars and conflicts on women and girls as well as the pivotal role of women in conflict management, conflict resolution and sustainable peace generally.

In a workshop held recently at Ashaka in Ndokwa East council and entitled, ‘Intervention Awareness in Empowerment of Women and Girls for Conflict Prevention and Peace Building’, Ebruke stressed that the workshop was aimed at giving women and girls “voice and visibility in line with the UN Resolution.”

The project director, who disclosed that the programme is supported by Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) of the British Council in partnership with the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), stated that the NGO would develop 450 youths as peace clubs facilitators and community theatre groups who would be in the vanguard of creating jobs for themselves and advancing women development in the benefiting communities.

He allayed fears that the project might suffer for lack of continuity when the period of the present timeframe elapses, assuring stakeholders that the National Council for Women Societies would take over the project to ensure its continuity for the optimal benefit of the concerned communities.

He enjoined community leaders to encourage greater participation of women in decision making process by involving them in the local leadership structure and governance of their community.

Ebruke stressed that allowing women voice and visibility would go a long way in bridging “the age-long communication gap” while charging women to “break the culture of silence when subjected to any form of violence.”

A similar workshop, which was held at Agbassa in Warri South Local Government Area, also attracted numerous female participants from Okere Urhobo and Okere Itsekiri youth groups.

Participants drawn from the communities, who were predominantly female and in age brackets of between 10 and 13 years; 14 and 17 years; and 18 to 25 years, expressed happiness at the opportunity of the workshop.

Some of them told THISDAY that the exercise had exposed them to numerous issues including women rights, saying the programme would spur the youths, particularly women, to participate and contribute more to issues regarding meaningful development of their respective communities.