4 women’s groups kick against military intervention in Niger
Four women’s groups in Ghana have appealed to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to refrain from the use of military action to address the political crisis in Niger.
According to them, a military option would not serve the interest of Niger or the sub-region and that ECOWAS should focus on its core mandate of promoting regional integration and eradicating poverty.
This was contained in a statement jointly issued in Accra yesterday by the network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), the Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC), Affirmative Action Coalition (AABill Coalition) and the Women’s Manifesto Domestic Violence Coalition (DVC).
Their appeal follows ECOWAS’s military intervention in Niger to restore President Mohamed Bazoum’s government in the name of reestablishing democracy in the country.
President Bazoum was overthrown by Presidential Guard Commander, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, on 26 July 2023, a coup d’état over what the junta described in broadcast as “continuous deterioration of the security situation, the bad social and economic management.”
Condemning the planned military intervention by the ECOWAS, the women’s group said advancing regional integration could occur without resorting to military action in Niger which could have implications on social relations amongst African countries.
“Decision-making on Niger at this point in time must be guided by inclusiveness and by the fact that West Africans have an intricate network of family and social relations across all borders, confirming common historical,” it said.
The statement explained that Democracy was not simply about elections but thrived on the economic and social well-being of the women, boys, girls and men of the society.
Therefore, it said, ECOWAS should focus more critically on how it could promote democracy that benefitted all the citizens based on credible political, social, economic and environmental conditions in member states.
The statement highlighted the hardships Niger suffers, from severe economic, social, peace, and security challenges in a beleaguered Sahel region and a close examination of the socio-economic realities.
“A multi-dimensional crises of poverty and hunger affect over five million persons in Niger, with women and children as the most deprived,” the statement said.
It said the country had remained among the lowest in the global development ranking as it followed war-torn Yemen as the worst performing on the gender inequality index, with women denied the most basic social and economic rights for a life of dignity and self-advancement, with only 2.4 per cent of women in Niger achieving secondary school education, compared to 7.8 per cent of men in 2016.
The statement, therefore, called on all stakeholders to consciously and intentionally nurture democratic governance systems that prioritised women’s rights and gender equality and met the survival and strategic needs of all citizens.
Touching on military rule, it said military rulers had historically failed to deliver on their promises all over Africa while attempts to impose democracy from external forces had also failed.
BY TIMES REPORTER
