STAKEHOLDERS ON STATE ACTION PLAN IN ANAMBRA STATE
CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON STATE ACTION PLAN (SAP) ON WOMEN PEACE AND SECURITY (WPS) IN ANAMBRA STATE
Having identified that Anambra State is yet to have a State Action Plan on United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, WILPF Nigeria in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs held a one day stakeholders meeting on the 1st of December 2021 to identify the emerging and nuanced situations in the state and also to establish a technical working group who will support the process in the state. The meeting was a follow up on past meetings held towards designing the SAP on WPS for the state.
The meeting started with a welcome address from the program officer of WILPF Nigeria Jane Siesi who welcomed all the participants to the meeting and gave an overview on what a SAP on WPS is all about, the importance of Enugu state having a SAP on WPS. She also stated that the process although is in collaboration with the state ministry of gender affairs but all stakeholders have a major role to play in ensuring that the document becomes a road map of actions for the state.
The main crust of the meeting was the training on implementation of SAP on WPS which was handled by the country director of WILPF Nigeria Prof Joy Onyesoh. Prof Joy started by explaining what a SAP framework is all about. She stated that it is a planning tool that helps to focus conversations on results and impacts. She also touched on the process of implementing a SAP framework and the importance of SAP. According to her explanation, the experiences of women and men during war or conflict are different; therefore it is important that the perspective of women in conflict analysis and peacebuilding are taken into cognizance in order to promote inclusiveness, transparency, accountability and sustainability of peace process.
The country director also spoke on the Nigerian national action plan on WPS, what a state action plan is about, and core strategies for the implementation of SAP which she listed as follows;
— SAP Promotion and Advocacy
— Legislation and Policy
— Capacity Building & Service Delivery
— Research Documentation & Dissemination
— Coordination and Synergy of Activities between and among Stakeholders
During the presentation, the Head of Department, State Ministry of Women Affairs gave a keynote address stating the importance of the SAP on WPS especially with the security tensions in the state which has further heightened these challenges. She also spoke on the readiness of the ministry alongside other ministries to support the process in whatever capacity they can to ensure the SAP on WPS becomes a working document in the state.
Questions were raised by some participants which was rightly answered by the country director of WILPF Nigeria. Upon her presentation there was a segment on group work where each group was to;
1. Identify the emerging issues and list other key issues in your state.
— List the strategic area of priorities for your state.
— List key stakeholders for each identified area of priorities.
2. Participants to identify activities that fall under the pillars
v Prevention and disaster preparedness
v Protection and prosecution
v Participation
v Crisis management and early recovery
Upon presentation by each group, the country director spoke on the need for effective advocacies to the office of the first lady, the government house and the state house of assembly and representatives on the SAP on WPS. She added that the advocacy will be held in the month of January 2022.
The meeting was brought to an end with group photograph and housekeeping by the admin officer of WILPF Nigeria.
