Emerging new trend of vices including banditry, armed robbery with rape, indiscriminate use of hard drugs by adolescents and others have been identified as bane against the successful implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Project of the UN Women in Nigeria.
The assertion was the collective observations of participants at a 2-day review meeting of the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Project held at the Hotel Seventeen in Kaduna.
The participants drawn for Bauchi, Benue and Kaduna states lamented that as beautiful as the the programme is, the emerging security challenges have negatively impacted the implementation of the project.
While making presentations peculiar to each of the participating states, the common issue is increase in violence against women and children through vices like raping of married women in their homes during robbery operations as well as indulgence of married women in the use of hard drugs.
Another negative impact hindering the successful implementation of the project is poverty which is believed to be driving people into indulging in vices that are militating against good living and family lives.
The participants also identified lack of sustainable media engagement and activities as another issue that has negatively impacted on the implementation of the project in the implementing states.
Lack of adequate financial support is another issue identified considering the fact that the project needs to be financed especially the Women Mediators who are expected to go into the communities for advocacy and mobilization.
Though the participants commended UN Women for the project as it has impacted positively on the existence of women and children especially participation in political and security issues within the communities, they opined that more can still be done.
The participants called on the UN Women to ensure that Phase Three of the project commenced in good time so that the gains of the phases One and Two can be sustained and improved upon.
The participants particularly called for the strengthening of the He4She and Women Mediator components of the project which they believe are the main focus of WPS just as they also want the Security and CSO components to be strengthened.
As the phase 2 of the WPS ends at the end of December 2024, the participants urged the government of the implementing states to own the project and put in place sustainability measures considering the positivity of the project since it commenced few years ago.
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