… As British High Commission champions inclusive security, says sustainable peace demands women’s full participation
By Joy Odor, Abuja
In a strong message reverberating across Sokoto and Kano, the United Kingdom Integrated Security Fund (UK ISF) has declared that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable peace if women remain excluded from community decision-making and conflict resolution.
Speaking at a Mentorship Workshop for Community Development Committee (CDC) Women Leaders organized by Global Rights under the UK-funded “Strengthening Pathways to Inclusive Peacebuilding and Access to Justice” Project, Mr. Cliff Gal, Senior Programme Manager for the UK ISF at the British High Commission, said peacebuilding efforts that ignore women are “fundamentally flawed and short-lived.”
“Any peace process that excludes women is like trying to run on one leg, it won’t last,” Gal declared. “Before now, community decisions were made almost entirely by men, but real peace only happens when women, youth, and traditional leaders sit at the same table.”
Gal explained that the mentorship programme was designed to connect experienced women peace mediators with newly trained community leaders across Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Katsina States—sharing lessons, strategies, and real-world experiences from years of community dialogue and conflict management.
For the UK government, he stressed, peace and inclusion are not optional ideals but prerequisites for progress.
“Without women, there is no peace. And without peace, there can be no development—no matter how much money a country makes,” he said. “The UK considers Nigeria one of its most important partners in Africa, and our commitment to inclusive peacebuilding reflects that partnership.”
The workshop, which served as a safe space for women leaders, encouraged frank discussions on the challenges of leading peace initiatives in traditionally male-dominated societies.
Participants exchanged insights on how women’s natural attributes empathy, patience, and mediation can transform community conflicts into opportunities for cooperation.
Gal noted that research consistently shows that peace agreements endure longer when women participate in negotiations and implementation, underscoring why the UK ISF has made women’s inclusion a central pillar of its security and development programming.
“Peacebuilding that excludes women is temporary. Inclusion isn’t just fairness, it’s the foundation of stability,” he said.
The UK ISF’s ongoing support through Global Rights has over the past three years helped build community resilience, expand access to justice for marginalized groups, and elevate women as peace architects across Nigeria’s Northwest.
As the mentorship workshop closed, Guy charged the women to return to their communities as catalysts for change.
“Use this platform to listen, learn, and lead,” he urged. “The future of your communities’ peace depends on how much you contribute today.”
With this renewed drive, the UK and its partners are reinforcing a powerful message: lasting peace in Nigeria will only stand when women stand with it.
