Nigeria has urged the international community to move beyond rhetoric and ensure the full, meaningful participation of women in global peace processes, while strongly condemning the dramatic rise in conflict-related sexual violence worldwide.
?Speaking at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in New York, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, expressed deep concern over the persistent marginalization of women in diplomacy.
Citing UN data, Ahmed highlighted that women accounted for only 5 percent of lead negotiators and 14 percent of mediators across 57 recent negotiation processes, with a mere 10 peace agreements explicitly referencing women.
?Ahmed warned that excluding women directly undermines peace efforts, weakens fragile agreements, and fuels renewed conflicts a reality particularly acute in Africa across regions such as the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Sudan, and the Great Lakes.
Drawing from Nigeria's experience in its North East region, he stressed that while women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of terrorism, abduction, and displacement, they remain vital as mediators, community first responders, and security personnel.
?To bridge the gap between global commitments and actual implementation, Nigeria proposed a three-pronged approach to the Security Council. First, Nigeria called for the institutionalization of women's participation, urging the UN, the African Union, and regional bodies to systematically appoint qualified women to every mediation team.
Second, Nigeria advocated for predictable financing for local women-led organizations and national action plans, while preserving gender expertise in peace operations despite current liquidity constraints.
Third, Nigeria underscored the need to place survivors of conflict-related sexual violence at the center of protection and justice systems, providing them with medical, psychosocial, and economic support while holding perpetrators accountable and addressing the rising threat of technology-facilitated violence.
?Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to UNSC Resolution 1325 and regional frameworks, Ambassador Ahmed emphasized that lasting peace across Africa remains unachievable without the active, equal, and meaningful leadership of women.
