By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Women and children have always borne the brunt of violence often initiated by men.

In Jos, the Plateau State capital, the situation is not different as the city has witnessed the breach of peace in more than a decade, a situation that brought untold hardship on many women, many of whom became widows and children who are orphans.

One violence which still remains fresh in the minds of residents is the 2008 post-local government election crisis. As another election year approaches, stakeholders are working hard to ensure the city in particular and the state in general do not witness a repeat of the ugly incident.

One of the stakeholders, Institute of Governance and Social Research, IGSR, preparatory to the 2015 elections, organized workshops on non-violent elections and mandate protection as well as the role of women in peace-building in the state.

The President of IGSR, Prof. Isawa Elaigwu, speaking at the Crest Hotel, Jos, venue of the workshops, said they were necessary to prepare the stakeholders and the electorate for the 2015 general elections so that they know what is expected of them.

“Given the series of violent conflicts which had disrupted the peace of the city of Jos especially since 2001 and the 2008 post-election violent, as elections are fast approaching, strategies are devised to prevent electoral violence in 2015”, Elaigwu said.

“The objectives of the workshops are to create a platform for experience sharing among stakeholders and equipping a critical mass of citizens with the knowledge and skills in the campaign against violence during the 2015 general elections.

“These are also avenues to educate and encourage responsible civic action from key stakeholders, develop the capacity of participants for non-violent participation in electoral process and mandate protection in the 2015 general elections.”

He stressed that participants were exposed to various strategies for working with civil society organizations and public institutions charged with the responsibility of protecting electoral mandates.

The professor added his organization was also working with girls to enable them reach out to their peers across religious and ethnic divides and work as a team to restore peace in

troubled areas of Plateau.

Elaigwu disclosed the institute had organized the maiden edition of the IGSR Female Football for Peace and Unity Tournament under the phase II of the Peace in Jos Project for teenage girls from six local government areas of Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Riyom, Bassa and Barkin Ladi.

His words, “Citizens of the state, irrespective of tribe, culture and religion, should imbibe the culture of peace, close ranks and rise against crises which are the common enemy seeking to destroy the state.”

In another development, women in the state have expressed dismay in the lack of gender equity and equality in activities leading to the 2015 general elections.

The women, at a stakeholders’ meeting on political participation ahead of the 2015 general elections lamented that they were not even able to access the 35% affirmative action at all levels of politics.

Addressing women from the 17 local government areas of the state who gathered in Jos, the state capital, Mrs. Blessing Ibe of the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, NSRP, urged women to stop taking the back seat but come out to canvass for elective positions so that they can address the issues affecting women effectively.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Sarah Yusuf, who was represented by the Ministry’s Director, Women Affairs, Mrs. Charity Dimlong, also tasked the women on action rather than just discussions.

“For several years now, we have been deliberating but implementation is always a problem. We need to be wise, rise up to support one another and make ourselves relevant in the society”, Yusuf said.

Delivering a lecture at the occasion, titled: “Increasing the political participation of women in Plateau State towards the 2015 general elections”, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, of the Inter-Gender Development Centre, Jos, said wrong ideology and stereotype have hindered women’s effective participation in politics and called for a change.