WOMEN’S SITUATION ROOM NIGERIA
The Women’s Situation Room (WSR) in Nigeria works to ensure that all elections in Nigeria are peaceful and include the participation of women and youth.
The aim is to build sustainable peace within the communities of Nigeria in accordance with UNSCR 1325. WRS has been implemented in Nigeria through a launch event including civil society, the government and several partner organisations. The launch of WRS in Nigeria was initiated by the President of Women´s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Women’s Situation Room Nigeria
About WSRN
The Women’s Situation Room Nigeria is a concept that was first implemented under the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) during the Liberia Presidential and Legislative Elections in 2011. The WSR arose out of the realization that violence has become a norm of African elections and it became imperative that women develop a mechanism to counter this pattern. It was adopted as a Best Practice by the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) of the AU with President Johnson Sirleaf , president of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate as Champion of the WSR.
WSR has been implemented in Nigeria.
WSRN Goals
The Women Situation Room Nigeria (WSRN) was initiated and established by the President of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in Nigeria and the International Vice President, Joy Onyesoh, during the February 2015 general elections in Nigeria. Following it’s
implementation in 2015, her media launch/peace dialogue was held on the 21st June, 2016 at the Bolton White Hotels, Abuja. In attendance were 26 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), 21 Media press and 4 partner organizations.
As a result of the recognized success of Women Situation Rooms in a number of countries, the Women Situation Room Nigeria (WSRN) has decided to commence an early preparation towards the upcoming 2019 general elections
Goal of WSRN
To ensure that all elections in Nigeria are peaceful and women and youth play a substantive role in sustaining and building peace in communities in accordance with UNSCR 1325.
The key roles to be played by WSRN revolves around the following:
- Convening all who share its vision in mobilizing women and youth in order to ensure their active participation in peaceful and democratic electoral processes as a peace and security measure in accordance with UNSCR 1325 and 1820
- Involving all electoral stakeholders in consultative engagements while ensuring peace before, during and after elections.
- Celebrating women who have made a difference at the national and community level
- Carrying out forums, interactive sessions at the national level and geopolitical zones
- Having a gender perspective and an all-female observers team to observe elections in Nigeria
Objectives of WSRN
The WSRN scope has been expanded to have the following objectives:
- Enhance women’s financial literacy and access to resources especially for political participation.
- Enhance women’s leadership skills by promoting and supporting of women political leadership to build and sustain women constituency.
- Enhance women’s understanding of the electoral process, and have an observatory to monitor the electoral process from a gender perspective.
- Promote a zero tolerance level for violence against women and all forms of discrimination against women and girls.
- Engage critical stakeholders in building and sustaining peace through interactive dialogues, peace fora and civic education.