EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN PEACE BUILDING PROCESS: THE CASE OF WUKARI, NORTH-EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, has in recent time witnessed series of violent ethno-religious conflict between the Jukun indigenous who are predominantly Christians and the Hausa Fulani who embraced Islam and are regarded as settlers. From 2013 and more intense after 2014, Wukari has suffered several devastating conflicts, where lives, and property worth millions of Naira were destroyed, and thousands of people displaced. The Crisis has taken several dimensions in terms of causes, degree of occurrence, and general impacts. The reoccurring nature of the conflict attempts to reorganize the economy and the polity leading to reconfiguration of structure of control over markets, and other economic sectors in the area, with implication for inter-gender relations.  This paper relies on qualitative research method.  Data were gathered through interviews questionnaire, secondary sources of data like books, journal, news papers and personal observation by researchers and found that despite the enormity and active role played by women in conflict and in ending it through organizing street protests, prayers, visit to religious and traditional leaders and the security operatives, the role they played in ensuring peace was not recognized in most official peace building process organized by the government and other stakeholders in peace building process. The study recommends that there is need to engage more women in official peace building process in other to avail them formal peace building trainings and capacity building to make them more effective in peace building process in the area.