Role of women in conflict resolution vital - Milliar

Wa, Nov. 11, GNA - Individuals and organizations engaging in peace building and conflict management, particularly in the Northern part of Ghana have been urged to involve women in their programmes. Mrs. Cate Bob Milliar, Upper West Regional Director of Department of Women, who made the call, reminded peace brokers that women play crucial role in the promotion of peace and conflict resolution. She was speaking at a two day workshop organised by the Department to train women from all the nine districts in Northern Region in peace building, in Wa.

The event was aimed at equipping participants with knowledge and skills in handling conflict situations towards the development of their communities.

Mrs. Milliar said that even though Ghana was a signatory to international declarations on women issues and rights, Ghanaian women were still not fully recognised in matters relating to peace building, particularly those in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions. In a speech read on her behalf, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Mahmud Khalid said the gap between the North and South could not be bridged if conflicts continued to exist in the Northern part of the country. He called on the people from the North to support all peace initiatives and expressed worry that because conflicts existed in some parts of the north, public workers refused to accept postings to those areas. Mr. Khalid said resources that could have been invested in important programmes such as the Northern Development Fund and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority were being used in conflict resolution. He commended the Department for organizing the workshop to enhance the capacity of participants in peace building. Mr. Khalid urged them to take the training serious so that they could become ambassadors of peace in their communities. Reverend Father Thadeus Kuusah, resource person for the workshop, said participants would be sensitised on traditional causes of conflicts and techniques in managing them. 11 Nov 09