National Defence College Commits to Gender Equality in Security Operations
The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Adm. Olumuyiwa Olotu, has affirmed the college’s dedication to advancing gender equality and inclusiveness in ensuring responsive security operations.
This commitment was expressed during the commencement of a train-the-trainer workshop on the Gender Training Manual for security sector academies and training institutions, held on Monday in Abuja.
The workshop, organized by the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies of the college, marks Phase II of the UN Women project aimed at enhancing gender-responsive security operations and community dialogue.
The initiative aligns with the evolving security landscape and imperatives outlined in the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Represented by Dr Danladi Bot, Head of the Area and Regional Studies department, Rear Adm. Olumuyiwa Olotu underscored the importance of gender equality and the protection of women and girls in conflict, emphasizing their active participation in conflict prevention, resolution, and building.
“As part of our commitment to mainstreaming gender in all security sector institutions, it has become imperative to empower trainers with the knowledge and tools essential for integrating gender perspectives in the training curriculum of our security sector institutions,” Olotu stated.
The training aims to implement gender-sensitive training using the standardized gender training manual for trainers across selected security training institutions, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Dr Olotu highlighted that the ultimate goal of the training is to empower selected security sector trainers to understand gender perspectives from the UN standardized gender training manual and promote gender sensitivity across all operational levels.
Commending the UN Women and the Government of Germany for funding the project, Rear Adm. Olotu assured that the NDC is committed to playing significant roles in addressing security issues at both national and regional levels, in line with its mandate.