Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retired) has called on the military high command to address the barriers and biases that historically limit women participation in the military.
This is just as the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru disclosed that Nigeria has surpassed the United Nations 15 per cent female participation in Peacekeeping by 2028 with current realisation of 22 percent four years ahead.
General Abubakar made the call at the Defence Headquarters’ annual gender conference 2024 with the theme: “Mainstreaming Women Peace Security Agenda for Enhanced Operations in the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” in Abuja.
The former Head of State stated that military’s effectiveness and efficiency depend on the full participation of all its members regardless of gender.
“We recognise that their contributions are not limited to the additional gender roles, but extend to leadership positions, strategic decision-making, and operational excellence. Our goal is to create a military that reflects the diversity of our nations where every officer that is serving has an equal opportunity to serve and contribute regardless of gender. We must work together to address the barriers and biases that have historically limited women’s participation.
“I urge you all to embrace this vision to champion the women’s peace and security agenda and to ensure that our military is a vehicle of inclusivity and excellence,” Gen. Abdulsalami said.
The Minister of Defence who was represented by his Technical Assistant, Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Jibrin (Rtd) said the conference was a testament to the collective resolve to ensure that “gender equality is not just a policy, but a living, breathing and continuously evolving reality within our defence sector”.
He confirmed that the defence sector has historically been dominated by traditional gender roles.
He said gender mainstreaming in defence was not merely about fairness, but rather aimed at liberating the full spectrum of talents and perspectives of women to enhance the performance and effectiveness of the military.
“Our armed forces should be at their best when they reflect the diverse society they protect by integrating gender perspectives into our policies, operations and strategies,” Badaru said.
He called on authorities to do among other things, “setting increased equipment targets for women to achieve 30% bigger representation across all the military services, establish specialised training programmes and providing equal opportunities for women in all military occupational specialties as well as including combat roles for the women in the military career.
He further stressed the need for the inclusion of military women in the decision-making process and strategic planning as well as creating mentorship programmes for military-obsessed girls.
Others include integrating gender-sensitive models into military training and curricula, conducting specialised courses on gender-based training, conflict resolution, and civil protection.
The minister also highlighted the crucial role of offering continuous professional development opportunities for women’s youth enhancement, reviewing and amending military policies for gender responsiveness and equal opportunities even as he urged for the establishment of units to oversee gender integration efforts.
He added that it is heartwarming to note that Nigeria has surpassed the UN’s target of 15% female representation in peacekeeping by 2028. “This is because currently we stand at 22%”.
Badaru added that despite the achievements, the journey towards gender-based training is just beginning in Nigeria’s Armed Forces; reiterating that, “We must remain committed to addressing the barriers and biases that exist, ensuring that our policies translate into tangible positive outcomes.”
He pledged the commitment of the government towards continuous training to enhance gender-based initiatives; adding, “We should ensure that the Nigerian military sets an example of inclusivity and diversity in service to our nation”.