Nigeria's Chief of Defence Force, General Christopher Musa, announced on November 9 at a Gender Mainstreaming Conference that the country's Armed Forces attained 27.9% female participation in peace support operations. The United Nations (UN) recommends a 17% benchmark.

The conference – with the theme “Building Capacity Through Gender Mainstreaming to meet Security Challenges” – was held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

“These deliberate efforts by the military is in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, mandating countries to develop own action plans to identify, evaluate and control efforts to achieve the objectives of Women, Peace and Security.

“The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was mooted to ensure women and societal security needs are safeguarded through increased emphasis on prevention, protection and participation of women in military operations,” Musa said.

Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces, stating she would continue to support the country's efforts to deepen gender inclusivness and bridge existing gender gaps.

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