The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonishakin has said the Armed Forces of Nigeria is implementing various initiatives and policies to mainstream gender perspectives into military operations that would allow women participation in all strata of military operations.
He spoke on Thursday in Abuja, at the maiden annual conference on Women Peace and Security, with the theme, ‘Gender Mainstreaming in the Armed Forces of Nigeria for Peace and Security.’
He said currently the Armed Forces have attained 27 percent female peace keeping operations, which is higher than the United Nations (UN) recommendation of about 17 percent.
He said the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) has also commenced training of female cadets as combatant officers; give equal opportunity like their male counter parts including commanding major combat units and flying fighter jets for the Nigerian Air Force.
He said the Nigerian Navy has deployed women as sailors and for other key aspects such as ship maintenance.
He noted, “The Nigerian Army Women Corps, was established in March 2018 to ensure optimal performance of women towards enhancing the Armed force operational efficiency as well as allowing them aspire to the peak of their career without limitations.”
He said this is the first and only women corps in Africa, adding that the Nigerian established the Women of War in November 2018 to involve women in all aspects of air traffic control and engineering.
He also said the military has also incorporated the concept of women peace and security in the training curriculum of Armed Forces Training Institution s.
He said topics such as conflict related Gender Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and gender mainstreaming are given center stage during training.
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