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Oluremi Tinubu, first lady of Nigeria, says more women should be encouraged to join the military for a more equitable society.
According to a statement released on Thursday by Busola Kukoyi, special adviser to the first lady on media, Oluremi spoke at the defence headquarters’ one-day gender mainstreaming conference with the theme “Building capacity through gender mainstreaming to meet security challenges”.
Represented by Nana Shettima, wife of the vice-president, the first lady commended the leadership of the armed forces of Nigeria for organising the programme, describing the event as timely.
“The theme is apt because it is about shaping a safer, better and more equitable world for all,” Kukoyi quoted Oluremi as saying.
“I commend the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for accepting the gender mainstreaming concept in line with the Global Best Practice and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.”
Oluremi said the security challenges in the country have become complex, requiring the armed forces to take on more innovative approaches.
“Addressing these challenges effectively requests innovative and comprehensive approaches and gender mainstreaming stands as a powerful tool in our arsenal,” the statement added.
“Gender mainstreaming is now much more than a charity and a policy agenda, this is a fundamental issue about the way we perceive and address security challenges.
“We can start by ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into security policies and strategies, encouraging more women to join and progress within the forces.
“We must promote women’s participation and leadership in security institutions, peace negotiations, conflict resolution efforts and bringing a more reconciliatory perspective into negotiations.”
The first lady said security encompasses not only military strength, but also the protection of human rights, economic stability, and social and environmental sustainability.
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She urged the army not to discriminate against female members of the armed forces for getting married or bearing children while in service.
She said initiatives led by the government have strengthened women’s empowerment by letting women have access to training and education.
“Additionally, we have equipped the women with laptops and grants to support their educational and professional pursuits,” she added.
“This is because we believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a community and inevitably a nation.
“We therefore hope that the leadership within the Armed Forces will extend this dialogue beyond the confinement of this conference and empower women.”
Christopher Musa, chief of defence, and Mohammed Baduru, minister of defence, applauded the first lady and agreed to look into the recommendations.
