Ghana Must Preserve its Peace and Security Initiatives – Dr. Afisah

By GNA 

December 4, 2022

Dr Afisah Zakariah, Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, says while Ghana is still enjoying some relative peace and security, it must not relent in its efforts to protect it.

Dr Afisah said this during a sensitisation workshop on the implementation of Ghana’s National Action Plan (GHANAP 2) on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.

GHANAP 2 is the second edition of the National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, and it is centred on four pillar goals: participation and representation of women in decision-making and the peace process at all levels; promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in conflict situations and in ordinary times.

The remaining goals are to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls at all levels of society and to ensure equal access to and provision of specific needs for women and girls in all relief and recovery efforts.

Dr Afisah urged civil society organisations, metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, as well as other stakeholders, to ensure that the mandate of GHANAP 2 on women, peace, and security in Ghana was fulfilled.

It was attended by representatives from the Ghana Immigration Service in the Eastern Region, the Gender Desk at the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, the Information Service Department, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Department of Gender, and others.

Madam Melody Azinim, Peace and Governance Analyst at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said the key to finding long-term solutions is to integrate gender sensitivity and promote gender equality in all work on governance, conflict resolution, and preventing violent extremism.

“The most important work lies ahead through the implementation and monitoring of the actions towards the achievement of the UNSC Resolution’s objectives,” she said.

“It is for this reason that UNDP is supporting this sensitisation, which is one of the key activities under the participation pillar, to bring awareness to many more stakeholders so that they can also effectively contribute to implementing the action plan.”

Mrs Euphemia Akos Dzathor, Independent Development Practitioner in Gender, Peace, and Security, led participants through topics such as natural peace-building tendencies of women, challenges to women’s peace-building efforts, strategies for women’s involvement, and the rationale for Women, Peace, and Security.

She emphasised the importance of encouraging women to update their knowledge and skills in peacebuilding and nominating them to serve on peace councils and peace committees.

GHANAP 2, which was created in 2018, and launched on March 8, 2020, will expire in 2025.