Mr Kofi Annan has said the exclusion of women in mainstream decision-making process has led to a dangerous situation where peace, stability and security have eluded the present generation.
A former Secretary General of the United Nation and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001 has, therefore, called for a full role in political decision making for women to ensure social equality and progress, saying “women would ensure strong democracies, cohesive society as well as peace, stability and security.”
Mr Annan was the guest of honour at the “Pilosio Peacebuilding Awards 2014” in Venice in Italy at the weekend.
Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah, the Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and daughter of the First President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the proud recipient of the “Peace Builder 2014 Award.’’ It was in recognition of her commitment to politics that had revived the ideal of Pan Africanism as well as her work on the Kwame Nkrumah Presidential Library in Accra.
The 2014 edition of the prize, organised by Pilosio, an international construction firm based in Italy, attracted 300 guests, including captains of industry from the United States, China, the Middle East, among others countries, to Venice to rethink how to use their wealth to assist the vulnerable in society.
Peace building
Speaking on the “Role of Women in Peacebuilding in Society’’ and above all the prospects of future development for Africa, a continent with incredible potential, Mr Annan said experience had shown the added value women could bring to peacebuilding processes.
He observed that the ‘’macho style’’ type of politics currently being practised had no room for consensus building and compromises but that could change, if more women participated in decision making.
He explained that because women were the victims of rapes and brutalities in war-torn areas, they were more amenable when it came to reaching compromises and consensus building so that peace could be achieved.
Mr Annan, therefore, commended Ms Samia Nkrumah for her commitment to ensure social justice by offering herself as a role model to other young women to enter politics.
The former Secretary General assured critics of women participation in governance that it was only through the participation of women in politics and decision making that communities could prevent and eliminate conflicts from their midst.
He, therefore, suggested the strengthening of structures to ensure gender perspective in governance.
He cited the recent cases of women in uniform who were given peacekeeping roles in war-torn areas by the United Nations.
He said the women in uniform, within a short time, were able to achieve success by bringing a sense of security to victims of crimes in conflict areas as well as becoming role models to the victims who were normally women and children
Conflict resolution
Mr Annan said the number of women in uniform deployed in conflict areas continued to rise from one per cent in 1993 to three per cent for soldiers and 10 per cent for the police.
He said despite the increase in the number of women in conflict resolution, barriers were still making it difficult for women to participate in governance and peacebuilding.
He said traditional views of gender roles in politics still persisted in creating the barriers with some societies still seeing it as an affront to include women in decision making.
He also observed that inclusive development, rule of law and the prospects of human rights would be strengthened in the world and the sources of conflicts could be reduced to the barest minimum if not completely eradicated by the participation of women in politics.
