Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to actively promote the inclusion of women in the military. This call was made during the one-day Gender Mainstreaming Conference held at the Defence Headquarters, centered around the theme, ‘Building Capacity Through Gender Mainstreaming to Meet Security Challenges.’
Represented by the Vice President’s wife, Nana Shettima, the First Lady commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria for organizing the conference, emphasizing the timeliness of the theme in shaping a safer and more equitable world. She acknowledged the increasing complexity of security challenges in the nation and stressed the importance of embracing innovative and comprehensive approaches.
Highlighting the significance of gender mainstreaming, Mrs. Tinubu expressed gratitude for the Armed Forces’ acceptance of this concept in alignment with global best practices and UN Security Council Resolution 1325. She underscored that security entails more than just military strength, encompassing human rights, economic stability, and social and environmental sustainability.
Emphasizing the need for a collective effort to address security challenges, the First Lady called for the integration of gender perspectives into security policies and strategies.
She advocated for the encouragement of women to join and progress within the forces, promoting their participation and leadership in security institutions, peace negotiations, and conflict resolution efforts. Mrs. Tinubu concluded by emphasizing the importance of bringing a reconciliatory perspective into negotiations for a more inclusive and effective approach to security.