Int’l Day Of Peace: Women Mediation Network Hosts Media Parley In Kaduna

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Women Mediation Network, has visited the Kaduna State Media Corporation, (KSMC) Kaduna on a media parley, as part of activities to commemorate the UN International Day of peace celebration in Kaduna.

The parley held on Tuesday, also featured , government representatives, civil society organizations, several other media organizations among others.

 Speaking the Coordinator, Women Mediation Network, Kaduna, Prof, Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf, said the essence of the media parley, is to highlight activities and interventions of the group within the period under review, as part of activities in commemoration of this year’s International Day of Peace, with the theme ” cultivating the culture of peace”

She said the Network is made of 50 mediators, ” this group of persons, about 50 of us were trained by CLEEN Foundation to support the network and we keep improving by the day, adding that 2 weeks ago Kaduna, ” Women Mediation Network was absorbed in a body of Ambassadors in the state, this has made the network a Peace Ambassador alongside the Emir of Zazzau, who is the patron of the Peace Ambassadors in Kaduna.” she added.

According to her, the Women Mediation Network has been in 6 LGA, since inception, ” we have been contributing to maintenance of peace within Kaduna state, and you recall in time past when our children in Furgar were abducted, the mediation network had gone to streets to do a walk, calling on the government on the need to bring back our children, and 2 or 3 days later, we got our children back, that shows the WMN is making impact in the state, and if you remember there was supposed to be skirmishes of violence during the Bye elections, that took place in some LGAs in the state, but the women mediators’ prompt reaction, doused the tension

” Again we have been impacting various communities to the extend that some of our traditional leaders have added to their councils women, so that they can be part of the decision making in the communities, example is Kufana Chiefdom and infact, our Emir has a female Professor chairing one of his implementation committees in the state”

She also narrated how the network has mediated in lots of family disputes, which has saved families ”  a woman who was into drugs and husband was not happy with it and was actually going to send her packing, but with our mediation she is still with him and she has stopped the act of taking illicit drugs ” 

She also commended the “He for She” partners,, saying  ” it met interest you that our heforshe persons are strongly behind us and they carry out a lot of activities that boost the morale of the girl child in Kaduna state”

” we are in partnership with traditional leaders, Our Heforshe, with other stakeholders to resolve conflicts situations, remember our training is not only on domestic issues, we are also able to mediate amongst communities so that we can foster the peace that we are now enjoying in Kaduna state”

Similarly, the Coordinator, ‘ Heforshe ‘ in Kaduna, Mr Emmanuel Bonnet, said the network is recognized internationally, and domesticated in Nigeria, so there’s the need to continue to promote women participation in peace and security across all facets of life

He said the, Kaduna network was conceived around 2022, through the UN women charter in Kaduna state and since  that moment ” men and boys of like minds have decided to come to be part of the network to encourage any forms of activities geared towards encouraging women participation in peace and security, adding that,  members of the network cut across different works of life,”  we have traditional leaders and religious leaders, captains of industry ,CSOs, Perm Secs, Former And Present Governors, security agencies” among others

According to him “we live a patriarchal society, that from the day your born till now, all things have been skewed towards men taking over and at some point, it has overrated our sense of judgment; so that, consciousness to reset our thoughts about equality, is what the Heforshe has been trying to bring to fore by asking very critical questions at every point in time, that when you want to take decision have you thought about other sex or gender?

” So those are the kind of things that Heforshe brings to the fore,  in every day activity,  every day governance, so that people in leadership will also remember that equal opportunity is not a thing you talk about with words; it has to integrate into your lifestyle and whatever you do make sure that women are also given the opportunity to aspire and be part of whatever is made available for human dignity, so that virtually how Heforshe evolved and what we have been doing, so far” he stressed

Representative of Kaduna state, Human Services commissioner and Deputy Director Gender, Mrs Lami Usman, said government is doing its bit to help children into illicit drugs through rehabilitation among other things ” that’s why we have two shelters, one for boys and the other for girls, where they are being rehabilitated and taken care of and when we see that they are okay, we send them back to their parents

” and we are also collaborating, with  the Network, to see how to help these girls that are out of school, and there’s a this proposed project by the government about the out of school children, all these projects are geared at helping these children go back to school, adding however, that’ we know that the government  cannot do everything alone, so we need to put our hands together to see that we help them”

Also representing the Chairman NUJ, Kaduna,  Vice Chairman, Mr Daniel Duniya, said the Union, under Hajia Asma’a Halilu Yawo, is committed to peace and has been playing vital roles geared towards fostering peace, harmony and security in the state and country.

He said as Journalists our commitment is to always ensure peace initiatives like this are given proper reportage, adding that NUJ members covering the parley  will do just that.

According to him” we ensure that issues of peace are given adequate and proper coverage, we always advice members to avoid making reportage that do harm than good, so it’s. part of our commitment and we remain on that,  so I commend the Women Mediators and assuring you that the NUJ will work with you” he added