Uniting in Diversity: The Women Initiative for Sustainable Community Development in Plateau State, Nigeria

B. CASE STUDIES

Uniting in Diversity: The Women Initiative for Sustainable Community Development in Plateau State, Nigeria

Nigeria is an ethnically diverse country, where inter-communal violent conflict along ethno-religious lines manifests, particularly between Muslim and Christian communities in the Middle Belt region.3 , 1868 The Middle Belt region of Nigeria, which forms a transition zone between northern and southern Nigeria, is home to various farming communities, which tend to be Christian, and herding communities, which tend to be Muslim. The Middle Belt’s indigenous people are predominantly Christian and the Hausa-Fulani settlers are almost entirely Muslim.1869

These groups’ conflicting demands for land use exacerbate tensions between their communities and have triggered deadly attacks by armed civilians in the past two decades.1870 Violent conflict in Jos, the capital of Plateau state, has occurred since 2001, tracing its origins to the contested claims between the indigene Berom/Anaguta/ Afizere and the Hausa-Fulani settlers.1871

In this context, women’s right to security and freedom from violence is at stake, as the armed conflict has resulted in physical harm and villagers’ displacement.1872 Women and children in Nigeria have historically been disproportionately affected by violent attacks. For instance, in the 2005 conflict in Namu town, Plateau state, 76% of IDPs were women, many of whom suffered the loss of pregnancy and economic ruin as a result of the attack and subsequent displacement.1873 Women have also experienced great fear, stress and trauma through the loss of loved ones, displacement and having to care for injured family members, as well as sexual abuse and rape.1874 The government notes that north-eastern Nigeria’s insurgency has worsened existing gender disparities and spawned new ones. Progressive herder/farmer conflicts have increased the incidence of SGBV among women farmers.1875

Hajiya Amina Ahmed is Executive Director of the Women Initiative for Sustainable Community Development in Plateau state, which works to strengthen women’s leadership and engagement in peace-building initiatives, in line with UNSCR 1325 and the Maputo Protocol. She was determined to work in Jenta Adamu, a community in North Jos, Plateau state, for two reasons. Before the 2001 crisis of Jos, Jenta Adamu was a multi-ethnic community of Muslims and Christians co-existing. Since 2001, it has been prone to violent crises whose perpetrators have not been held accountable.1876 After 2001, many Muslims, both Fulani and Hausa, vacated the area, leaving homes and property. To date, displaced people fear returning to Jenta Adamu because they were targeted during the crisis. Second, Amina Ahmed, who had attended primary school in Jenta Adamu’s vicinity, wanted to revive the peaceful environment of her childhood. She longed to see Muslims eventually return and cement their relationship with Christians, and her mission became to encourage Muslims to visit Christians in the community and be accepted. Jenta Adamu was also an area benefiting from UN Women support, so Amina decided to work in there.

In 2015, Amina Ahmed led a group of Christian and Muslim women involved in peace-building and conflict resolution in Plateau state, known as Women Peace Mentors, to reach out to Jenta Adamu. Despite initially facing resistance from community gatekeepers, she shifted the conversation from the religious differences between

3 The Middle Belt region encompasses the states of Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Nassarwa, Kwara, Adamawa and the

Federal Capital Territory alongside Southern Kaduna, Southern Bauchi, Southern Kebbi, Southern Gombe, Southern Yobe and

Southern Borno.