Abstract: Conflict occurs when there is disagreement on values, motivations, ideas and desires. It is not an understatement to note that women suffer greatly during conflict because of their gender sensitivity and the fact that their husbands, children, fathers and brothers are killed. Thus, there is need for women who are at the centre of it all to contribute and participate on the platform of resolution dialogue for peaceful co-existence. Information is everything, which is the reason librarians should package information for the purpose of empowering women with knowledge and strategies for meaningful peaceful development. This study was carried out in Anambra state, Nigeria. Thirty five (35) women drawn from members of umuada group, women wing of town union and student union were sampled through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interview (KII). It was discovered that women have various groups in the communities where they participate actively for their welfare and community development. Also discovered were the extreme sufferings of women during conflict as well as the strength and inbuilt power women have in managing adverse circumstances. They revealed their use of dialogue, advocacies to the elders, religious leaders and other stakeholders in preventing conflicts. Another discovered was that provisions of information empowerment like seminar, lectures, pamphlets and film shows for peace building were assessed through NGOs innovative activities. The challenges affecting women participation in conflict resolution were found out to be exclusion from decision making bodies, poverty, cultural norms, inadequacy of information among others. The study recommended that librarians should disseminate information and create awareness on promoting peaceful co-existence in the families, communities, workplaces and the communities. They should partner with NGOs, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, etc towards disseminating information for conflict prevention and mitigation.
Keywords: community, conflict resolution, information, library, peace building, participation, women.
Title: Promoting Women's Participation In Conflict Resolution In Nigeria: Information Accessibility
Author: Ngozi P. Osuchukwu, Nkechi S. Udeze
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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