Nigeria and the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security

Abstract

With a determination to addressing the negative impacts of violent conflicts and wars on women and girls, the United Nations Security Council made Resolution 1325 in October 2000. In an effort to repositioning women and girls to play active roles in peace and security through the Resolution, the United Nations sought the involvement of UN member-states in its implementation. In response, the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development formulated the first National Action Plan in 2013. Despite coming after twelve years, the first NAP did not achieve its major formulation goals owing to poor coordination of stakeholders; poor inter-agency collaboration; non-inclusion of violent conflicts/extremism; poor logistics; and lack of political will on the part of some states and local governments to domesticate gender-related laws. These challenges bedeviled the first NAP and occasioned the introduction of the second NAP in May 2017. This study, therefore, interrogates the challenges confronting the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 in mobilising women and girls to overcome the traditional challenges militating against their effective mobilisation for peacebuilding and engagement in security-related activities in Nigeria. Data for the study were generated from primary and secondary sources. The study revealed among other things that certain socio-cultural factors coupled with inherent ecological issues within Nigeria’s policy environment have affected the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security and such undesirable trend may continue if concerted efforts are not geared towards addressing them.