By
Emmanuel Todd, GNA
Accra, Nov 19, GNA –
Colonel Albert K. Dawohoso, Director of Training, Kofi Annan International
Peacekeeping Training Centre, (KAIPTC), has said equal representation of women
in peace building is essential for a fully –functioning democratic system.
He said while there
were many efforts to promote women in leadership roles across the continent,
particularly through laws, policies and standard-setting frameworks on Gender
Equality and Women’s Empowerment, implementation continued to fall far below
the levels that would bring about real transformation.
He said this in a
speech read on behalf of the Commandant of the Centre at the opening ceremony
of the maiden edition of the Inspiring African Women Leadership in Peace and
Security (IAWL) Course 2019 in Accra.
The two-week
programme from November 18 to 29 is aimed at providing capacity-building and
networking opportunities for women to increase leadership and participation in
the peace and security environment.
Mr Dawohoso said the
Centre was priding itself on developing and implementing a Gender Policy that
led to gender mainstreaming of all programmes, courses and trainings.
He said the
Executive Management Committee in June this year created the KAIPTC Women
Support Scheme of which the Course was an offspring.
He noted that the
participation of women in leadership, peace process and governance required
that adequate opportunities were provided to increase their knowledge base.
He expressed the
centre’s appreciation to the German Government through GIZ support office in
Ghana and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) for their partnership,
support and contributions.
Mr Christoph
Retzlaff, the German Ambassador to Ghana, said the United Nations Security
Council passed Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which underlined
the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement in all
efforts to maintain and promote peace and security.
He said despite best
efforts and intentions, the commitment had not been fulfilled, saying that the
international community was not able to end the plague of violence against
women in conflict-affected countries.
He said one shocking
reminder was the ongoing suppression of, and sexual violence against women and
children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He said between 2000
and 2018, women accounted for less than six per-cent, of formal peace
negotiators, which remained unacceptably low.
“We know that their
contributions and participation remained critical to ensure women’s needs and
interests were reflected in post-conflict planning.” He said.
Mr Retzlaff noted
the significant contribution of women to peace and security in DR Congo and
Somalia, where women had mobilised and formed peace movements, practised quite
diplomacy and written proposals for post-conflict reconstruction programmes.
He said positive
contributions of women to peace building and security in Africa had motivated
the German Government to back the KAIPTC women’s support scheme.
The programme
enrolled 16 participants, drawn from the Military, Police and Civilians,
selected from 10 different countries in Africa.
GNA
