CDS Gen. Musa harps on enhanced gender norms, mainstreaming in armed forces (Pictures)

Published By Aisha Rabo Last updated Nov 10, 2023

CDS Gen. Musa harps on enhanced gender norms, mainstreaming in armed forces (Pictures)

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has urged stakeholders to improve the existing gender policies and gender mainstreaming in the Nigerian military.

General Musa made this call on Thursday at a one-day Gender Mainstreaming Conference with the theme ‘Building Capacity Through Gender Mainstreaming to Meet Security Challenges’ aimed at deepening the concept of Gender Mainstreaming in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, at National Defence College, Abuja.

According to him, the military and other security agencies must adopt a more realistic gender mainstreaming strategy to defend and protect women and children, who are the most vulnerable group of persons and victims of the consequences of security challenges due to the asymmetric nature of current security challenges bedevilling Nigeria as a nation.

He added that the conference was intended to create the ideal environment for the Armed Forces to design, implement, monitor, and assess operational and administrative doctrines that aim to promote and enhance capacity by utilising gender mainstreaming in order to combat the numerous security challenges facing the country.

CDS Musa stressed that the efforts by the military were in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which requires nations to create action plans to identify, assess, and oversee efforts to accomplish the goals of women, peace, and security.

“The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was mooted to ensure women and societal security needs are safeguarded through increased emphasis on prevention, protection, and participation of women in military operations.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, harped on the importance of women in policymaking in the role of defence insecurity.

“As someone who has worked on this subject for the majority of my career, I have seen the importance of women in policymaking in the role of defence insecurity.”

On her part, the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed congratulated the military for taking giant strides towards multi-gender equality and women’s empowerment in the armed forces of Nigeria.

She said, “As you all know, Nigeria is one of the member states of the UN that domesticated the UN Security Council resolution 2025, which was adopted by the United Nations Security Council on the 31st of October 2000.”

Also speaking, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Ms. Gill Alkinson, said the armed forces of Nigeria play a pivotal role in both preventing and responding to security challenges while holding human rights and safeguarding the nation’s security, hence the need for women’s inclusion in the country’s military policymaking.

Also speaking, the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima, said the United Nations Security Council solution 1325 was to ensure women and societal security needs are safeguarded through increased emphasis on prevention, protection, and participation of women.

“Operations were going to be just watching nature, of course, through the challenges because of the nature of who we are, and other security agencies were going to adopt a more realistic gender mainstreaming strategy to protect women and children. people and victims of the consequences of security challenges.

“I want all participants or stakeholders to be open-minded in order to engage in constructive discussion that will further improve the existing tender policies and gender mainstreaming as well as body level. It also indicates that they are proposing cancelling doctors offices or engagements.

CDS Gen. Musa harps on enhanced gender norms, mainstreaming in armed forces (Pictures)