Tamale: The Women Mediators Network Ghana (WoMNet) has called on various stakeholders managing the Bawku conflict to prioritize the safety and protection of vulnerable groups in the area, including women, children, and persons living with disabilities. WoMNet, a network of trained women conflict mediators comprising female members of the National and Regional Peace Councils, peace and security experts, politicians, and women’s rights advocates across Ghana, stated this during a press conference held in Tamale on Wednesday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the press conference was organized in partnership with other like-minded women, peace, and security-focused civil society organizations. These included the Ghana Chapter of the UNOWAS working group on women, youth, and security, the Ghana Chapter of the Network for the Peace and Security of Women in the ECOWAS space, and the Ghana Chapter of the African Women Leaders Network, with technical support from the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa, Peace Legacy, and the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Ghana).
The statement, read by Hajia Alima Sagito Saeed, Spokesperson for WoMNet, expressed deep concerns over the ongoing violent conflict in Bawku and its devastating impact on the residents, especially the vulnerable ones. “We unreservedly condemn the violence being perpetuated by both sides, which is leading to the destruction of properties and causing untold hardship to the people of Bawku,” the statement declared.
The statement welcomed the mediation efforts initiated by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, describing it as “a step in the right direction.” It emphasized that the process would succeed only if all factions and stakeholders remained committed to dialogue as the only peaceful solution to the conflict.
The statement indicated that the escalation of violence in Bawku, since last year, had placed women and children at significant risk of being displaced, exposed to sexual and gender-based violence, losing their livelihoods, and experiencing limited access to essential services such as healthcare and education for their children.
WoMNet strongly called on leaders to ensure the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all peace processes related to the Bawku conflict. “Women must be included in conflict resolution discussions, decision-making structures, and reconciliation efforts to ensure solutions are inclusive and sustainable,” the statement stressed. It emphasized that “scientific research has proven that negotiated peace is 20 percent more sustainable when women are involved in the mediation and negotiation processes.”
The statement further underscored the need to conduct special training for all personnel deployed to Bawku on the protection of women and children, sensitize residents on laws and policies that protect the rights of women and girls, including the domestic violence law, as well as establish safe spaces, counseling, and emergency assistance programs and assertiveness training for women and children in the area.
WoMNet appealed to the warring factions to immediately ceasefire, stop the hostilities and gunshots, and commit to dialogue as the pathway to a sustainable resolution of the conflict. “We also call on the two major political parties in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and other influential and external actors to refrain from exploiting the conflict for political and economic gain.”
