Enhancing Women's Roles in Peace Negotiations in Rural Areas

According to recent humanitarian reports issued by the International Organization for Migration and UNICEF, Nigeria continues to see a significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to conflicts, with women and children making up the majority of these displaced individuals.

In numerous IDP camps, women often take on the roles of primary caregivers, breadwinners, and emotional supports for families disrupted by unrest, while children, particularly girls, face disrupted schooling, risk of early marriage, malnutrition, and psychological trauma.

Even though discussions typically center around armed groups and political figures, it is the human toll of these conflicts that is most acutely felt by women and children.

Ironically, those women—the very backbone of family and community resilience during strife—are frequently excluded from peace negotiations.

For peace agreements to be effective in rural settings, it is essential that women are actively engaged in their formulation, negotiation, and ongoing maintenance.

Regions such as Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa share common experiences, cultural uniqueness, and security challenges that resonate throughout neighboring states including parts of Kaduna, Taraba, Kogi, and Adamawa.

Violence in one locality can rapidly spread to others; patterns of displacement and migration know no geographical borders.

Amidst this intricate scenario, the essential contributions of women are often overlooked.

Achieving enduring peace necessitates inclusive strategies that confront underlying issues—like land management, climatic challenges, migration patterns, youth unemployment, and identity-based conflicts. These struggles are part of the daily lives of women, impacting their food security, family stability, and community cohesiveness.

When women are excluded from peace negotiations, the resultant agreements risk collapsing under unresolved societal fractures. However, when women actively participate—shaping, overseeing, and embedding peace—settlements are more likely to last.

Engaging women in peace efforts is not simply an act of goodwill or a matter of political correctness. It is a strategic approach to fostering robust communities.

During violent conflicts between pastoralists and farmers, the immediate devastation often visible includes burnt properties and casualties.

Yet, behind these scenes lies a deeper tragedy. Women suffer tremendous losses—losing husbands, sons, farmland, markets, and the ability to access ancestral homes. They confront gender-based violence, economic hardships, and the overwhelming responsibility of nurturing traumatized children.

In the rural communities of Benue and Plateau where I have collaborated, women recount tales of fleeing under the cover of night with infants strapped to their backs, unsure of their return.

In addition to physical displacement, there exists a social displacement—the fracturing of trust among neighbors who once cultivated bonds through trade and communal celebrations.

For countless women, conflict transforms them into widows and sole providers, often without land ownership or financial resources, maneuvering through aid mechanisms that frequently ignore their experiences.

Global evidence suggests that peace agreements are more likely to endure when women are integral to the negotiation and implementation processes.

In my work with communities affected by conflict in Benue and neighboring states, supported by the Middle Belt Brain Trust, I have noted that women frequently undertake the role of informal negotiators, despite a lack of formal acknowledgment.

During community training sessions, women consistently offer pragmatic solutions for peace building: collaborative farming endeavors, communal market exchanges, youth engagement initiatives, and early-warning systems for communication.

They stress the importance of securing schools and ensuring safe pathways for displaced individuals—issues that elite negotiations sometimes neglect.

When women are part of community peace councils, adherence to local agreements visibly improves.

They keep a vigilant watch on the execution of these agreements because they are the most affected should these efforts falter.

Nevertheless, women continue to encounter barriers, both structural and cultural, stemming from patriarchal constraints that restrict their public engagement and confine them to domestic roles. Limited access to education and understanding of legal matters often diminishes their confidence in formal discussions, while financial dependence undermines their negotiating strength and exposes them to threats for voicing their concerns.

To ensure that women's participation is meaningful rather than symbolic, specific strategies must be adopted:

This includes ensuring women's representation in local and state peace councils; providing training in mediation and negotiation techniques, trauma recovery, and legal awareness; and promoting economic independence through land rights access, microcredit opportunities, and cooperative ventures.

An insightful woman in a farming community in Plateau State shared: “When men are angry, they stop communicating with each other. But women still gather in the market. We exchange greetings, inquire about each other's children, and gradually, the tension dissipates.”

In several community dialogue initiatives, women have served as reliable communicators—relaying messages between groups, diffusing tensions, and encouraging calm during heightened periods of conflict.

Through storytelling, song, and everyday discussions among families, women can either propagate division or foster reconciliation.

One such woman from Plateau articulated this subtle diplomacy by stating, “Men may cease to converse during disputes. But women continue to meet in the market. We check in on one another and our children, and slowly, we notice the anxiety easing.”

These daily interactions create informal avenues for dialogue and trust development.

Peace agreements that exclude women's input often fail to acknowledge pressing realities—like farm access, market safety, educational needs of displaced youth, and protections against gender-based violence.

For Nigeria to truly commit to sustainable peace at the grassroots level, the involvement of women must transition from peripheral to central roles in peace initiatives.

This necessitates including women in formal peace talks and local conflict resolution groups; bolstering women's networks as platforms for early warnings and dialogue; enhancing economic initiatives that empower women to restore their livelihoods in divided communities; and providing leadership and mediation training tailored for women in areas prone to conflict.

Peace should not merely signify the cessation of hostilities. It represents the rebuilding of relationships, trust, and collective futures.

If Nigeria earnestly aspires for enduring peace in its rural localities, women must advance from the sidelines to the forefront of these peace processes. Without their voices, peace agreements may be formalized. However, the active involvement of women can ensure that peace stands the test of time.