Women key in peace negotiations- UN Women

CONFLICT   RESOLUTION

KAMPALA - The UN Women has urged the government to increase the engagement of women in peace negotiations in conflicts.

Anna Mutavati, the deputy representative UN Women in Uganda said increased engagement of women in security and peace negotiations will help to deliver women's perspective which has not been prioritised, besides being the most affected.

"During conflicts and insurgencies, women and children are most affected by sexual abuse, caring for children, sanitation, and hygiene, yet they continue to be excluded in solving these conflicts," Mutavati said.

She advised that the inclusion of all national's stakeholders especially women, both at national and local levels in peace, security and conflict resolution will help the country to develop a functioning national planning action.

"For many decades, we have associated peacebuilding processes to men, putting women at the back spot, yet they have a role to do to keep peaceful societies, they have no role to play in conflict prevention and resolution," Mutavati said.

Mutavati noted that during conflicts, issues of gender inequalities compounds with many obstacles of access to food, water, sanitation, hygiene health care, education, and housing, which affect women more than men.

This morning, while speaking at Women Peace and Security Programme workshop in Uganda security, organised by UN Women and Royal Norwegian Embassy in Uganda at Protea hotel in Kampala, Mutavati advised that women should be empowered to be negotiators of peace and find solutions in the emerging problems.

Mutavati said emerging issues in Uganda like land conflicts, refugee insurgencies, the widening gap between the rich and the poor have excluded the involvement of women.

Beatrice Eyong, the country Representative UN Women Mali noted that the knowledge, capacity, and approach to conflict prevention and resolution are different from men's approach and instrumental.

"Women play major roles in these conflicts, as actors, victims, and accomplishers, and so if we walk on these roles, we shall be able to bring peace, because they have female relatives, if we bring them on the table they will be able to negotiate for peace," Eyong noted.

Mutavati (left) and the country representative for United Nation Mali Beatrice Eyong chatting at the event

 
Peter Mancha, Women, Peace, and Security at UN Women in Nigeria advised that Uganda should prioritise economic empowerment of women and youths because poverty has been one of the challenges faced by the Nigerian government in curbing Boko haram terrorists that focus on poor and unemployed youths and women. 

Women, Peace and security programme is focused on moving the Women Peace and Security agenda in Uganda forward with its priority on creating an enabling environment for women to participate in Peace and Security processes, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding and recovery aligned to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5 and 16 and United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) 1325.

The resolution of UNSCR 1325 (SCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was passed on 31 October 2000 and called upon all member states and the UN system to prevent violations of women's rights, to support women's participation in peace negotiations and in post-conflict reconstruction and to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence.

Col. Agnes Musoke, director of Women affairs Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), however, said Uganda's patriarchal society limits the inclusion of women on security forces, adding that military and security forces have been perceived as males roles, registering a low turn up of females whenever there is a call for recruitment.

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