Mentoring young women for Peacebuilding in Nigeria: WANEP hold 2-day National Youth Forum

In a bid to promoting intergenerational peacebuilding activities in Nigeria through mentorship of young women, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)- Nigeria recently organised 2-day national youth forum on intergenerational peacebuilding. The forum which had as its theme: Mentoring the Next Generation of Women Peacebuilders, was in collaboration with Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and Global Affairs Canada.

Welcoming participants to the meeting, the Nigeria National Network Coordinator- Chief Dr. Bridget Osakwe said in order to build peace structures and peace campaigns in Nigeria, it was imperative to annex the potentialities of young women in peacebuilding activities, hence the need for the meeting. 

"This youth forum aims to convene young women Leaders for Peace with Peacebuilding practitioners and experts from across the country. The forum will promote mutual understanding, respect and collaboration among young women peacebuilders and more seasoned peacebuilding practitioners contributing to the advancement of the UNSCR 1325 women, peace and security (WPS) and UNSCR 2250 youth, peace and security (YPS) resolutions in Nigeria. 

"The older generation of peacebuilding practitioners will serve to mentor the young women peacebuilders. It is expected that the forum will provide the opportunity for knowledge exchange and foster multi generational cooperation among peacebuilders for the actualization of the Nigerian WPS and YPS NAPs", said Dr. Bridget Osakwe.

In her remarks, the WANEP-Nigeria Head of Program, Mrs Patience Ikpeh-Obaulo said the expected outcome of the meeting is increased understanding and cooperation between young women peacebuilders and established practitioners contributing to a broader and enriched perspective on the implementation of the WPS and YPS resolutions in Nigeria. 

According to her, "Since 2021 the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP Nigeria) has been partnering on the project Localization of the Women, Peace and Security Resolutions in Nigeria, supported by the Global Affairs Canada’s Peace and Stabilization Operation Program (PSOP)".

Delivering a lecture with the topic: Building Self-confidence and the Act of Leadership, Dr Emem Okon building self-confidence instigate positive energy in youths to take action for personal and professional aspirations. According to her, "self-confidence is the act of believing in oneself or being certain that one can control any situation or circumstances by hiself/herself.

"It is trusting in yourself, your judgements, capabilities and abilities to achieve, impact or make possible, and being in control of your attitude, behaviour an lifr generally".

Dr. Emem Okon gave the following as characteristics of Self-confidence: "assertiveness, appreciative, humility, fearless, calmness, willingness to help others, bold to ask for help, secure enough to admit a weekness.

The peace actor however opined that building self-confidence is a process and cannot be acquired overnight. According to her, the following are processes of building self-confidence: "avoiding comparing self with others; commitment to personal growth; facing your fears and getting out of your comfort zones; practice saying positive things to yourself; and surrounding yourself with positive minded people".

Dr. Okon defined leadership as the act of influencing and controlling a group of peoplr to act in certain ways in order to achieve certain expectations. She said in leadership, self-confidence extends beyond personal positivity, that it involves the ability to confront challenges, make tough decisions and inspire others to follow suit. She outlined the following as determinants of leadership confidence: communication, decision making, relationship building skills, influence, etc.

Giving her presentation on Self-Awareness: Affirming Self and Vision Building, the Executive Director of Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI)- Dr. Rachael Misan-Ruppee, said self-awareness was essential in peacebuilding and decision making especially for young women in Nigeria who are actively involved in peacebuilding efforts. She said self-awareness serves as a compass that guides young people through the process of exploring their identities, aligning their values, and setting goals.

"In the same vein, self-awareness allows young women peacebuilders to authentically recognise and accept their strengths and weaknesses. By recognising their strengths and accepting their limitations, they develop the confidence and resilience that will carry them forward on their peacebuilding journey. At the core of self-awareness is matching personal values with professional goals.

"Self-awareness is a journey of introspection and reflection, guiding individuals to explore the depths of their being and unravel the intricacies of their identity. For young women peacebuilders in Nigeria, understanding self is not merely a philosophical pursuit but a practical necessity in their quest for empowerment and social change.

"Moreover, understanding self entails confronting biases, stereotypes, and societal expectations that often constrain young women's autonomy and abilities for decision making. 

"In Nigeria, a patriarchal society where gender roles are rigidly defined, young women face pervasive gender-based discrimination and marginalization, limiting their access to education, employment, and decision- making spaces.

"By interrogating these societal constructs and challenging limiting beliefs, young women peacebuilders reclaim agency over their lives and leadership roles, asserting their rightto self-determination and empowerment", said Mrs Ruppee.

Mrs Misan-Ruppee also emphasized the need for young women leaders to articulate their vision with clarity, conviction, and purpose, by drawing inspiration from their values, experiences, aspirations and mentors. She said at yhe heart of effective leadership and impactful peacebuilding lies the power of vision- a compelling and transformative narrative that inspires hope, mobilizes action, and drives positive change.

"For young women leaders in Nigeria, vision building is not merely a lofty ideal but a practical imperative, a roadmap for navigating uncertainty, fostering resilience, and charting a course towards a more just, inclusive, and peaceful society", said Dr. Rachael Misan-Ruppee.

Delivering a paper on the Importance of Mentorship gor Young Persons: Role of Mentor and Mentee, Prof. Patricia O. Donli of th Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre, Maiduguri, gave an exploratory definition of a mentor. According to her, "a mentor is a person who can support, advise and guide another person; an adviser or coach who has more experience or knowledge than you in a certain field or area; interacting and providing support, advice, and feedback to the mentee is an advisor and role model who is willing to invest in the mentee’s personal growth and professional development; who can support, advise and guide a person; take the time to get to know them and the challenges they are facing and then use their understanding and personal experience to help them improve Who share information about his/her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modelling. Who helps with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.

"A mentee is someone who has identified a specific personal or professional goal and who believes that the guidance and help of a mentor can help him/her achieve his/her goal".

"The purpose of mentoring is to: connect an individual who has a lot of knowledge and experience with someone who hasn’t gained the same knowledge or experience—yet. have someone who knows more than yourself share advice, offer guidance and be a sounding board for your thoughts, you stand to benefit from experience beyond your own; having a mentor is crucial to all of our continued growth and development.tap into the existing knowledge, skills, and experience of senior or high performing employees and transfer these skills to newer or less experienced employees in order to advance their careers".

She gave the core principles of mentorship to include:  "establishment of the principles and values of both mentor and mentee to avoid a value clash that may cause feelings that can obstruct both sides to continue effectively; understanding of each other’s principles and values, strengths and weaknesses, and what drives them and what they wish to achieve out of the relationship;  the mentor-mentee relationship must be built upon certain factors including: Trust, confidentiality, mutual respect,  open and honest communication, flexibility and understanding of other perspectives and sensitivity. The relationship should be based on agreed boundaries and ground rules; establishment of goals the mentee wish to achieve with the mentor's hlp and definition of roles and responsibilities; set a timeframe to implement, review, share learnings and then determine the next step; etc.

"The core skills of mentoring include: active listening, building trust, encouraging, identifying goals, instructing and developing capabilities, providing corrective feedback, inspiring, and opening doors.

While talking about the roles of mentor and mentee,  Dr. Donli said thus: "Mentor is a person with expertise, experience or knowledge which is valuable to others and holds strong beliefs about helping others by sharing this knowledge with the world.They act as the guide, advisor and support structure to bring out the best in people by learning about their strengths and leveraging it to co-create solutions. They understand that people have different learning styles and experiments with them to find the one best suited to the individual. A great mentor is also aware that every individual has unique circumstances and problems. Advice that works for one may not apply to another person. This helps them in learning the unique challenges of their mentee and to provide advice tailored to them. 

"Mentee is the other side of the mentor - mentee relationship who sets its tone. Mentee drives the relationship by determining the role model they wish to emulate and the goals they need to achieve through them. Mentee understands that mentoring is a relationship that grows over a period of time and builds upon their actions. They are either completely bought in to the advice from their mentor and act on it or do not hesitate to share and voice their opinion when it conflicts with their ideas. They take full responsibility for keeping their mentor in the loop when they wish to deviate from original agreement or decide to follow a completely different path based on their learnings along the way. A great mentee knows the areas of their growth and development and seeks the kind of person they respect based on the knowledge they possess. They may lean on multiple people for mentorship as they find their limitations and set learning boundaries for themselves. They try to imbibe the best of each of their mentors. 

"The qualities of a mentor include: lack of prejudice; openness, honesty and trustworthiness; patience; empathy, active listening; views the mentoring relationship as an opportunity to learn; friendly and genuine personality; has the desire to engage with others on an interpersonal level; has a desire to learn; a motivator; has a good listening and communication skills; good people management and leadership skills; knowledge of the industry, organization, or field in which the mentee works or aspires to work in; self-confidence and self-awareness. 

"The qualities of a mentee include the following: a willingness to learn about themselves; a willingness to learn from others’ experience; commitment to their personal and professional growth; strong interpersonal skills; good listening skills; an easy ability to learn; an open mind and a willingness to try new things; an ability to accept feedback and learn from it; patience and ability to take a long-term view; good communication skills;  flexibility; respect for other people's time and effort; realistic expectations; a clear commitment to being mentored; a willingness to take responsibility for their career; openness, honesty and trustworthiness".

Mrs Donli gave an hint on how to become a peacebuilder. They are as follows: establish your vision/mission; goal/objectives; strategies for achieving your goal – monthly activities/quarterly/bi-annual/ annually; resources required; skills required; who can be of assistance – map collaborators, partners, networks; SWOT/C analysis; monitoring and evaluation

Peacebuilding skills according to the Professor include: communication skills; conflict resolution techniques (negotiation, mediation, and arbitration); active listening skills; good facilitation skills; mediation skills; policy engagement skills; advocacy skills; analytical thinking; collaboration and networking.

In her paper presentation titled: Networking in Peacebuilding- Meaning and Requirements for Effective Networking in Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, the WANEP's National Network Coordinator- Dr. Bridget Osakwe highlighted the importance of collaboration and sisterhood in achieving the women peace and security resolution agenda  in Nigeria. According to her, networking is one of the finest strategies in promoting women participation in peace process. She said this is more important because the role of women in peace and security in Nigeria as in other societies worldwide and particularly in Africa was never recognized nor appreciated. 

"In Nigeria, there has been over 2,000 conflicts since 1999 with over 10,000 people reported dead and over 5,000,000 internally displaced persons. Statistics have shown that women and children make up about 80% of those displaced. In many instances, women can be more vulnerable than men to being drugged, raped, physically coerced, and emotionally and socially blackmailed, especially in traditionally societies where they have little resources to alternative mechanisms for empowerment or independence.  

"Like some of their male counterparts, women can also be influenced or coerced to participate in terrorism by male family members, to avenge a sense of personal or familial dishonor, or to transform their status from victims of sexual violence into ideological icons", said Dr. Osakwe.

According to the National Network Coordinator defined "peace is not necessarily the absence of war/conflict but a state devoid of fear from want and where the needs of everyone at all levels are met resulting in contentment and satisfaction by all. Peace is very important because it determines the business climate for investment and sustainable development".

She called for the involvement of women in peacebuilding activities. She gave the following reasons for involving women:

"Women have their fingers on the pulse of the community where the decisions are being made; women hold communities together when violence erupts, shouldering the responsibility for basic survival and care of extended families, provide protection and support for orphans and other vulnerable children; women know what it means to have sons, brothers, husbands, and even daughters who have fought and died in conflicts; for lasting stability peace promoters as well as warriors are needed at the negotiation table; women know the cost of violence, extremism and exclusion, the cost of destroyed states and economies and the cost of accumulated conflicts; women are agents of change and women in conflict zones throughout the world have mobilised within their communities and across borders to demand that the international community put an end to violence, to urgently address the impact of war on women and their communities and to protect future of their societies as well as women's role in shaping that future.

"Women are excluded from peace and security as a result of patriarchy; being confined to homes as some social norms restrict them from all forms of political process; women being thought to be too emotional, weak and not able to think rationally; seeing women's involvement as a direct threat to culture and tradition; poverty - the lack of resources to mobilize themselves to participate in peace processes or send a representative from their group to take part in formal peace talks; lack of political experience and education".

The peace scholar recommended thus: strengthening security of women and girls through rule of law, security and justice sector reform, and multi-sectoral prevention and response to gender-based violence; create social safety nets; supports women’s political participation, empowerment and representation, including in national and local governments, conflict prevention and peacebuilding processes.