Equal Opportunity: Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari Wants Military To Deploy Female Soldiers To Trouble Zones | What’s Your Take?

Nigeria’s First Lady Aisha Buhari is canvassing that the full potential of the female gender be unleashed on all economic fronts including careerwise. The First Lady said this on Thursday, September 12, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Defence Headquarters maiden annual conference on Women, Peace and Security at the National Defence College, Abuja.

While the advocacy for equal opportunity for men and women has been on the lips of almost everyone for some time now, one may wonder about the new proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife. During the event, Aisha called on the military authorities to deploy female soldiers to fight against insecurity witnessed in some states across Nigeria.

She partly blamed the security crisis witnessed in the country on the yet to be defined role of women as well as cold feet in exploring their potential for operational effectiveness in the military, something she described as “psychological oppression” of women. Aisha Buhari who was represented by a Senior Special Assistant Dr Hajo Sani stated that for insecurity to be successfully tackled, the impact of the female gender must be adequately unleashed.

She said:

The security issues bedeviling our country still abound probably because we are yet to redefine the Armed Forces of Nigeria to explore the potential of women for operational effectiveness. Women possess the traits of patience, perseverance, and passion.

There is a need for the reformulation of laws and policies that border on the inclusion of women in the strategic reformation of effective operational deployment. The wide margin and lack of flexibility in structures based on gender should be abridged.

Women are restricted to careers within supportive mustering of military community such as finance, human resources, personnel, logistics, medical services and welfare. I join the military women to take exception to such psychological oppression”

Also speaking at the event, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin said the military has attained 27.7% female participation in peacekeeping operations.

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“Currently, the Armed Forces of Nigeria has attained 27.7 per cent female participation in peacekeeping operations. This is higher than the UN recommendation of 17 percent.

These women are given equal opportunities like their male counterparts, including commanding major combat units and flying fighter jets for the air force.

The Nigerian Navy has also deployed women as sailors and for other key aspects such as ship maintenance”

he said.