Involve more women in conflict solving - Igad

Entebbe- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) has called for more involvement of women in conflict resolution negotiations to enable them get equal treatment after the conflict.

“As Igad we provide a platform during negotiations meetings for voices of women to be heard to present issues that affect women negatively in conflict setting. Through the country’s action plans we institutionalise the Security Council resolutions to protect women who are key factors in conflict resolution,” the Igad programme manager, Mr Mubarak Mabuya, told journalists at the closing of the Igad Women Peace and Security Forum (IWPSF) meeting in Entebbe, last week.

“We have noted that during conflict resolution discussions, the core matters are what led to the conflict and mediators tend to look at gender as something that can wait until the core issues are attended to but normatively guided by the Security Council resolutions, it is now a norm that as negotiation teams are being selected, women are included,” he said.

The chairperson of Equal Opportunities Committee in Parliament, Ms Hellen Asamo, said IWPSF will not only look at finding resolutions for women in war or conflict zones but all rights of women. 

“Some of our sisters like South Sudan are still in the armed conflict, in the Ugandan aspect,  the situation has reduced a bit, we are now looking at other issues affecting women ranging from different areas in terms of participation, trafficking in women and discussions,” she said.

The executive director of the Organisation for Women’s Development, Ms Rita Lopidia,  said: “Coming from South Sudan, which is transitioning from a war conflict to peace, we have seen conflicts are not isolated. 

For the region and South Sudan to have sustainable peace, its important the region is involved and issues of women and security are not addressed in isolation but are seen in a regional context.”

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